T5 Rebuild quick ?'s

[SetofAces]

So I think my synchros are toast, and I have to rebuild my tranny . . . hopefully I haven't already damaged any gears; I have a few questions:

How long does a t5 rebuild take? I've never done one before . . .

Are there any worthwhile upgrades to the tranny I can do while I'm in there? This car probably won't see much more than 350 RWHP, at least with my current bottom end, but I'm hard on it whenever I get the chance .

I've seen kits ranging from $150-300, any recommendations? Also my shifter sits an inch or two further forward than it should (unless this car had an auto originally and autos are mounted further back) so it seems I can't easily put a shortshifter in unless the tranny is off; seems like a good time to throw in a shortshifter, any recommendations?

 

[blackened88lx]

I believe you can find gear sets that are good for 300 or 330 ft lbs for a reasonable price if you would like to make it a little stronger. If you want to make it any stronger than that it's going to cost you. Just my gear set was $1100. Damn what was I thinking

It's not a difficult rebuild, you just want to make sure everything is right. Can't really say how long mine took.

What makes you think the shifter sits forward? They are a little bit forward in the console making it hard to get to the front 2 bolts, but there's not really anything that could make it sit farther forward than it should. The whole engine and tranny would have to be 2 inches forward...

 

[MattSVTContour]

I have a Pro 5.0 shifter and I don't see how anything could be better or more solid.

For the rebuild I used the Hanlon Motorsports (Google it) DVD. I bought it and watched it to get an idea of what was involved and what tools you need to scrounge together. I got a Grizzly dial gauge from Amazon.com and a 20ton press on Craigslist. Those two items were invaluable.

Working slowly and deliberately, it probably took me (with a helper) 2 hours from walking out into the garage until having the tranny on the bench and about 4 hours to completely disassemble the tranny. A couple of hours then for cleanup of the cases and parts. My bellhousing was a mess. Re-assembly was a little shorter, around 3 hours and then an hour or two putting it back in the car.

 

[jrichker]

I don't know how you feel about the DYI thing when it comes to gears, some people don't like the idea of working on transmissions. If the DYI transmission fix idea isn't something that you would rather leave to someone else, here are some resources:

See TTC: Product Literature to download a FREE service manual for T5 or Tremec 3550/TKO
You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – Adobe - Adobe Reader download - All versions

See Hanlon Motorsports - T5 and Tremec parts, sales and service or Welcome to D&D Performance - The 5 & 6 Speed Experts! for parts

A T5 rebuild kit with syncros, bearings and other small parts costs about $160. It does not include any gears or shafts.

Hanlon Motorsports - T5 and Tremec parts, sales and service also has a video on how to rebuild your T5 or Tremec. It costs about $20, and is worth every penny of it.

I did a Tremec 3550 rebuild, and it wasn't that difficult. The video was an immense help, and I would recommend viewing it. At $20, it will give you an opportunity to look and decide for yourself if you think that it is something you want to try to do.

 

[SetofAces]

What makes you think the shifter sits forward? They are a little bit forward in the console making it hard to get to the front 2 bolts, but there's not really anything that could make it sit farther forward than it should. The whole engine and tranny would have to be 2 inches forward...

Well, I have a motor swapped from a crown vic or something;when I pulled the shifter boot off o fill the tranny, I noticed the two front bolts appeared to be inaccessible, but then this is my first stang, so I don't know if they're all like that or not . . .

I really would rather not rebuild it myself, but I certainly can't afford to pay someone else to do it; besides, I get to learn more about my car in the process.

 

[MattSVTContour]

Well, I have a motor swapped from a crown vic or something;when I pulled the shifter boot off o fill the tranny, I noticed the two front bolts appeared to be inaccessible, but then this is my first stang, so I don't know if they're all like that or not . . .

I really would rather not rebuild it myself, but I certainly can't afford to pay someone else to do it; besides, I get to learn more about my car in the process.

I have to admit that it is a cool feeling when I go down the road knowing that I had the transmission apart in my hands.

Just take your time, it's easy.

 

[SetofAces]

I have to admit that it is a cool feeling when I go down the road knowing that I had the transmission apart in my hands.

Just take your time, it's easy.

I have to admit that there are times when I absolutely hate working on my car, but the feeling you describe takes me all the way back to when I was about 6 or 7 years old, feeling all proud because my crappy huffy did better after I repacked the bearings in the wheels . . . I guess it makes those crappy parts worth it (well, that and all the $$$$ saved by wrenching on your car yourself).

 

[MattSVTContour]

I have to admit that there are times when I absolutely hate working on my car, but the feeling you describe takes me all the way back to when I was about 6 or 7 years old, feeling all proud because my crappy huffy did better after I repacked the bearings in the wheels . . . I guess it makes those crappy parts worth it (well, that and all the $$$$ saved by wrenching on your car yourself).

You have a point there too! After I finished mine I wanted to just enjoy the car for a while. But then I had a 3G alt on the bench, and wanted to realign the exhaust a little, and... and... and... Ah the joys of fox body ownership.