DARKmj16

iTrader: (6)

so i know the f body t-5 is special to fbodys only and no other standard trans can go into a fbody except from another fbody. however i have someone fighting with me saying any t-5 will go into an fbody, just have to change the tail housing. is that true? given the fact i know the torque arm mounts to the tail housing and theres a 6 degree offset (somewhere) that got me thinking is he correct?

also what other car was it that a t-56 will work in a 3rd gen? was it the ponitac g4?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Nod politely, thank him/her kindly for taking the time to assist you, then ignore every word they say. Don't bother arguing, life is too short, beside it's impossible when you argue with an idiot for bystanders to tell which is which.

There are about A MILLION differences in T-5s according to what chassis they were ordered for. S trucks for example, besides being 6-cyl (14-splines on the clutch), locate the shifter about 8" forward of our cars, meaning you also would have to swap the cover assy to get the different shifter rail. Frod applications used a {drum roll please} Frod {cymbal crash please} bolt pattern to the bell housing. The list just goes on.

Details matter.

Only realistic fit of a T-56 to our cars, is a 4th gen F body. LT1 cars are the ones I know best, that's what I put in my car; but the LS1 versions can be made to work also, but I don't know the ..... details.

Incidentally, the trans is rotated about 17° in our cars; the shifter, trans mount pad, and the BH are the things that put this into effect.

Never heard of a Pontiac G4. The G6 is a Cavalier/Cobalt (FWD), hard to imagine a further downgrade from that.

DARKmj16

iTrader: (6)

thats what i was thinking, he doesnt know about fbodys, hes more g bodys. thanks for setting me straight. i thought the trans was small rotation, but good to know is 17 degrees.

hmm might not be a g4... i cant remeber the model. but i know it was only a 2006 model year that would work (as i was told anywas) but never follwed up on it.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

Anything can br made to fit anything! But. . .

You need the case front pattern to match the bell. Third gens used the Muncie pattern and the bells used metric bolts. This pattern is rotated because of the mount pad on the tailhousing only.

You need the tailhousing for an F-body. It is one of the furthest back shifter locations in the casting and will need a matching length shift rail, again an F-body, longer than most length version. I think someone posted pics of a console where a Ford fox-body T5 tail was used and the shifter poorly lined up.

The speedo gear location on the mainshaft needs to line up to the tailhousing speedo gear hole. It is not a universal location across T5s. You can overcome this problem if you must, sticking with the right mainshaft is the easier option though.

If you get past those, you have the clutch spline and length and pilot end to match up.

Easiest fit that's not bolt-in for your car? A V6 third gen T5 and an (Astro Van?) 10.5" 14 spline disc. You then have crappy V6 ratios, weaker input shaft and fewer clucth options.

An S10 could have the Muncie or Ford case front pattern. They ran non-WC into the 1990s. Again, speedo gear placement, tailhousing, and shift rail. And ratios that are truck-like, even in a truck. Oh and you have to get countershaft oiling correct.

Mustang V8? Wider ratios, 10 spline input, wrong pilot size and length of input, all cases are Ford pattern so your bellhousing options are virtually nil, The shifter boss is forward enough to be wrong. And the output splines are 28. Enough trouble to be not worth it.

A non-93-97 T56 can be made to be nearly bolt-in but is more $ of course.

Oh and the 04-06 GTO T56 fits the same as the LS1F-body externally.

The G8 GXP TR6060 is very similar to the 2010 Camaro version but critically different in ways that parts don't all interchange and they do not bolt in place of one another.

DARKmj16

iTrader: (6)

well ok then. thanks.

thebandit50187

4th gen f-body v6's also got a t-5.

cosmick

But it uses the Ford bellhousing pattern with a 26-spline but extra long input shaft, and the 3.75:1 low is no good for a V8, though it might survive a stock LG4, in which case you'd want a 2.73:1 axle. 3.8L versions used a unique input bearing retainer.
You might be able to convert it to a 3.35:1 gearset like a '94-'95 Mustang, but then you need a matching 10-spline clutch disc.

thebandit50187

i would never suggest a t-5 out of anything other than a v8 3rd gen f body anyway, you would already need t-5 from 3rd gen f-body to make it work on a budget and would be willing to do most the work yourself too. v8 t-5's came from borg warner with a 300ft of tq handling capacity. most of gm's 305's are close to that rating, start adding bolts on or wide tires and good traction and you can easily damage a t-5. this is the main reason t-5's werent trusted behind the 5.7L. I'm a big fan of stick shift cars and truck, the t-5 is a great cruising transmission, but when it was designed and built horsepower and torque numbers were low. In few years time most factory engine options were starting to exceed the ratings and other company started building 6 speeds so borg warner started designing the t-56, and 20 years later most 6 speed transmissions are just slightly upgraded t-56's like the tr6060

cosmick

Torque rating is mostly about it surviving abuse. Torque capacity is about physical loads. The Ford Motorsport T5-Z with the 2.95:1 gearset was rated as high as 330 ft-lbs, which is still really low compared to what a healthy 350 should do, plus our cars are inherently heavier than Mustangs.
The smaller number the first gear ratio, the greater the strength, right up to the limits of the associated parts. I contacted Tremec about why both first gears of the T56 Magnum have the same torque rating, and the response I got was that the limiting factor became the case itself, IIRC.
I do know one guy who adapted a 2.3L version of the T5 behind a 5.0, which ended up running tens because he was gentle on the trans. When he finally broke it, he swapped a used TR3550 and didn't hold back, ran high 9s. So how you drive it can help keep it alive, but driving that cautiously takes away most of the fun. More fun to drive a TH400 with a shift kit, really.