I have a 1983 Borg-Warner T-5. I have a serious problem with the speedometer not working when the car is cold. When cold, when I drive and let up on the gas, the speedo jumps up around 10 MPH or so...and when I goose it, it jumps back down.

I use 80W-90 gear lube in the tranny. Is the thick oil when cold causing this, and I have to live with it, or what?

After the car fully warms up after around 25 minutes or so, the speedo seems to start to settle out, and is not affect by me goosing the gas.

I just can't trust the thing when the car is cold, and it's frustrating as hell.



Any suggestions appreciated.

 

No one else had this problem? ttt

 

At minimum you need to lube the cable, that should take care of the issue.

I'm working on why your running gear oil in a T-5. I though T-5's were supposed to run ATF.

 

I am required to run the 80w-90 in it because it's the original Borg-warner T-5 with brass synchros. My understanding is that the newer WC T-5's had steel synchros and tighter bearing clearances and therefore, could use ATF tranny fluid.

If I'm wrong, PLEASE TELL ME!!

I 99.9% positive that I drained out gear lube when I bought it.
But the speedo problem seems to disappear when the tranny gets warm.

I just hope I'm using the proper fluid.

 

About the best I can do right now is tell you one of us is wrong. I'm running ATF in my 86 NWC T-5.

I'll look in my manuals later and see what the specs and fluid reccomendations are if no one's corrected one of us yet.