im swapping in a 400 HP 350 into my 89 IROC that recently had a 305 and i have to do away with the T5 and I am goin with the Tremec 3550/TKO and was wondering if ne one had one of these bad boys in their car and what they think about it and the way it holds up and handles...

 

Friend of mine had a 420+ hp mustang, he ripped the first gear out of the WC T5. He later replaced that with the 3550, it has held up, has smooth shifting, and wasn't much heavy than the stock T5. I know that the TKO is more expensive, and I know it can handle more power, I would save the cash, get a 3550, and purchase some more HP.

PS He used, ford, ram, and centerforce dual friction; the centerforce was the only one that held up to the heat and the power.

 

i just picked one up from fortes' last weekend, i put it in on saturday, this thing is sooo much more than a t5, and the kit from fortes is pretty easy, only needed 2 bolts, and the u joint they gave me was for a steel drive shaft, i had aluminum, but i had a spare steel that i put in for now,,
i've always had problems with the clutch not disengaging fully so i ordered up a new flywheel and clutch, the hydrolics have been done,, so it's shifting a bit hard into first and reverse, but thats because i machined the flywheel and took like half an inch off it...
i think it's the way to go,, all together tax and all hardware was 2200,, fortes is the only place to get it from,,

good luck

 

I've owned 2 3550's. 1 new and 1 used. Both were great trannys. A new 1 needs to be broken in for about 1000 miles. At first its pretty tight and hard to shift but after being broken in, it shifts like a production T5. They weigh about 30 lbs more than a T5.

 

I have Forte's GM TKO in my '69 Chevelle with a 454, and love it.
It's a great shifting trans that is very durable, and with the 0.68 OD 5th.

Here's some details on putting it into your car: http://www.5speedtransmissions.com/3rd_gen_camaro.html

 

I decided to keep a T-5. Now I just need a SB 400.....

BTW....my 5th gear has a .59 ratio.

 

I have the Forte's TKO tans in my 92 Rs, behind the 300ho crate motor. It's more transmission than it'll ever need, but it's nice not having to worry about it being the weak link that the T5 was.
Pretty much a bolt-in deal with the Forte's kit.
Like mentioned above, it's a little tight-shifting at first, but it's really an awesome transmission.
A bunch heavier than a T5, though, so eat your wheaties before trying to install it.
I just read the other day that there are a few cars running 9.30's with this transmission, so they're plenty strong for any street car.
-Rich-

 

I was reading up about the TKO when my buddy wanted a stronger trans in his stang. I was under the impression that the T56 is stronger and about the same price for a SBC. Any reason why you are going with the 3550 over the T56?

 

My buddy at the dealership says he replaces 3rd gear in t56's almost every week. (admittedly, probably due to abuse, but these are behind mostly stock motors) I don't think they're as strong, but you do get an extra gear.
Just My 2 Cents.
-Rich-

 

I am not an expert on the issue, but I believe there is a synchro issue contributing to whatver third gear specific issues exist. I have one from a new 95 that rolled with less than 1000 miles on it. Overall it works fine, but has always had a tendancy to pop out of third at any power level, rpm, particularly when cold.

If I had to guess, the center to center distance (mainshaft to countershaft centerline separation) is larger on the T56 than any of the Tremec 3550s TKO II etc. etc. and sure larger than the T-5.

This allows the any given gear ratio to made up of physically larger gears. This makes them stronger. Gear width and how they are cut also plays a role in how strong the tranny is. You'll notice on that new GForce T-5 they utilized wider gears and straight cut gears (on one kit) to increase strength. Helical cut gears tend to be quieter but also less efficient and of less strength. Straight cut gears are noisier, stronger and more efficient.

 

I am not an expert on the issue, but I believe there is a synchro issue contributing to whatver third gear specific issues exist. I have one from a new 95 that rolled with less than 1000 miles on it. Overall it works fine, but has always had a tendancy to pop out of third at any power level, rpm, particularly when cold.

If I had to guess, the center to center distance (mainshaft to countershaft centerline separation) is larger on the T56 than any of the Tremec 3550s TKO II etc. etc. and sure larger than the T-5.

This allows the any given gear ratio to made up of physically larger gears. This makes them stronger. Gear width and how they are cut also plays a role in how strong the tranny is. You'll notice on that new GForce T-5 they utilized wider gears and straight cut gears (on one kit) to increase strength. Helical cut gears tend to be quieter but also less efficient and of less strength. Straight cut gears are noisier, stronger and more efficient.

 

Wow, is he right. I just put a TKO in my 81Z, it shifts like a mac truck at first. I can already notice it smoothing up a little after only 50 miles but the first ten I had to really slam it to get it into gear. While Fortes reccommends 1000 miles before you really get on it, I was told 500 from the distrubutor I bought it from(that is affiliated with FOrtes). JUst as long as you don't speed shift it the day you put it together I'm sure u will be fine.

There are mustang guys running 9s with these trannys with slight modifications...they are def. underrated fromt he factory(probably for legal reasons).

 

HeHe, I remember when I first put the new 3550 in. I was thinking that I had really messed up buying that tranny because of how hard it was to shift. After breaking it in, it shifted as smooth as the T45 in my 99 GT that has 40k miles on it. Its a really good tranny and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another 1.