need t5 help(hybrid t5 stuff)

[wicked93gs]

alright, for a different project of mine I am building I am going to be using a t5 tranny...however, before I go buy one, I need help determining exactly what I need....I will most likely buy a 94-up v6 model just because its the least likely to be beat on and is still world class and available at a good price...however the input shaft length is wrong for what I need....so I am left with either using a spacer(less than ideal) or swapping input shafts...however I am having a hard time determining which input shaft I need....what I need to end up with is an input shaft that measures 7 1/4 from the front of the transmission(or as close as is possible...slightly shorter(1/8" or so) is ok, longer probably isnt) the closest length shaft I have seen so far I believe is a Jeep input shaft...which is 1/16" longer than the mustang shaft....which would end up with a total length of 7.2425...which is a bit more than 1/16" short, that would seem to be ideal...so my next issue...is will this swap in? the 1st gear ratios are different...the v6 is 3.35 and the jeep is 3.7? I actually prefer a taller 1st gear and would like to use the 5.0L 2.95 if I could, but I need to know whether I can use this input shaft with at least the v6 gearing, but preferrably the v8 1st gear or will it not swap over because of the ratio difference?

 

[Mustang5L5]

You could swap a 85.5-93 mustang v8 input shaft it. I forget how much shorter it is though, but its whats usually done on fox mustangs. You need the machining bearing retainer as well as the stock one won't work with the shorter shaft.

If you want the mustang 2.95 gear set, you need to swap everything inside. Input shaft, counter gear and 2nd and 3rd gears

 

[wicked93gs]

The earlier 5.0 shaft though is 3/16" or so shorter than I need...and I would really prefer not to be stuck with 1-3 jeep gear ratios for the 1/16" longer jeep shaft...so i guess my best option is to make a spacer plate...the problem with the spacer solution is that I dont know how it will affect clutch engagment...if I use a spacer plate with the 94-up input shaft...it will need to be somewhere around 1/2" will the clutch fork and TOB retainer still fully engage the clutch?(assuming a hydraulic slave cylinder here...probably willwood or CNC)

on the other hand, I do have one other solution I had not thought of...I could shave the bellhousing itself down 3/16" which any machine shop should be capable of doing...I guess this is all speculation until I actually get the tranny and bellhousing and start taking accurate measurements