I purchased a camaro with a t5 and it started acting up so I got another to replace it. When I pulled the new/used t5 the rear mount was wrecked on the lower passenger side. I was surprised that the pilot shaft was stuck to the input shaft! When I thought about it no rear support puts alot of stress there. I then pulled my old/used t5 and found the rear mount was torn in half and the pilot bearing had over an 1/8 lip and shavings of the bearing in the back of the crank. If kept with proper mounts and replacing pilot bearings when bad will the t5 live long under more power then say most believe? All views welcome I nerd out on fa stuff is all.

 

Not in my experience... unless you really baby the Transmission.

Years ago , I would recommend that someone hunt for a Borg-Warner "Word Class" T5 Transmission.
Now Tremec has produced so many Aftermarket versions of the T5, that there is no reason not to go this route.

 

I don’t think the transmission mount would cause the pilot bushing to wear. The engine/bellhousing/transmission are bolted together as a unit and would move together.

Years ago with my 86’ IROC, the pilot bushing was very worn like yours. It also had a bad input shaft bearing on the T5. Not sure which caused the other to wear, but seemed to be related. Replaced the pilot bushing, clutch and had the transmission rebuilt. All was good after that.

 

Vorteciron, thanks for the reply. Ultimately I want to have the tkx but the price is a bit steep for me at this time. So junkyard jewels it is! My plans for this one are simple as my kiddo calls it his race car and the closest true quarter mile straight line is 200-250 miles away. I just want 300-370 hp great street manners and very good handling for country road driving.

 

TransamGTA350, thanks for your reply. I see what you are saying, though not being supported (distortion of the case) i have no doubt killed the transmission coupled with a burnout. Did gm have a problem with metallurgy in the early 80's or is it more how these cars were drove? I have never seen a pilot bushing so worn let alone 2 back to back and this bad. I plan to have the transmission rebuilt I just don't know by whom yet, any advice?

 

I don't see the aluminum casing distorting enough to wear the pilot bushing. My guess is that you have a bad input shaft bearing and the input shaft is moving around, causing wear on the pilot bushing. That was the issue on mine. The early T5's were known for bad input shaft bearings. They were a needle bearing that rode directly on the shaft, so they also took out the shaft when they went bad. The 87' and later World Class T5's had a better designed ball bearing with a separate race. Mine was an 86', so it was the early style. I brought it to a local transmission shop and they rebuilt it with new bearings, synchros and input shaft. That was 25 years ago, so I have no idea what is available today for parts and skills to do the same and I wouldn't spend any money on a non-WC T5 rebuild now. Your original T5 was a non-WC, but what did your replacement T5 come from? If's it's an 87'-92' World Class T5, it may be worth having a transmission shop go through it. Otherwise, if you could source a good used one that you know was working fine when it was pulled, that would be another option.

 

Sorry for the delay life got hectic for a minute there. I see what you are saying and the one in the car has a tag on it from a 1985 so yes it is a non world class and I am wondering yet not surprised this is not the factory trans. Checking the case also proves this is a non world class. The one I came up with is from a 1989 firebird.

It also has the "cup" on the front and is a world class. Car only had 90k miles on it and super clean. Trans shifts really nice too. This is what has kept me so busy!