The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop T5 question

For those of you that have installed a T5, are there any trucking activities you would avoid? I'd like to perform this swap, and I spoke with a tranny rebuilder. He said that while it is a good tranny it is a bit light for towing or heavy hauling (I have a 3/4 ton AD).
Any thoughts or experiences?

I believe he is correct to a degree. how much hauling is up to you.
This oughta keep some of you busy....
do a search on transmissions. Another possibility is the NV-1500 http://www.cyberjeep.com/products.asp?dept=5730
and NV-3500, http://members.aol.com/mymovie/motor/Jeep/swap.html
S 542 FORD
Borg Warner T-85N, http://www.stovebolt.com/bboard/cgi-bin//ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=007235
http://www.6066gmcguy.org/3-to-4-speed.htm
T10 - http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0305_t56/
, T18, T19,
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/t18_t19.htm
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/sm420.htm
or http://www.motivegear.com/tech_info/tranny_guide/tranny_guide.html
T-56 (Camaro 6 speed), http://www.stovebolt.com/bboard/cgi-bin//ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=006487#000005
http://www.v8monza.com/images/tech/trans/monza-trans-5spd-Chuck_.jpg
http://www.5speeds.com/muncie.htm

The T5 I had built is an S~10 housing but has camaro V8 gears inside. I believe that IS the best way to go w/ these as borg warner made them w/ ALL completely interchangable parts. I have a better chance to handle any load and the HP

THE T5 WORKS ON MUSTANGS, JEEPS (4X4), CAMARO's && FIREBIRDS THAT HAVE HORSEPOWER !!!!!!!..... SO WHY WASTE THE $$$$ and BERATE THIS TRANNY and PUT IT IN YOUR TRUCK and BERATE IT AGAIN. WILL YOU NOT PUT IT IN AND HAVE IT WORK FOR YOU???
The T5 was made for S10's 4/6 cylinders and astro vans 4/6 cylinders AND V8'S
If you buy one from a four cylinder and it fails working in your truck ..... don't give it a bad name when these trannies work on autos that have way more Horse Power than your chevy does and still work.
Do your homework first.

I wouldn't trust that tranny for any load greater than a Chevy S-10 with a T-5 could haul.....eventhough S-10's are decent little trucks.

Even though I have a T-5 in my '63 C-10 I don't think I'd put one in a 3/4 ton that I planned on doing much hauling with...I have a 1 ton deisel for that. It's great at highway speeds (overdrive), but is somewhat less robust than the original 4 speed I took out.

Thanks for the input. My plan is generally to just drive the truck, but occasionally haul railroad ties or sand/gravel for concrete work. I guess I can try a T5 and have a new front drive shaft made for it, and keep the old tranny/drive shaft in case it doesn't work out. The swap does not seem that difficult if I had to go back.

I am in the same spot as you with my '52 3600.
I picked up a T5 a few weeks back, but I'm
concerned about decreasing the load capacity.
I couldn't pass up the tranny though...my local u-pullit had them on sale for $39.99 and there
were a few S10's with 5 speeds to choose from at that! Would be interested in how it works out for you though. Please keep us posted.

Ghost, for $40.00 plus a few parts, I don't think you can go wrong. I have a feeling when you've swapped this once you can go back and forth pretty quickly. In college we drove Datsun 1200's to Mexico all the time. We'd get to where we could swap out a tranny in 45 minutes to an hour with 2 of us working on it.

Do you know what gearing ratios you got in that tranny?

T-
I looked up the numbers on the tranny, I don't
have the info right here, but I know it has a 3.76 1st gear and a .72 overdrive. Came out of an 87 with 2.8 I think. I know some have a .86 overdrive which wouldn't do too much.
I think my stock 3 speed has a 3.00 first gear
so the T5 first will be a little lower yet.
You're right, for $40 plus some parts I can't go wrong. I have not had the truck on the road yet, and may run the original 3 speed for a while just to experience the truck in original form.
I also have a 3 speed od tranny out of a '55 car
which may be more rugged than the T5...I'm not sure.
Decisions...decisions

Thanks for the response

There are T5's and then T5's. The junkyard variety have definite limitations but the word class super duty ones can take from 400 to 600 ft lbs of torque which is way more than a hauler is going to have. These are pricey(like $1500) but ones from the Mustang GT can take 310 ft lbs and be found used for considerably less. Lakewood has bellhousings that will fit the back of the engine and have the needed trans bolt pattern. I know we like to keep the bucks down on our old trucks so this is just to be let known that T5's are available for any power range.