i am putting a big block chevy in an 89 camaro iroc-z. the car has the t5 5 speed. I was wondering if anyone has done it and what was the outcome. I'm assuming i will need to do a performance rebuild on it to handle the big block, even though it isnt going to be a real nasty big block, just mild. anyone know a site where i can get a performance rebuild kit for that trans? i know theres a lot of swaps out there but i really want to use the T5. any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

try this place

 

Considering GM never installed a T5 behind a 350 because they knew the tranny was too weak, a BBC will easily destroy a T5 even if it has a few new goodies in it. You're better off installing a T56 if you want a manual transmission.

 

i have never really worked with manual trans before. i bought the car cause it was a good deal and i wanted stick, but then later realized that a t5 is no good. is a t56 a direct replacemnt for a t5. meaning, can i use the same driveshaft, and slave cylinder and such.

 

Drive shaft, yes.

Not much else.

I shredded so many T-5s with the stock 305 in my car, it wasn't funny. After I put a 400 in it I went through them about every 3000-5000 miles, until I finally came to the realization that I couldn't drive it like a 4-speed, and I was going to simply have to learn how to take my foot off the gas while shifting. It was tough but I eventually mastered it. After that, I started getting about 15-20,000 miles out of them. But even that got old, so I swapped to a T-56, and pretty much ended the whole trans R&R fest. Haven't noticed it deteriorating at all since I put it in.

My 400 put near 375 ft-lbs to the wheels; more than most big blocks on the same dyno (in fact, the 454 with a 304S cam that ran right immediately before me, I stood there and waited for them to do his pulls before they strapped mine in, put down 330 some-odd). But if yours is in the same torque ballpark as my 400, then your trans life should be similar. In other words, don't use a T-5, you'll either get REAL good at hunting down cores and rebuilding them, or your car will spend ALOT of time sitting around disabled, or both.

 

ok thanks for that info. this is just a huge setback for me because i figured that i could just do a performance rebuild on the t5 and be done. i was just reading about a "Z" t5. supposedly able to handle 450-500 ft. lbs. anyone know of this? I really would like to avoid installing new pedal set ups and all kinds of customization at all costs. I can handle a crossmember and speedo change.

 

and one more quick question...i can seem to find a lot of Ford t5 performance trans, but not GM. I know they're related some how but are they the exact same?
----------
what about this trans, what will this take to swap into a 89 camaro that had a t5?
----------
http://www.astroperformance.com/prod...roducts_id/316

 

Yup, exactly the same except different.

The Frod ones have Frod bolt patterns, Frod splines, Frod shifter locations, etc. GM ones have GM all that. Frod typically also ordered different gear ratios from B-W than GM did, much wider and more 6-cyl-like. Yuck.

But, they're the same basic trans. Shafts are the same dia, same bearings and other small parts fit them, case is the same length, shafts are same distance apart, case is thin and weak in all the same places, gears are super-hardened for minimum wear for gas mileage and therefore shatter like glass when shocked, etc. etc.

In short, exactly the same except different. Certainly no stronger or otherwise "better", or less unsuited, to use behind a big block. You'll shred a Frod trans just as fast as a GM one.

I've heard all sorts of things about "stronger gears" and all that, from any number of sources. Thing is, I've got a shelf full of T-5s with wasted cases, that EAT any gears I can put in them. Because it's not the GEARS that are the root cause of failure, it's THE CASE. Until you strengthen the CASE, you could put in gears forged in the fiery furnaces of Hell by 10,000-year-old gnomes from an alloy of purest virgin nonobtanium with just enough irreplacium added to make them one-of-a-kind, and the case will STILL stretch and allow those gears to misalign and they'll tear up. Frankly I wouldn't spend another dime on trying to make a T-5 survive behind some power. Oh wait.... I don't have to, I finally woke up and got a clue and swapped in something else; specifically, a T-56.

