T5 questions, replace vs rebuild

General karthief · Nov 4, 2022

What are they getting for a T5 core now a days?
When I got my new trans the core was $150, I kept it and sold it a few years later for the core charge.

limp · Nov 4, 2022

When I started on my project, ( its an 83, 302, SROD 4/speed car) I was going to do a LOW cost NO garage queen redo on the car....
Its NO garage queen but certainly saying its been LOW cost is not quite true.....
My SROD and my 7.5 inch rear end were in good shape but I only wanted to do this project once.....
I purchased the TKX for $2800 , and I am glad I went this direction instead of a T5.....
One reason I did the TKX vs T5 was the TKX bolted to my SROD bellhousing while I would have to buy a new bell to use a T5... And PUHLEEZE don't tell me about the $50 T5 bells around used.... NO SUCH thing....
The TKX is advertised to be twice as strong as the T5, so it has that going for it too, but was not a factor with my low horsepower car....

General karthief · Nov 4, 2022

I've got a couple T5 bell housings, they worth more than fifty bucks?

limp · Nov 4, 2022

General karthief said:
I've got a couple T5 bell housings, they worth more than fifty bucks?

I offered some people $50 when they were asking $150.... They seemed to sell pretty quick... The ONE or TWO times I saw one for sale...

AeroCoupe · Nov 4, 2022

The SROD bell housings are scarce as they were only produced a few years and it was back in the early 80's and I typically see them in the $200's. Last one I got was from a really small salvage yard here in OK this year and I paid $50 for it. Holding it for the eventual move to a TKO/TKX in the Coupe.

T5 bell housings are just all over the place. Again, I would suggest a salvage yard to try and get one as it seemed they would sell the T5 out of the cars and not demand you buy the bell housing with it.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 4, 2022

General karthief said:
I've got a couple T5 bell housings, they worth more than fifty bucks?

I see completed auctions on Ebay for $275-400ish. That's nuts.

I only have 1, but it comes in handy for rebuilding and working on the T5 in general

Blown88GT · Nov 4, 2022

AnthonyA1234 said:
After doing some more research I’ve found pro motion power train. They’re who I bought my king cobra clutch their website says their labor for rebuilding is 400 plus parts and shipping. Has anyone sent their tranny to get rebuilt by them or know anything about them? I can’t find any bad reviews on them.

They did mine. Walt's been doing these for over 25 years. No shipping if you drop it off at their shop. It was $2k for all new Tremec internals & cryogenic treatment. Tremec no longer makes parts for the T5. It took about 10 weeks, waiting for parts & sending out of cryo. It's now rated for 400 hp, 400 lb-ft.

93FoxBodE · Nov 5, 2022

Repairing a bunch of broken parts can be very costly. Whereas a manufacturer that buys parts at discounted prices, has inventory, volume and quantity will save you money vs going to a transmission shop that buys smaller quantities. So why not buy a new unit and
have a spare transmission if you find a quality builder that specializes in T5’s.

AnthonyA1234 · Nov 16, 2022

Would it be worth taking my old transmission and selling it? What could I get for something like that?

Mustang5L5 · Nov 16, 2022

AnthonyA1234 said:
Would it be worth taking my old transmission and selling it? What could I get for something like that?

Values are all over the place, but there is value in the parts. All depends on what is good on it and what is not.

Case, tailhousing and lid have value. The mainshaft will prob fetch decent coin if the tip is not galled up. The individual forks and smaller rails and reverse specific parts probably have smaller value. If any of the gears are in great shape they also have value but if they are chewed up it's scrap.

There's a pretty good T5 specific FB group. "Tremec Borg Warner T5, t56, TKX, TKO" that can help you get a rough value and possibly offload parts locally.

FastDriver · Nov 20, 2022

Another voucher for Promotion Powertrain. They have built 2 T56s for me that have been great. They are also an awesome source of knowledge and support. I still go back to them whenever I want the ground truth on something I'm struggling to figure out. They're great people, too. Walt's helped me research and find parts for custom builds without even charging for it.

