I have a stock T5 in my '90 coupe. It makes 372 HP to the wheels on a Mustang Dyno which is about 422 HP on a dynojet. I've run the car hard at the track in several combinations including two years with this combination and the transmission has held up fine. The T5 is stock except for a steel bearing retainer.
The car is powerful enough to have completely skinned the lining off a King Cobra clutch and now runs a McLeod kevlar street/strip clutch. I also use a Hurst shifter.
Another guy I race with around here has a stock T5 in a stroker car that is a little more powerful than mine and it is now on its third engine - the transmission never seems to break.
On the other hand, I've seen guys with 14 second cars wreck several T5's.
It is my personal opinion that these transmissions have an undeserved reputation for weakness and primarily break when powershifted, driven without a positive stop shifter, or misshifted. If you take it easy, it will probably last fine. If you don't, it will probably break even if your car isn't very powerful.
I do think that my car is a bit much for this transmission though, and recently ordered a new TKO-600 to replace it - before I wreck it!
-Matthew
The car is powerful enough to have completely skinned the lining off a King Cobra clutch and now runs a McLeod kevlar street/strip clutch. I also use a Hurst shifter.
Another guy I race with around here has a stock T5 in a stroker car that is a little more powerful than mine and it is now on its third engine - the transmission never seems to break.
On the other hand, I've seen guys with 14 second cars wreck several T5's.
It is my personal opinion that these transmissions have an undeserved reputation for weakness and primarily break when powershifted, driven without a positive stop shifter, or misshifted. If you take it easy, it will probably last fine. If you don't, it will probably break even if your car isn't very powerful.
I do think that my car is a bit much for this transmission though, and recently ordered a new TKO-600 to replace it - before I wreck it!
-Matthew