I have finally secured a LT1 350 with low mileage to put in my '89 RS. The car has a 305TBI and 700R4 in it currently (for sale, if anybody knows a good place to sell it, let me know). I want to put the LT1 in my car, along with a 5-speed out of a '90 IROC. Is this a pretty straight-forward swap? Thanks!

 

Fwiw I wouldn't really count on a t-5 lasting long behind an lt1. You'd be better off sticking with the 700r4. If you're looking to go to a manual trans though and want it to last you really have to use a t-56.

 

agreed

o,and try selling your engine and tranny on thirdgen.org in the classifieds section

 

well its like this... if its a newer t5 you can upgade it with some better gears and synchos and stuff. its cheaper than a t56 and will hold up in most drivers situations. most t5 trannys break in hard launch conditions or too much hooking up. theres guys on tgo with 383 t5 setups. most importantly it depends on the driver. my t5 held up stock behind 400hp 350 fine and now its backing a lt1 setup with about the same. i believe held together because i only use it for street driving no hard slick launches. it fun and i plan on upgrading it soon.

thanks

 

I blew out 2 T5s with a 3.4L v6

 

Whhazzaaaaapp...Thanks for the replies! Here's the deal, If the T-5 can't handle the torque of a stock LT1, how is it that it can handle the load of a blown '92 GT 5.0 notchback? A 5.0 is a 5.0, but when it's supercharged (and several other beefed-up modifications) it's gotta have close to the same torque as a stock LT1 if not more. I have two buddies (in spite of their misguided Mustang obessions) that have stock T-5's in heavily modified LX 5.0 & GT 5.0 variations and have had no problems with durability. How different is the T-5 Ford uses than the T-5 GM uses? I just wanna make sure about this, 'cause a T-56 costs twice as much as a T-5, and if all I'm gettin is one more gear, I'll take a 5-shooter any day. Thanks for the help!

 

how much for engine and tranny??? im thinking the v6 is about to die, and something modest like a 305 would be nice.

Especially when i twin turbo it.

 

considering the t56 is designed to handle 450lb-ft of torque...and has been used behind MANY 500+hp engines...i would say it is WELL worth it...

added bonus is the extra gear so you can get steeper rear gears.

 

Agreed. I broke my t5 behind a low 12 second 5.0. And torque wasn't it's strong point. And I broke it on the street. Most t5s I see break the 3rd gear and cluster. By the time you get some decent gears and put a rebuild kit in it, you are approaching what a t56 cost. If the t5 was so good, why did they put the t56 in the new Cobra?

 

A basic full rebuild kit will run you about $180. That's all the synchros, bearings, seals, and small parts. It doesn't include two caged needle bearings that sit under the gears. They rarely wear out, but for a full performance rebuild I always repalce them. They aren't expensive (about $30 for the pair I think). Depending on the year of the T5 you may want to upgrade to the better 2nd & 3rd gears. The gears are like $60 each and are made from a harder alloy. If the trans is an early WC you will need the change the countergear too, because the new style 2nd & 3rd gear use a different helix angle, and won't mesh with the old style countergear. The countergear is a bit pricey (I think they're about $175 or more). A Camaro trans should have a steel bearing retainer, but if your's doesn't for some reason definately get one ($60). Inspect every part very closely. Replace anything that shows any abnormal wear. Make sure to set your countershaft endplay to spec. I shoot for right in the middle. Too tight and the teeth can bind and shear. Too loose and they get too much of a windup before smacking the interfacing tooth and they break off. A trans built like this should easily withstand 400HP or more, provided that slicks and hard clutch dump drag launches aren't used.
Thats far cheaper than a t56. second question is what do you plan on using this for?street or strip?

thanks

 

i'm thinking abotu going with a T-5 too but it would be behind a corvette L98, but i'm thinking about switchin over to a carb and a cam upgrade...i've been hearing a lot of horror stories about the T-5, so i'm kinda scared to get one...i know with a carb i'd be better off because it would produce less torque....i want to get around 330-350hp and maybe a bit more torque, will a T-5 hold up??it is for street use, and i kinda baby it, the occasional heavy foot does come into play once in a while...would the T-5 be alright for me??

 

Two reasons...

1. People were bitching about having to downshift to change CDs.

2. Ford finally built a Mustang with decent power.

 

street... The t5 will be fine.When i got it i was weary too. Most t5s handle great for street provided your not revving it up and dumping it constantly.hooking kills t5s you most likely have nothing to worry about.Get a wc t5.

 

Yea I never understood why they laid out the shifter like they do. It doesn't make any sense.

 

No price on the engine and tranny eh'?