Where can I find a good T-5 rebuild kit and a book/video on how to do it? I searched for the kit and book/video and only found a thread that listed hanlon motorsports. Are there any others I can go to to find what I need? Also, what tools would I need to do this rebuild? I'm trying to avoid getting the transmission taken to a shop, because the rebuild there would cost a lot more than I feel like paying them.

 

I know this may be a silly question to ask you, but with all recomendations on the hanlon video, their rebuild kits, and customer service after the sale, why go anywhere else?

All the tools you need are explained in great detail in the video. For $17 the video is a absolute steal.

 

I like to find at least one alternative usually, just for comparison. Would the cost of the tools become greater than or close to the cost of getting a shop to rebuild it?

 

Absolutely not. The dial indicator and mag base is around $30, snap ring pliers are around $15-$20. A cheap micrometer to measure the shims should be around $15-$20. The video is $17, a kit is around $150.

If you have no broken parts or bad gears, you should be in it with tools for around $250. You will have to have the bearings pressed off, but you can have that done pretty cheaply. You should have more than $300-$350 in the entire rebuild with farming the press work out, and that's figuring way high. I was quoted $1200 to rebuild my T5. I had to replace the cluster for $135, but I already had all the tools and a press, so I was in the entire rebuild with new trans fluid for $335.

With the money I saved doing the work myself I bought a Hurst billet plus shifter and put on the car. For $165 for the shifter, it's one of the best things I've done to the car. Everytime I drive the car I'm benefitting from the hurst shifter. You can't say that with all mods you do to a car.

 

I'm assuming a press is expensive?

 

It's not that a press is expensive, it's the bearing spreader plates, press plates, spacers, sleeves used to press the bearings on, etc. These are things you accumulate over the years pressing parts off and on. An import press is probably $100 to $150 from Harbor Freight.

Unless you plan on doing a lot of press work, it's probably best to leave the pressing up to someone with experience. I own a machine shop so we use our press all the time. That's why I had everything here I needed to do the work.

Gears and bearings can be damaged or destroyed easily if you don't have the correct bearing spreader plate, or get the parts in a bind. You can also be injured severly if a part comes out and hits you. I've seen parts go into concrete walls from bad press setups. If you pay someone to do this work for you, then they should be responsible if they happen to damage any of your parts. So for just one trans rebuild, leave this part of the work to a pro.

The best thing to do it get the video first, watch it, and see if you are comfortable doing the work described on the video. Then go from there.

 

I called D&D and whomever answered the phone didn't know if they had parts for a 1988 V8 f-body T5 which is partially why I went through Hanlon. Also, a friend in NJ recommended them strongly.

alloy has an excellent post. I would add to that - there are two pairs of snap ring pliers you can get from Sears which will take care of the job. One set of lock ring (PN 9? 47386) and one set of snap ring - I got the ones that are easy to convert from internal to external.

Matthew

 

Go to www.use-enco.com and look up number 628-3040 It's a dial indicator/mag base combo for $24.99. This will work perfectly for rebuilding a T5, or any other work on a car you might ever need a dial indocator and mag base for.