Tremec 3650 in 2010 GT Any problems?

8borerifle

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Apr 28, 2010
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I was offered a good deal on a 2010 GT, but had a 2001 Bullitt and the dang Tremec went out 3 times. Should I trust the tranny now? Has Ford solved the shifting problem? Dealer said he never heard of a problem with the 3650. Might order a 6 speed V6 2011 instead. About the same money. What would you do?
GT has the 3.73 gears. Need help quick, going back to dealer tomorrow! Thanks
 
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I didn't have an loder Tremec, so I can't say anything about that. I had an '07 for a short time and the Tremec was junk. However, I think the car had been dragged, etc. so I don't know if it was a flawed transmission, just a flawed driver. I have a 2010 and no issues so far. It is not even comparable to the '07 I had (25k miles).
 
I was offered a good deal on a 2010 GT, but had a 2001 Bullitt and the dang Tremec went out 3 times. Should I trust the tranny now? Has Ford solved the shifting problem? Dealer said he never heard of a problem with the 3650. Might order a 6 speed V6 2011 instead. About the same money. What would you do?
GT has the 3.73 gears. Need help quick, going back to dealer tomorrow! Thanks

I have a VERY HARD DRIVEN 2010 GT w/ half the miles burnouots and drag racing and until I chenged the clutch and flywheel, 0 problems. I don't like the stock shifter, but once you get an aftermarket shifter you should have no problems. Now, back to the issues now - IF YOU EVER PUT A HEAVY DUTY CLUTCH-FLYWHEEL YOU NEED TO GET THE RAM OR MCLEAOD <(SPELLING?) SLAVE CYLINDER OR THE CLUTCH WILL NOT RELEASE AS SOON AS YOU STEP ON THE PEDAL... AKA, WHEN IT'S TIME TO SHIFT, YOU STEP ON THE CLUTCH, TAKE THE SHIFTER AND GO TO THE NEXT GEAR...AND WAIT TILL THE REVS DROP BEFORE IT WILL GO IN TO THE GEAR, I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS BECAUSE THE STOCK SLAVE CYLINDER ISNT STRONG ENOUGH TO RELEASE THE HEAVIER CLUTCH AT HIGH RPMS.... No one told me this till after I had the clutch in... I didnt know till the 1,500 mile or so break in period was done when I started racing the car again...NO SPEED/POWERSHIFTING NOW!.. So, next month I gotta get that adjustable heavy duty slave/release and instal it for instant engagement/disengagement of the clutch and I can go back to shifting the way I should be able to.... But, through all this (and now 11lbs of boost and mid 400's RWHP) the trans makes no noise, has never popped out of gear or acted up... I think you should be ok... go for the 2010 GT and get a deal insteada taking a gamble on the 2011 ^ cylinder, a 1st year motor is always a gamble no matter how good it looks on paper!!
 
The TR3650 isn't a perfect transmission but it's not something I would not buy the car because of. It's different than a top loading transmission and different steps have to be taken to make it 'perfect' but for most people it's more than fine. Like a good short throw shifter, torque limiters, etc. Didn't the 01s come with the T5s? I never really heard of issues on a widespread scale with them. I'd get the GT if it were me.

Interesting Undisputed. I don't really agree that you can throw a blanket statement like that about the clutches. My McLeod RST works just fine with the stock slave cylinder and even new stock flywheel. If the clutch is metallic than usually it's a good idea to use an upgraded adjustable slave cylinder and it's not required. Too many guys have had great results to say it's a requirement. A lot of people have had horrible luck with the SPEC Stage 2+, regardless of slave cylinders. What kind of problems are you having?
 
The TR3650 isn't a perfect transmission but it's not something I would not buy the car because of. It's different than a top loading transmission and different steps have to be taken to make it 'perfect' but for most people it's more than fine. Like a good short throw shifter, torque limiters, etc. Didn't the 01s come with the T5s? I never really heard of issues on a widespread scale with them. I'd get the GT if it were me.

Interesting Undisputed. I don't really agree that you can throw a blanket statement like that about the clutches. My McLeod RST works just fine with the stock slave cylinder and even new stock flywheel. If the clutch is metallic than usually it's a good idea to use an upgraded adjustable slave cylinder and it's not required. Too many guys have had great results to say it's a requirement. A lot of people have had horrible luck with the SPEC Stage 2+, regardless of slave cylinders. What kind of problems are you having?

Anyone that I have heard of (in 2010's OR Tuned to 6,500+RPMS) that has upgraded to any heavy duty kits (usually in the puck-style and other very high horsepower/torque handling setups) has this issue, I know McLeod makes great products, and has a better reputation than the Spec series, but if your clutch has a higher clamp load, and/or if you are revving past the 05-09 stock 6,000 revlimiter that clutch isn't completely releasing at those high rpms w/ the stock release bearing..some are worse than others, but w/ my car and my setup 6,700 rpms shifts are IMPOSSIBLE, the release bearing just cant keep up... Here one of the many articles about this problem, and you are right, 75% of people wont/don't drive or track their car hard enough to even notice it, but when/if you do, it's really quite problematic!

