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Anyone know or have input on a tremec swap? I seen a t5 out of a 86 mustang for $300 so Im now considering this over a th350 for overdrive. Any input would be helpful
The best T5 made is rated at 300 ft-lbs.Most are lower than that.
And a 2004R or 700 swap would be far easier and cheaper than a T5. And definitely more reliable. Those early 5 speeds were built during the dark ages of automotive performance, back when the 5.0 Mustangs were about the fastest production cars built.
I guess it depends on the definition of fun. I’m an automatic trans guy, I have many LS buddies that swapped to TH400 because they got tired of tearing up ring and pinions with the 6 speeds. Granted, the 7.5 (or 7 5/8 or whatever they called them in the 4th gen F body cars) was never known for its strength, but the rearends always held up better and the cars went faster with the 400. Waiting for a tow truck and smelling like gear lube isn’t any fun in my opinion!!!
In the case of the T5, an argument could be made for no fun smelling like clutch dust, gear oil, and waiting for a tow truck. 😎
And a 2004R or 700 swap would be far easier and cheaper than a T5. And definitely more reliable. Those early 5 speeds were built during the dark ages of automotive performance, back when the 5.0 Mustangs were about the fastest production cars built.
...both automatics you mention are from the same era, and neither are known for their strength either.
In the case of the T5, an argument could be made for no fun smelling like clutch dust, gear oil, and waiting for a tow truck. 😎
Which is why I pointed out that the T5 wasn't the best choice. If the rest of the drivetrain can't live behind a manual trans, one has a different problem.
Since the OP hasn't told us what car he's talking about, we have no idea what the rear axle is.
I've been toying with the idea of a Tremec 3650 as a "budget" five speed swap. Nowhere near as strong as a TKO, but better than a T5. The problem is the definition of "budget". I've seen 3650s in the mid-hundreds, but the special adapter plate is like $600 from G-Force. Still, that's about half the cost of a TKO. Something to think about.
...both automatics you mention are from the same era, and neither are known for their strength either.
That is true. However, either trans will handle more than 300 lbs-ft of torque. I guess that’s what I get for not typing what I’m thinking.
Like I mentioned before, I’m a automatic trans guy. To me, if a auto is faster,cheaper, and more reliable, then that’s what more “fun” to me. I can definitely appreciate what a lot of you in readerland are saying about shifting your own gears being more fun. My machinist is a diehard Pontiac guy, he has a tri-power 65 GTO, the whine of the Muncie combined with the screaming Tri-Power is definitely addictive.
Interestingly, I just had a conversation with Oldsguy (my dad) about transmissions. We agreed that the best GM automatic to get from a salvage yard for a swap is a TH 400. You'd probably be able to use a TH 400 with only a fluid flush and filter swap. A 2004R or 700R4 would require internal modification to live behind even a SBO. The TH 400 in my 71 98 right now shifts like a champ and it sat on my garage floor for 9 years. I haven't even done a filter swap on it and it has at least 93k miles on it.
FWIW, this conversation with Oldsguy came up because I was putting a shift kit in the C6 in my 86 F250. I found that the 1-2 accumulator spring had failed sometime in the past. Here's a pic and a link if you're interested:
When I did my 6-speed manual transmission swap 17 years ago, I found that the only one that would live behind a 455 was a Viper T-56. There were very few used Viper 6-speeds and installation kits didn't exist. So I bought a new one and did the hot rod thing to make it fit.
Seventeen years later you have a lot of options (both new and used) for 5- and 6-speeds that can tolerate over 500 ft-lb torque.
Five-speeds will generally fit inside the tunnel. Six-speeds require a taller tunnel. If you go with a used 6-speed there are a few of us here who can give you tunnel fabrication advice. You can also buy a new 6-speed with an installation kit.
As Joe intimated, consider the torque capacity of your rear axle. I had a type O, which the factory used for the 455 with manual transmission, so I was OK there.
August 24th, 2020, 01:17 PM
