3550 went kaboom!!!!

jammer84_03

New Member
Nov 30, 2003
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well i was cruising along in fifth and it popped out of gear and started clunking....ive got a t5 out of a 95 gt with the bellhousing to go on for now. for the tranny rebuild i was thinking about sending it to d&d performance. they do a teardown and rebuild charge for 350+ parts. now im thinking another 1g in the tranny for the syncros and possibly shift forks i messed up. is there a different place that offers the 3550 rebuild parts for cheaper?
 
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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 http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/onlineorder/product.asp 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 – http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

See http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/ or http://www.ddperformance.com for parts

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

http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/ 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.

You will also need a magnetic base and dial indicator to measure the endplay ($40-$120). http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1303&PMCTLG=00

The tricky part is that you will need some shims to adjust the endplay in the two shafts: the new bearings will change the clearance. There is no way of telling what it will be until you get to the point that it is time to measure and check the clearances. Halon has the individual shims if you can wait for them. If you can't afford the wait, the auto parts store can sell you some shim stock and you can make your own, or have a machine shop make them for you. The shim stock comes in brass (easy to cut) and steel, in varying thicknesses. That's where the dial indicator & base come in - there is no way to get the clearance right without it.

Getting the car jacked up high enough to get the trans jack in and out from under the car was somewhat challenging. Since I didn't have a helper, getting the trans out of the car and back it was one of the more difficult things about the job. I built a trans jack out of 2x6's, some angle iron and a $25 floor jack. If I hadn't done that, I would have needed a helper or to rent a commercial trans jack. At 100+ pounds the Tremec 3550 was far too heavy for me to lift by myself.
 
jrichker...just when i didnt think you had more rabbits in the at you pull out another one...thanks alot man...you do this site a great service. i think i will get the video, and i had seen the ttc service manual. i had been on a formula mazda team and doing tear downs on the trannys were a normal day to day routine. so i think that might be what i do. just the price was what i was worried about. that and day to day reliability.
 
Jo_885o said:
a 95 t-5 will not work in a fox body due to the input shaft being longer in the 95's.

jammer84_03 said:
...ive got a t5 out of a 95 gt with the bellhousing to go on for now

If it's the 95 bellhousing, it'll work, but you'll also need the 95 clutch fork. The 94-95 T5 used a 5/8" longer input shaft, so the correct bellhousing is essential.
 
yes...i have the entire setup from bolt to bolt and all the stuff out of the 95. in another post it was brought up ablout the length of the driveshaft....is that an issue?