Installing a RAM Clutches Hydraulic Clutch Release - Moment Of Release - Muscle Mustangs And Fast Fords Magazine
 
I've got the Spec 3+ clutch which is rated for over 800rwtq in my 2005 Mustang GT and I have an OEM slave cylinder and it's working great. I also drive this car hard and my trans has 116k miles on it and it still shifts great. I don't powershift, but have done quite alot of drag racing in it and now some hard 5500 rpm clutch drops with my M&H racemasters and it's still going strong.

I have switched the fluid in mine over to Royal Purple Synchromax f.y.i. after speaking with Tremec to make sure it's ok for the trans. That was done at about 70k miles.

EDIT: As for the slave cylinder, on a few other forums, alot of people have had problems with other slave cylinders and have switched back to the OEM ones.
 
There's no way I'd ever buy another car with a Tremec manual. My 2008 GT was terrible...I tried everything...synthetic ATF, Hurst shifter, MGW shifter, etc. It was pure crap with horrible shift quality and crunch and grind when the weather was cold. This is coming from a guy that's owned a total of seven manual transmission cars (and driven many others) four of them being Mustangs. I know how to drive a stick, and I know how they should feel. I always thought that my 2008 was held back by the shift quality of the transmission itself and the delay 'crunching' between the gears. Ford would do nothing to fix it because "that's the way it is" and to tell the truth, I believe that is the way most of them are. The Tremec made me hate my car and was ultimately what led me to trade it in on a 2010 auto. I've been told by Bama that a stock GT auto with a tune can blow the doors off of a 5spd...and I believe it.

Now the 2011's with the Getrag might be great...my advice would be to avoid the Tremec like the plague if shift quality and everyday driveablility is a concern.
 
Anyone that I have heard of (in 2010's OR Tuned to 6,500+RPMS) that has upgraded to any heavy duty kits (usually in the puck-style and other very high horsepower/torque handling setups) has this issue, I know McLeod makes great products, and has a better reputation than the Spec series, but if your clutch has a higher clamp load, and/or if you are revving past the 05-09 stock 6,000 revlimiter that clutch isn't completely releasing at those high rpms w/ the stock release bearing..some are worse than others, but w/ my car and my setup 6,700 rpms shifts are IMPOSSIBLE, the release bearing just cant keep up... Here one of the many articles about this problem, and you are right, 75% of people wont/don't drive or track their car hard enough to even notice it, but when/if you do, it's really quite problematic!

Installing a RAM Clutches Hydraulic Clutch Release - Moment Of Release - Muscle Mustangs And Fast Fords Magazine

Being a 2010 or not wouldn't have an effect on it since it's the same drivetrain. There are way too many guys who don't have problems to say it doesn't work. Go check out S197Forum and ask around, lots of racers there.

I even ran a Roush P51 clutch disc in my car with the OEM slave cylinder and I didn't have problems with it until the clutch disc warped. McLeod RSTs are rated at 800hp, powershifting at 6,500-6,800 RPMs with no issues with the OEM slave cylinder. Same with the Roush P51, too (Puck Style Mfg by Exedy). The article by MM&FF is promoting an advertisers product, of course they are going to say buy it!

Powershifting a 2005+ Mustang is problematic with the OEM clutch. It's problematic with an aftermarket clutch, etc etc. The issue is in the remote mounted shifter design. The issue is the fact that the motor and transmission is twisting with torque but the shifter is mounted quite solidly to the body via the rear mounting studs. Adding a CHE K Member Brace with Torque Limiters will fix most problems with powershifting or speed shifting at high RPMs. Syncros could cause a problem with shifting as well.. Also a slave cylinder doesn't go bad unless it's leaking which allows air into the system.

http://www.cheperformance.com/CartGenie/prod-208.htm
 
STANGMole,

I think your '08 and the '07 I used to have were built by the same people! My '07 behaved as you posted, but worse. So far, the 2010 is a night and day pleasurable difference. The two can't be compared. I don't know why, as on paper they are supposed to be essentially the same. Did you get the '08 new?
 
STANGMole,

I think your '08 and the '07 I used to have were built by the same people! My '07 behaved as you posted, but worse. So far, the 2010 is a night and day pleasurable difference. The two can't be compared. I don't know why, as on paper they are supposed to be essentially the same. Did you get the '08 new?

Judging by the amount of people that seem to have no problems at all w/ any clutch setup, and the stock slave, and the amount of people that seem to have horrible impossible-to-powershift/ shift-fast at high rpms, etc. etc. there must be something different.. I bought my car w/ 19 miles on the odo, and it was ok stock...w/ a Hurst/Roush shifter it was great, got rid of the rubbery stock feel, but as soon as we changed the clutch/flywheel the problems started... I have heard countless people having the problem of not being able to shift the car fast once adding a heavy duty clutch, and it certainly isn't the drivers, at least not in my case, I am the only one who has ever drivien my car (after the 19 miles i bought it with) and it was 100% fine until the clutch/flywheel swap..it was broken in correctly and now it IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT ANYTIME BEFORE YOU LET THE RPMS COME DOWN TO AROUND 5,000 OR SO, AND DOWNSHIFTING IS JUST AS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. SO, WHATS TEH ANSWER IF IT ISN;T A BETTTER/STRONGER RELEASE BEARING? HUNDREDS OF US NEED THE ANSWER!!
 
