TKO or G-FORCE?

Jake, it took me a LOT to get my tranny problems figured out (seems as though it was a bell housing indexing problem), and for the most part they are, but it caused me a lot of headaches and it still suffers some downfalls. I went with the TKO because I hadn't heard of the G-force at the time, but to be honest, I'd still go TKO. I had $2000 total in my TKO swap. There is no need to mod. the crossmember with the TKO, and to the best of my knowledge most people that sell the TKO send it with the yoke. My first and biggest suggestion to you is to call Bob Hanlon and get his input. He knows more about BOTH trannies than anyone I know of, and both can be bought from him. He can provide great insite for you and what your looking for. He works during the day and will be hard to get ahold of directly, but call and ask Linda when and if you can speak to Bob directly. He blew me away when I met him with his knowledge, personality, etc. If you have any direct questions for me, feel free to email me. I just checked this thread now, otherwise I would have replied earlier! I've been busy as hell lately.
-Paul
 
wow only 25lbs. People always bring that up as the BIG disavantage. 25lbs really isnt much at all.

How is the shifting with it? I remember you had issues getting it into gear over 6k rpms. But how is it shifting at say 3k, if your just driving normal?

Thanks for the info paul.
 
Bob Cosby has dyno graphs proving that the TKO does in fact have more of a driveline loss than a T45 (the same could be said for the T5). I did dyno my car before and after the tranny swap and I came out within 2HP/2FTLBS BUT I did remove the intake and remove all the casting flash between those dyno pulls as well. I DID lose almost 2 tenths with it, but the trap speed remained fairly consistent. What I mean by this is that given the same 60' and trap speed, ALL of my TKO ET's were 2 tenths slower than similar ones with the T5. This SUCKS and is ALWAYS in the back of mind making me ask myself "what if the T5 was still in the car!?!?!?"

I most certainly would daily drive with the TKO, but to do so you must be forwarned that it is conciderably notchier and louder than the T5. The T5 was smooth as hell compared to my TKO, but its not necessarily a bad thing... its just different.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I think I may just try the aluminum DS this spring and see if that gets rid of the shifter vibration. There are a few people that are trying out the G-Force this spring, so I'll see what they have to say. I have a friend with a TKO in his car, so I guess I'll have to go for a few test drives.

Jake
 
Jake, I just re-read your vibration problem. Do this- put the car in neutral and rev it up and see how the vibration is. The push the clutch in and do the same thing. I'd bet money your problem isn't in the DS or dogbone. They may take some harmonics out of the driveline and reduce it that way, but its not the cause of the problem. If it does in in gear above a certain RPM it can only be a few things:

balancer (you did get a 50oz one right????)
rotating assembly
flywheel
pressure plate
clutch disc
input shaft

You need to think of things that are spinning with RPM, and the mainshaft, DS, ring and pinion, etc do not, they are MPH related. Contact Robbie (2L8) as he just went through the same situation and it turned out to be a warped flywheel I think.
 
Killercanary said:
Jake, I just re-read your vibration problem. Do this- put the car in neutral and rev it up and see how the vibration is. The push the clutch in and do the same thing. I'd bet money your problem isn't in the DS or dogbone. They may take some harmonics out of the driveline and reduce it that way, but its not the cause of the problem. If it does in in gear above a certain RPM it can only be a few things:

balancer (you did get a 50oz one right????)
rotating assembly
flywheel
pressure plate
clutch disc
input shaft

You need to think of things that are spinning with RPM, and the mainshaft, DS, ring and pinion, etc do not, they are MPH related. Contact Robbie (2L8) as he just went through the same situation and it turned out to be a warped flywheel I think.

Yeah, I got a 50oz Romac. The vibration started right after I put the Romac on. :shrug:

I don't see how any of the other things could be out of wack yet. Now you've got me worried Paul... :(

Jake
 
Killercanary said:
balancer (you did get a 50oz one right????)
rotating assembly
flywheel
pressure plate
clutch disc
input shaft

Bringing this back up...

The only thing on that list that has been changed from stock is the balancer. I checked out my car yesterday and I rev'd it up from the TB and the balancer looked smooth and I couldn't see any vibration coming from the engine. So you don't think it could be the DS, Paul? I'm thinking maybe the stock balancer covered up a vibration from the tranny and then when I put on the Romac it made the vibration show up....:shrug:

Also, it only does it in first, second and third gears. Wouldn't it do it in all grears if it was the balancer? Any ideas....

Thanks

Jake
 
Just to add, I had a wicked vibration between 90-130mph, in 4th & 5th (i kid u not at 130mph it would smooth out completely). I put in a FMS aluminum ds and it is 100% smoother now. The tri-ax will make the tranny noises more audible, but it shouldnt feel like the tranny is gonna kill itself.
 
GTJake said:
Bringing this back up...

The only thing on that list that has been changed from stock is the balancer. I checked out my car yesterday and I rev'd it up from the TB and the balancer looked smooth and I couldn't see any vibration coming from the engine. So you don't think it could be the DS, Paul? I'm thinking maybe the stock balancer covered up a vibration from the tranny and then when I put on the Romac it made the vibration show up....:shrug:

Also, it only does it in first, second and third gears. Wouldn't it do it in all grears if it was the balancer? Any ideas....

Thanks

Jake

ttt
 
Hey Jake, you figure this out yet? Maybe your input shaft to mainshaft bearing is bad. This may allow vibrations in 1,2,and 3. Then, possibly, when 4th gets the 2 shafts engaged, it 'strengthens' the connection between the 2. And 5th is in the tailhousing and on the other side of the bearing between 1st and 5th. Maybe this 'stiffens' it up some. :shrug:


Or, perhaps your cluster shaft is causing vibration. Power runs thru it in 1,2,3,5,and Reverse. 4th gear doesn't use the cluster shaft. Perhaps you aren't getting enough speed up in reverse to notice it there, and well, you'd think 5th would do it too. Maybe since 5th is in the tailhousing somehow it causes less vibrations?? :shrug:

It seems like all of our cars (due to their age) have driveshafts that are causing vibrations. Mine was until I swapped it out for the 'standard replacement' AKA FRPP aluminum.

********

Kinda got off topic on this thread, anyone have any more info on the G-Force T-5 vs TKO?

Rick