Please note that I've searched and read the T5 sticky at the top.

I ordered a V8 T5. The junkyard sent me a V6 T5 with the 10 spline. They sent me another one with the 27 spline.

I would like to know how to identify the car my T5 came from for maintenance purposes. The junkyard has no idea where it came from either other than it was a 305 car.

Is there anything I can check? Ideally I'd like to know exactly what year the car is and what options it has so that I can order parts for the T5 if necessary. I read that there are slight variations depending on year and options.

It would also be nice to know the gear ratios, but that's not as important as I can always derive using my calibrated speedo and tach.

Any advice/suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

Following are a couple of links that may be helpful:

http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Bo...T5-ID-Tags.htm

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...t5+ratio+chart

JamesC

 

Thank you very much. I'll check the tag today.

 

If it has the 26-spline clutch gear and the 92-back bolt pattern on the front, then it's a V8 trans.

AFAIK all V8 T-5s for these cars had the same 1st through 4th gears, the only difference being 5th. That one is .73:1 in the performance ones, or .63:1 in the gas-mileage LG4 and L03 ones.

The same "kit" fits all of them of whichever design. I.e. if it's 1st design, the same kit fits it whether it's 83 or 86, Ford or GM, V8 or 6-cyl, etc. Likewise, if it's 2nd design, the same kit fits all those. Beyond that, you don't need to know any more about it to get the replaceable parts. If the trans needs more than what's in the kit, to where those other details matter, send it back and get another, because that'll cost you less than buying gears and shafts.

 

I had a chance to take a look at the T5 casing, and I'm a little confused.

The casing number on the driver side of the tailshaft says 066, which = 84 Mustang according to the links. The casing number on the passenger side of the bellhousing says 065, which = unknown.

The picture in this link actually shows the green and white tag on top of the transmission cover, which would not be visible when mounted in the car: http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Bo...T5-ID-Tags.htm

Is this where I need to look? I don't think I can see that without dropping the transmission.

 

"Tags" and "codes" is the hard way to "identify" a T-5.

There are no 27-spline ones in GM vehicles; there are, however, 26-spline ones. Is that what you've got?

There are VERY FEW variations on that, because the only vehicles they came in, are F bodies (these cars). The only ones of THOSE that have 26 splines, are the V8 ones. As far as parts you would "order", there's even less variation.

About the only 2 kinds, for that, are the 1st design, and the 2nd design aka "World Class". Most parts such as speedo gears, mounts, and other external type things, fit both. Internal parts such as bearings, are different; but even those are the same as in other vehicles. E.g. a 1st design one uses the same bearings, and therefore the "kit", whether it's in a Mustang, Camaro, or whatever; and the 2nd design ones are likewise the same. Beyond that, which is a year-model thing, the only difference is that the high-perf cars (L69 and TPI) got a .73:1 5th gear, but the grocery-cart versions (LG4 and L03) got a .63:1 5th. However it's highly unlikely that you'll ever need to order a 5th gear, so that probably won't matter; and if you do, you can put either kind in it, anyway. You'd just have to get both halves of it.

You can easily tell if it's a 1st design or 2nd design by looking at the front countergear bearing, which you can see about the bottom 3/8" of below the bell housing, looking from the front.



The top pic is the 1st design, and the bottom is the 2nd.

Note that the countergear bearing on the 1st design is flat, very shiny, and has sort of rolled-over edges, like an upside-down freeze plug. The 2nd design one is finished with a dull gray surface, has a depressed area in the center that makes it look like it has a "ridge" all the way around about ¼" wide, and has very sharp edges.

If you need any further help figuring out what parts to order, just ask; it's not hard to tell you, from that, what you'll need to get.

 

Now I know.

You are correct. Like I said above, the junkyard first sent me what they claimed to be a V8 but with 10 splines. They did an exchange and sent me a 26 spline T5.

I'm thinking about ordering a Richmond unit that would be a plug and play replacement for my T5, possibly next year after I got all the bugs sorted out.

Right now I'm making a little over 400 ft-lbs of torque, and GM only rated the T5 for 250 hp. My goal is to be at about 500 hp next year, and up to 700 hp if I can handle it.

About the only saving grace is that my car only weighs about 2,500 lbs. race weight.


I'm not running the stock VSS.

Other than using a radar gun and tach, or counting teeth, is there any other way to know which 5th gear I have?

Thank you very much for all your help. I think I'm set. I was really more curious than concerned.

 

Not really... that's one of the few things that the "codes" would be good for, except that since they interchange so easily, it might not be whatever the "codes" says...

I screwed up once, out of the half-million or so times I had to rebuild them for my own car, and accidentally put a .63 set in my transmission. Didn't notice it until the first time I hit the freeway. It was so obnoxious, I don't think it took me more than about 2 days to decide I SO couldn't stand it, that I jerked it back out, tore it down, and put the RIGHT one back in.

I actually did that once with a 6-cyl one; I had to learn the hard way (this of course was before Al Gore invented the WWW....) that they were different. I did the same as you, just picked one up at the buzzard one morning that was "supposed to" be a V8 one; dashed back home, and swapped it out. Got the whole thing done, fluid in, interior back in, the whole 9 yards. Hopped in, cranked it up, and the car would not evn pull off. Didn't even make a noise when I let out the clutch, there was just nothing there. So before I could even go anywhere, I had to swap them BACK. I was NOT happy. 2 trans R&Rs, about 3 wasted hours, and I STILL had a wasted trans in my car. Definitely the school of hard knocks.

 

I have a 4.08 rear end and a small 10-gallon fuel cell so it may be nice to have a .63 OD.

 

Although that's what "everbody" says until they get one, I doubt it.... the problem is, the ratio is too wide between 4th and 5th. It always feels like there's a "4½th" gear that should be in there, missing.

But there's only one way to find out.

I've never heard of a 4.08 gear. That would have to be 12 and 49, or 13 and 53. What kind of rear end is this?

 

I'm using a Nissan R200 diff. OEM ring and pinion is 4.083, although I can go up to 4.364 or even 4.636 if I wanted to.