The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline T5 swap--- Spacer plate or not?

The plan is to put an '87 T5 behind my 235.

Trust me, I've spent the last three hours reading about this swap before asking.

I see some people use spacer plates (from Buffalo and other venders) but assumed that was just the easier (albeit more expensive) route, but have read that bolting the gearbox to the bellhouseing without the proper spacer plate does not hold the input shaft true enough and can cause damage to the input shaft and trans bearing.

What are your thoughts/experience?

I have no idea, but I am very interested in this I'm about to swap as well. Thank you for asking!

Ive done 3 of them & a freind has done 2 & we didn't use a spacer. If you modify the trans. acording to the tech tips It works fine. The main thing is to grind the splines on the input shaft so the disc will slide back about 1/2 in. If you have a good pilot bushing in the crank you will support the shaft as well as with a spacer.
The only advantage of the spacer is you could change trans. without going through the modifications, but you still would have to drill out the mounting holes.

i just finished my 88 t-5 swap into my 46 1/2 ton and i used an adapter from bendtsens and didnt have to cut anything, the only drilling you have to do is drill out the holes to 1/2 on the trans because they are metric,(case is aluminum, so it will drill easily) and the bolts are standard thread, dont forget that you have to change the clutch disc to match the spline on the T-5 and also if using the the original shifter like i did, you need to straighten it,(i stuck mine in a press and straightened it no problem), P.S. if you go to transmissionadapters.com they will even set you up with the right clutch disc for you're trans,thats what I did and everything slid right together with no problems,if you have any questions, i might be able to help you

Since we are on the subject can any of you tell me what length speedometer cable to use with the T5, I understand the stock one is too short. My truck 55 w/235 has no cable at all on the stock transmission so I have nothing to compare.

Thanks

Larry

if you build a T-5 hybrid (V8 Camaro front half, S-10 rear half), you do not need to trim the shaft or cut splines.

I'm in the process of building a "decision tree" on a T5 swap.

Last Friday I took my '37 to the transmission guy who rebuilt my 3sp last year (I only got ~250 miles before 2nd gear locked out!) and he offered to set me up with an automatic trans instead. (way to stand behind your product!).

So I'm back to square one. Do I find someone else and rebuild what is clearly an old and problematic transmission? Do I try to find another (took me eighteen months last time!)? Do I switch to an auto (I would prefer to keep it a manual shift)? If I go T5 I'll have to change rear axles and that opens a huge can of worms!

So just like twotone I've been studying like crazy.

~rocker~