|
Not
All T-5's are Created Equal
Not all Borg Warner/TREMEC
T-5's are the same. The first T-5 five speeds were introduced to market in 1981, in all things, a AMC Spirit/Concord.
In 1983, T-5's were introduced to Fox body Mustangs and are still used in the 3.8L V-6 Mustangs. The T-5 is the only
American made standard transmission to span more than 20 years of production. Because of the large quantities of T-5's produced,
many parts are interchangeable. There are now over 200 different T-5 transmission assembly part numbers and still counting.
|
| World Class T-5 |
|
| 84-93 T-5 V8 Bell Housing |
World Class & Non-World Class
There are two basic kinds of T-5's, Non World Class (NWC) and World Class (WC). The first T-5 was non-world
class. In 1983 and 84 Ford used the Non-World Class T-5 to improve the Mustangs performance and gas mileage. All the
V8 NWC boxes had 2.95 first gear set with .68 overdrive. All the main output shaft gears and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, gears riding
on a solid output shaft with deep oil grooves to provide lubrication. The lower counter gears spin on straight cylindrical
bearings with a thrust washer in front to provide support when under load. All the synchronizer rings are made of solid bronze
which are of different size than those found in a would-class T-5. It is because there is no bearing under each gear
and the bronze synchro rings that the NWC use the heavy 70w gear oil. Torque rating for the NWC was 265ft/lbs.
1985, Ford introduced the World Class T-5 installed with
3.35 first gear set with a .68od behind the 5.OL. T-5 was also used behind both the standard 2.3L with a 3.97 first
gearset and the SVO Mustang. SVO received a one year only 3.50 first gear ratio as the 3.97 gear ratio was too low for
the added power of the turbo charged 2.3L. No longer were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears spinning on a solid output shaft as
needle bearings were installed under each gear to reduce drag. The lower counter gears saw tapered bearings to replace the
bronze thrust washer. All main shaft synchro's were fiber lined steel rings to improve rings friction surface while
5th remains bronze. By improving the surface friction the synchro slows the gear faster making for smoother shifts. The design
remained the same until 1989. Torque rating remained the same at 265ft/lbs.
1990
to 1993 the stock Ford production V-8 WC T-5 was upgraded with stronger 3.35 gear set by increasing
the nickel content to produce a harder, stronger gear. 2nd and 3rd gear ratios were decreased slightly tp provide more torque
to the rear wheels. Synchro linings on 3rd, 4th were improved by changing from fiber linings to carbon fiber to further
improve the friction surface resulting in better high rpm shifts. A longer throw shifter was installed to "make shifting
easier". The speedo drive gear was changed from 7 tooth to 8 tooth. The 8 tooth was a step backwards when installing
lower rear axle ratio greater than 3.55 as the driven gear is limited to 21tooth count. Yes, 23 tooth gears are available
but do not last long as the teeth are thin and do not mesh correctly. Torque rating jumped to 300ft/lbs.
When
the 93 Cobra was introduced, so was the "Cobra
Spec" T-5. It was the first T-5 with a front tapered output bearing and steel front bearing retainer. The Cobra
boxes also received a reverse gear brake and synchro assembly where there was none before. Just about everything else
remained the same. Torque rating was increased to 310ft/lbs.
The
"Z" Spec T-5
In 1993 Ford started offering a new service unit to the motorsport crowd.
The "Z" spec T-5 (Ford part number 7003Z, also sometimes referred to as "World Class T-5". Most folks, associate the
term "World Class" as meaning the best, however world class T-5 were introduced in 1985 as stated ealier. The T-5z is
a 1993 Cobra T-5 with 2.95 first gear set and .63 over drive. It has the best of everything. Hardened gears, short
throw factory shifter, steel front bearing retainer, and tapered output shaft bearing ands a seven tooth speedometer gear.
Best of all it has a torque rating of 330ft/lbs based on 100,000 mile usage. The stock T-5Z can handle up to 450 hp
when not drag raced.
Aftermarket Super Heavy Duty T-5's
Now that after market companies offer new and improved gearsets, T-5's can now handle up to 600hp and are used
in drag racing on a regular basis. The advantage of this setup is the small platform which will spin up faster than
a heavier TREMEC or Richmond transmission.
Borg Warner and TREMEC
About 1998, TREMEC bought the T5 product line from Borg Warner and have produced the T5 used ever since.
Note that the transmission is the same although the case stamp will say TREMEC or Borg Warner depending on who manufactured
it.
So as you can see not all T-5's were created equal. T-5's are a smooth
shifting, strong, light weight transmission that can be used for daily driving, spirited driving, or all out racing.
How you set up your T-5 is important so you get the most from it.
One last piece of important information.
ALL World Class T-5 use ATF oil and NOT
heavy gear oil or Redline MTL! All NON-World Class T-5 use 70 wt gear oil. We recommend high
quality Synthetic oil as it lasts a long time and over a larger operating temperature. It is important to change the
oil in your transmission based on how you use the vehicle. If the vehicle is your daily driver then changing the oil
every two to three years is fine. However, if the transmission sees regular track duty and pushed hard, then once or
twice a year is in order. When we rebuild transmissions, we can tell when the oil has been changed often as the parts
are much cleaner with less over all wear. There is no filter inside the manual transmission only a magnet at the bottom to
pick up the metallic particles in the oil, the only metallic parts in a transmission is the gears or bearings. Oil is
cheap, transmissions are not!
Borg-Warner T-5 Transmission Data
|