Being a 2010 or not wouldn't have an effect on it since it's the same drivetrain. There are way too many guys who don't have problems to say it doesn't work. Go check out S197Forum and ask around, lots of racers there.

I even ran a Roush P51 clutch disc in my car with the OEM slave cylinder and I didn't have problems with it until the clutch disc warped. McLeod RSTs are rated at 800hp, powershifting at 6,500-6,800 RPMs with no issues with the OEM slave cylinder. Same with the Roush P51, too (Puck Style Mfg by Exedy). The article by MM&FF is promoting an advertisers product, of course they are going to say buy it!

Powershifting a 2005+ Mustang is problematic with the OEM clutch. It's problematic with an aftermarket clutch, etc etc. The issue is in the remote mounted shifter design. The issue is the fact that the motor and transmission is twisting with torque but the shifter is mounted quite solidly to the body via the rear mounting studs. Adding a CHE K Member Brace with Torque Limiters will fix most problems with powershifting or speed shifting at high RPMs. Syncros could cause a problem with shifting as well.. Also a slave cylinder doesn't go bad unless it's leaking which allows air into the system.

View the V8 K-Member Brace with Engine Torque Limiters<br>Part # CHE7LA at http://www.cheperformance.com


THE ONLY STOCK DIFFERENCE FROM 2005-2009 AND 2010 IS THE STOCK FACTORY REDLINE.. 09 AND UNDER 6,000, 2010 IS 6,500 RPMS...

I POWERSHIFTED THE CAR LIEK A DREAM @ 6,500 RPMS ANYTIME W/ THE FACTORY SETUP AND HURST/ROUSH SHIFTER, NEVER HAD 1 PROBLEM... TILL THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL..AND TEHRE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE W/ THE SAME PROBLEM... If that heavy duty release slave isnt the answer, what is, cuz we all need to know!! And, the argument isn;t that the slave is going bad or is bad, it;s that it cant keep up w/ the increased clamp loads and rpms associated w/ 6,500+ rpms and heavy duty cluthces
 
Being a 2010 or not wouldn't have an effect on it since it's the same drivetrain. There are way too many guys who don't have problems to say it doesn't work. Go check out S197Forum and ask around, lots of racers there.


View the V8 K-Member Brace with Engine Torque Limiters<br>Part # CHE7LA at http://www.cheperformance.com

^ I JUST ORDERED THAT...THAT SHOUOLD HALP WITH THE ALIGNMENTOF THE DRIVETRAIN AND SHIFTER, YOU ARE DEF RIGHT, BUT MOST CARS PHYSICALLY WONT GO INTO GEAR UNTIL THE REVS COME DOWN, AS IF U WERENT STEPPING ON THE CLUTCH ALL THE WAY... Any other suggestions?!
 
STANGMole,

I think your '08 and the '07 I used to have were built by the same people! My '07 behaved as you posted, but worse. So far, the 2010 is a night and day pleasurable difference. The two can't be compared. I don't know why, as on paper they are supposed to be essentially the same. Did you get the '08 new?

Yes, new. I think it had 42 demo miles on it when I drove it off the lot. The clutch and transmission were never abused yet it shifted horribly. I bought it unknowingly when the weather was hot...when it started getting cold outside the shift quality deteriorated fast. Aside from the transmission (and the three backfires I experienced when the engine was cold...I didn't know new cars EVER backfired) it was a great car with no problems. That transmission was a BIG problem though and it made me get rid of the car.

My 2010 is a night and day difference too...I enjoy it MUCH more and don't see myself selling or trading it anytime soon.
 
Wow, my '07 even had the cold issue. I bought it in early February. In Texas, temps can be in the 70s or 20s that time of year. The day I bought it seemed fine (65 degrees). The first time I started it to drive to work on a 20 degree morning, I noticed how bad it was. I took it back and got what I needed and traded for a 2010. There must be something with our experiences, but I don't know what. Was yours black too? :)
 
Have you ever thought it's not the slave cylinder but that SPEC clutch like everyone has issues with? I've been through this with my car and I've got a working car now so I must of did something right. I still don't get where you're talking about it being such a widespread issue but alright.
 
My 08 GT used to grind into 3rd on a cold day and sometimes 2nd, I did some research here in the forums and found there is a TSB for that. I took my car into the dealer after owning it for a year and a half and they replaced my synchros and I think something else and now it's fine. My tranny has been fine after all of that.
 
There must be something with our experiences, but I don't know what. Was yours black too? :)

Yes!! That must be the connection!!!! :D

Seriously though...the Tremec is $hit!! Do a little searching and there are plenty of complaints about "cold crunch" so we're not the only ones that got stuck with a bad tranny.

I bought the '08 new...it was well taken care of...and only had 18K miles on it when I traded it on the 2010. I ate it on depreciation but it was worth anything to get rid of the 5spd and the constant annoyance of shifting gears in that car.

I think Ford changed transmission vendors with the 2011's for a reason!! :mad: