We are pretty sure the T5's 5th gear snapring failed. Question is: is there a beefier snapring we can replace it with?

Thanks!

 

One that's not been re-used in a rebuild (and stretched out by overzealous expanding plier use) is a good start. You don't want to expand them anymore than necessary to remove them from the shaft. It's easy to over-open them. Bending them closed again may work, but a new one is cheap.

As for your question, you're kind of on your own to zombie-glaze over parts listings of lock-rings that might work and be stronger.

I've added a groove to a mainshaft of a T56 (to copy a later-model lock-ring add) but the T5 5th gear lock-ring shouldn't be much of an issue.

Oh and it sounds like you're trolling for info without having opened up the transmission. So have at it.

 

That snap ring doesn't just "fail". 99.9999% of all T-5s go to their grave with it intact. Out of the dozen or so cores I've had, and the dozens of times I had to rebuild mine before I finally wised up and got rid of it, I have NEVER seen any such thing. Granted, I'm not saying "it doesn't exist"; only, it must be pretty darned rare, and certainly not the first "explanation" that should come to mind, for whatever "symptom" that's being observed.

See my signature for a thought process that applies to such situations.

As jmd hinted at, somebody could conceivably have BROKE it by working on it improperly, unlikely though it may be; but as we all know, a human can break just about anything by doing something wrong. They're amazing that way, these humans. A little history would help shed some light on this.

What is the car ACTUALLY DOING that makes you think that snap ring has "failed"?

 

I researched my car's symptoms and apparently 5th gear snaprings fail quite regularly in the T5. So I wanted to know if there are beefier snaprings out there to replace it with.

Of course if it turns out that's not the issue, we'll move to plan B.

 

What are the symptoms?

 

Well I hate to bring this one back from the dead but I'm having this same issue. Driving home from work today, I was going up a pretty steep hill in my 91 Camaro and 5th gear just disappeared. It shifts into 5th but nothing happens. 1st-4th is fine and it still goes into reverse . I called Paul from 5speeds.com and he himself said that the 5th gear snap ring does and can come off. So yeah, I'd like some info on a beefier ring myself lol

 

 

A sleeve? What would it bump up against?

 

Yup, back n the day I fixed waaaay to many T5s with the 5thgear clip broke or fallen off.
There is no need to power shift into 5th gear.. lol

 

Lol that's the thing, I wasnt power shifting. I was just going up a steep hill at about 60 mph then poof. No more 5th gear lol

 

Just had this come up on mine. Thinking of some tap welds when I fix it. Anyone done this with success?

 

I figured mine out. Here's a video I made.

 

Thank you.

 

I'm going out on a limb here, and I know this is an old post, but do you happen to have the part number for the 27-spline snap ring? I just had the same thing happen to me after a couple hundred miles on a fresh rebuild.

 

I will probably get roasted for this......but I tack welded mine just to be sure.

I can grind the tack off later if I ever need too

 

I've done the same, so no roasting from me. I lost fifth gear years ago after 5 speed swapping. The very first time I went through the gears, I went form fourth to....nothing. Tack weld is still working 10 years strong!

Let's be honest, by the time most of us have to take a T5 out to rebuild or repair, the same trans is probably not going back in. They just aren't strong enough to survive.

 

GTK. No issues with mine since I tacked mine either. I would recommend it to anyone building a T5. Nothing more infuriating than beefing it up, checking everything twice and some silly **** like that to happen and have to pull it apart again. Those stang and chevy kits do not differentiate...or not that I could find that would give me the confidence it is the right one......talking gnats hair difference that is undiscernible....and if thats the case, whose to say the chevy one might not do the same damn thing.