how much power can the stock t-5 take

mr5o

Founding Member
Jan 28, 2001
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Ontario, Canada
looking at a rebuilt t5 for a good price just wondering what kinda power they are actually capable of handling ...my car has somewhere around 300 rwhp id love a tremec but dont know if i can afford it for a while
 
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mr5o said:
looking at a rebuilt t5 for a good price just wondering what kinda power they are actually capable of handling ...my car has somewhere around 300 rwhp id love a tremec but dont know if i can afford it for a while
Some people say not much but I think it has to do with the way you drive. My friend has one in his and he has a GT40 crate motor with a vortech supercharger with about 400 to the wheels and has had his stock tranny in it for about 4 years. I know it is living on borrowed time but its still living.
 
If it was me I would at least try and hold out for a world class t-5 if you cannot afford the tremec. Whey spend the money on something you know will break for sure in the near future especially if you get on your car alot.
 
My t5z has been holding up really well behind my engine. I modeled my engine after one that somebody put togetehr and they got 505 hp out of it. So im assuming mine has about 450+. I have a little larger cam, and larger carb. See sig. I dont do any powershifting and i havnt run slicks yet. Heck i havnt even had a chance to go to the drag yet and i have had this engine in my car for almost a year now.
 
If i'm not mistaken, isn't a world class T5 what the '86s and up have stock? Doesn't 'world class' mean something about the bearings or gears are made a certain way and it doesn't make it any stronger of a tranny? I remember reading somewhere about it but can't remember the details.
 
I had a Procharged 95 GT making 400+ to the wheels. That T-5 was great!! I ran that thing down the track about 50 times or more. And it took a pounding on the street...no problems.
 
I agree that it has a lot to do with the style of driving. I've blown up two or three of them powershifting into second & third gears with a stock engine. If you're nice to it, it might be nice to you, or it could let go at any time. I'd personally start saving for the Tremec if that's the route you're thinking you should go. You're easily into T5 breaking territory with your mods if you drive hard on it.
 
it's all about the torque you're putting through it. If you baby it and be nice.. might stand up to your combo just fine... If you put slicks on out back and powershift the crap outa every stretch of 1320 you can find, prolly won't last a week. Theres a lot of variables that have to be factored into an answer to "How much power can my transmission take?" You could make a 500hp motor work with a t-5 if you were careful about your driving style, tire selection and shifting strategy, or you could throw a bunch of weight in the trunk, hook up a pair of slicks, rev it to 6k, sidestep the clutch and grenade the whole thing... Keep in mind your vehicles weight has a lot to do with transmission life too... 200hp and a screwdriver might work for a skateboard if you design it right... 3000 pounds later, and your screwdriver transmission might have a problem...
 
Clutch plays a role, as well as wear and tear on it. I have a mid 12 second car that gets powershifted and abused every track pass. My stock 100,000+ mile T5 is holding up fine, but I have gone through 2 FMS clutches. Both started to slip on me as a result of the abuse.

Some blow them up with bone stockers, some guys run 11s all day long with them!