Now, regarding advice, I'd rather spend twice as much on a part I know will never have another problem than 1/2 as much on something that might break. A T-5 is kinda like that. I blew up a T5, probably because of a Spec Stage 3 ceramic clutch in a ~320rwhp H/C/I build on Nitto Drag radials. On the other hand, I've beaten the living hell out of the T5 in Black Jack, and I'd invite anyone to come drive it... it's still shifting perfectly. The differece? A/S tires, King Cobra organic clutch, & 270 rwhp are nowhere near as hard on the transmission as the other setup and maybe this Trans was built on a Tuesday.

So, my advice boils down to your budget and how you plan to build/drive your car. If you've got the spare change or you're going to put some big power down on sticky tires through an aggressive clutch, upgrade to TKX or T56 -- expensive but fun. If you don't or you won't, then keep your KC clutch and keep street tires with non-R compounds to reduce the torque/shock to the transmission.

AnthonyA1234 · Nov 20, 2022

FastDriver said:
Another voucher for Promotion Powertrain. They have built 2 T56s for me that have been great. They are also an awesome source of knowledge and support. I still go back to them whenever I want the ground truth on something I'm struggling to figure out. They're great people, too. Walt's helped me research and find parts for custom builds without even charging for it.

Now, regarding advice, I'd rather spend twice as much on a part I know will never have another problem than 1/2 as much on something that might break. A T-5 is kinda like that. I blew up a T5, probably because of a Spec Stage 3 ceramic clutch in a ~320rwhp H/C/I build on Nitto Drag radials. On the other hand, I've beaten the living hell out of the T5 in Black Jack, and I'd invite anyone to come drive it... it's still shifting perfectly. The differece? A/S tires, King Cobra organic clutch, & 270 rwhp are nowhere near as hard on the transmission as the other setup and maybe this Trans was built on a Tuesday.

So, my advice boils down to your budget and how you plan to build/drive your car. If you've got the spare change or you're going to put some big power down on sticky tires through an aggressive clutch, upgrade to TKX or T56 -- expensive but fun. If you don't or you won't, then keep your KC clutch and keep street tires with non-R compounds to reduce the torque/shock to the transmission.

thanks for all the helpful advice. I have 275 nitto nt555 g2 summer tires on my fox, being that I’m at 275whp/300 ft lbs of torque, do you think the t5z I got will hold up well to that? I’d like to be able to do some launches every once and a while.

AeroCoupe · Nov 20, 2022

I drive my Coupe pretty hard and it’s 460 fwhp with a WC T5 behind it with the 275/40R17 Nitto 555R’s. I do not come out of the hole hard and do not speed shift. A quality shifter is part of a T5 living as well. I run RAM HD clutches as they have performed well over the years in my cars.

I will tell you that I do have some pieces in my T5 that I believe help like the billet cluster support plate, billet 3/4 slider keys, and the steel front bearing retainer. We set it up tight when it was built and I run Amsoil ATF. Is this what makes them last? Hell if I know but it’s working on mine.

If you have the coin go to a TKX and forget about it is sound advice. For me I have the T5 and as long as major parts don’t break it’s going to get used. I am about to go through it for maintenance reasons and expect the typical 1-2 slider replacement and possibly 3rd gear (I seem to mess that shift up under normal conditions) as it’s been since 2006 when I was gone through.

AnthonyA1234 · Nov 20, 2022

Ok good to know. I see the t5z comes with a “short throw shifter”. Does anyone with a t5z know if this shifter is any good or is it still worth changing with a aftermarket one.

FastDriver · Nov 20, 2022

I dunno, but I like shift stops... the little bolts in the shifter that keep you from screwing up the shift forks when you smash through on a powershift. But, if you're granny shifting, it's probably not necessary. If the shifter doesn't have one, I'd personally go aftermarket. Always been a fan of the Pro5.0 shifters, but MGW & Tri-Ax shifters are also great.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 21, 2022

It's been a while since i've seen a stock T-5Z shifter but I don't recall it being much different than a stock t5 shifter

T5 questions, replace vs rebuild

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Blown88GT

93FoxBodE

New Member

AnthonyA1234

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

FastDriver

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

AnthonyA1234

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

AnthonyA1234

FastDriver

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Similar threads

T5 questions, replace vs rebuild

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

New Member

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency