I was at the junkyard today and saw a t5 tranny behind a 2.3l 1988 Mustang. I'm looking for a t5 to put behind my 5.0 302 and was wondering if the t5 from the 2.3L is the same as the 5.0 version? and would the bell housing fit from the 2.3l?
thanks
It will fit with the right bell housing and possibly a different inputshaft/bearing retainer but the bottem line is it will not last at all. The 4cyl T5s don't stand up to any real abuse.
I wouldn't recommend doing that! A buddy at work had a car like that and yanked out the 2.3 a dropped in a mildly build 351w, first time he got on it he fryed the clutch after swapping that out he tried it again and lost first gear, this continued for a few times before he finally swapped the tranny out .
Aside from having a different input shaft, the 2.3 specific T5s usually have steeper gear ratios to cope with the lower torque(usually) of a 2.3. Putting one behind a V8 with 300+lb-ft of torque means that the steeper ratios put more stress on the case and gears and can more easily break them.
For example, the T5 in mt '84 SVO has a 4.06 1st gear with 3.45 rears whereas the T5 in my '89 Mustang had a 3.35 1st with 3.08 gears. Some sources say the '89 5.0 got a 2.95 1st, so take it for what it's worth.
The 2.3 t-5 can be used, but typically wont last long as it has a lower torque capacity. It also usually has a much lower first gear, 3.97 I believe(in most cases). You also have to use a pilot bearing from a 90 mazda b2200 because the 2.3 t-5 has a different diameter input shaft. The 2.3 bellhousing will not work with the 302.
The case(s) and sliders, however, are the same. If you can get an excellent deal on one, consider gutting it and rebuilding it with Z-spec gears (2.95 gearset), upgraded pocket bearing and counter gear stabilizer and proper input shaft and steel front bearing retainer, etc. You should then have a very good tranny that can stand quite a bit of abuse.