 

when you swap to a T-56 it's almost a complete bolt on, you just need a few redially availabe conversion parts....most notably a conversion flywheel and a conversion crossmember, centerforce makes the F/W and spohn(among others) makes the crossmember, everything ells should come out of the doner car and will bolt right on

 

ok cool thanks, but now what about the slave cyl. it a different post someone said that a t5 pushes the fork and a t56 pulls. and lastly what about the shifter?

 

The same slave cyl will work, but the line will not. The T-56 slave mounts facing the other way, so the line needs to be nearly a foot longer.

An entire BRAND-NEW assembly with the reservoir, master cyl, line, and slave cyl, filled with fluid and pre-bled and ready to just bolt in and go, is only about $130 or so at GM. Not much point in trying to preserve your old worn-out stuff when it's that cheeep to replace.

Yes you'll definitely need a shifter, hard to drive without one.

 

you can use the factory shifter, but an aftermarket one is alot better, BTW, when you look for one make sure it is from a 94-97, 98+ ones WILL NOT fit W/O allot of modifaction, and it's not worth it, and the '93 is weeker than the other years

 

A super T-10 is also an option, if you don't need the overdrive. It might be cheaper to get an aftermarket T-10, then to set up for a T56. I'd rather have the T-56, but i'm just mentioning it as another option.

 

with basically everything said. As for the 4000hp rated T5's, the samll print from all the companies making these parts expresses now warranty whatsoever and only rates them for stock type clutches with small street tires. So, they will take decent power if you put skinnies on the back and run a stock 4cyl S10 clutch. I am another one of the "broke many T5" tribe. They're a good trans for a very lightweight very street oriented car. As Stephen said, there's a reason GM never even put them behind a 350. Get a real trans, don't dink with it. Even with the high $ upgrades they'll still eventually break behind anything that is driven aggressively.

Buying upgrades for a T5 is like paying for life support with a 0% chance of recovery. It may prolong it's life, but it's still gonna die.

- sofa, I'm gonna quote that whole nonobtanium thing in my sig. That was some of your best work!

 

The Tremec TKO 5 speeds are another option you could consider. They work with your cable driven speedometer by using a simple adapter that only costs about $70. The T56 requires a lot more expensive electric to mechanical converter box (about $200-$300). You can also re-use the T5 bellhousing, clutch, flywheel, pedals, and hydraulic linkage with the TKO. There's a guy selling a complete setup here in the classifieds for about $1500 IIRC. The one I bought came out of an 86 Iroc with a twin turbo 406 in it that was churning out around 670 ft. lbs. of torque, and it didn't bother the trans at all. A TKO would handle your 454 no problem. Just another option you might want to look into. BTW, the upgrade gearset for the T5's cost about $1100, so you can get an entire, stout transmission for almost the same price that you'd pay for the "band-aid" gearset for the T5.

 

what kind of a swap is a super t10...can i use all the stock t5 stuff?

 

No... The only things that will transfer over are the flywheel, clutch & disc, and trans mount.

Easiest way to do that, is to find a whole 82 car with one; and swap everything over.

You'll need the linkage including the frame brackets, pedals, bell housing, clutch fork, transmission, shifter, torque arm bracket, crossmember, and drive shaft.

Very rare, very hard to find, not cheap.

The T-56 out of a 94-97 LT1 car is the most nearly direct swap for a T-5. Those are plentiful and relatively cheap.... probably cheaper and certainly easier to find than the T-10 setup. There's only one really major issue with it, and that's the speedo; but there are ways around that.

 

For the T-10, sofa is right, but....
You can use a super T-10 from a 2nd gen, or an aftermarket one as well. You'd just need a tailhousing with a torque arm mount, or use an aftermarket non-tranny mounted Torque arm.
I would use the bell housing from your stock '89 T-5, that way you get the hydraulic setup.

I think you need a cross member and driveshaft if swapping to a T56 or T10. Same with the shifter.

But yea, i'd still pick the T56 if you can find one for a reasonable price, complete.

 

the stock driveshaft will work on a T-56, the only parts you will need not from the donor car or you car are the crossmember flywheel and somthing to calibrate the speedo