Ok
I am not completely car-tech savvy. I am thinking about putting a T5 into my 87 camaro 2.8, have a little more fun driving, ya know? (I have a 700R4 right now). Now my question is, are they all the same? I know that the v6 type, model, whatever needs a different spline count than the v8 one does, but will a t5 from a mustang fit in the camaro? I imagine it would need a different bell housing, but would there be anything else i would need?

 

Yeah.... a Mustang.

Every exterior feature of a F*rd transmission is different from a GM. Bolt patterns, length, splines, shifter location, mounts, you name it it's different. Not worth the effort to swap the wrong one in; especially as cheap and easy to find as GM 6-cyl T-5s seem to be.

 

The 6 cylinder T5's are a piece of cake to find for thirdgens, they're everywhere. In fact, most guys trying to get a V8 T5 end up getting shafted when people sell them a 6 cylinder trans stating it fits the V8. The T5 you need has to come from a thirdgen f-body and it will have 14 splines on the input shaft. The V8 version has 26 splines. Make sure to don't end up buying a fourthgen T5 since the input shaft is a different length than the thirdgen ones. The reason I say to make sure to get one from an f-body is the fact that they're mounted at a slant instead of straight up, and the shifter location on the tailshaft is specific as well.

 

Hey-
Thanks for the information. My question is, where can I find one? I've done google searches everywhere and I've found two sites that sell them and only one sell one for the v6. Heres the site:
http://www.steeda.com/products/tremec_t5_gm.php

Should I start looking in the classifieds too? Or would an even better bet be just go to a junkyard and get one from there? That would be a lot of effort, but would it be worth the trouble?

 

Get it from the junkyard. They're PLENTIFUL.

 

I agree with Sofa. If for some reason you can't manage to find one in a local junkyard, just start checking on ebay every few days or so. I see lots of V6 T5's listed on there all the time. Just make sure it's from a thirdgen f-body with a V6 and you'll be good to go. I was just looking at the engine/drivetrain parts for sale section of the classifieds and there's a guy who's got one listed for $150. Check it out.

 

sweet deal, thanks a lot

 

I'm looking to do a trans swap as well although i have a v8. is there any way to change the input shaft or is it even worth it?

 

When you change the clutch gear (the part that most people like to call the "input shaft") you also have to change the countergear. When you do all that, you have to COMPLETELY disassemble the transmission, and since you've got it all in pieces, there's not alot of sense in putting it back together without new bearings and other wear parts.

So here's the deal with "change the input shaft":

1. Buy 6-cyl transmission (or use "free" one you already have, if you have one)
2. Buy V8-transmission
3. Buy rebuild kit
4. Take both transmissions apart
5. Put V8 guts in 6-cyl case, which is absolutely identical in every way to and indistinguishable from a V8 one
6. Throw away 6-cyl guts and V8 case
7. Put trans in car

OK now look at that. See all that stuff in italics?



WHY would you do all that? Skip directly from step 2 to step 7.


Note incidentally, that there is no real substitute for step 2, except for buying a BRAND NEW clutch gear and countergear, AND a rebuild kit; which together, cost considerably more than a junk V8 transmission.

And of course, then there's risk that you won't get it back together perfect, so it might trash parts at the worst, or at the least, have to come out and get torn down and dinked with some more.