markiemyster

I read all these threads about you guys putting in Tremec 5 speeds in your C2's and a common problem seems to be clearance and the fact that a lot of it is attributed to the pads that the body rests on might be old and need to be replaced to give you the clearance you need to fit the 5 speed in.
I hope to be purchasing a 5 speed very soon and was wondering if there is a dimension I can check to see if I will have that problem before hand.
I don't want to wait till I'm laying on my back under the car with the tranny all set to go in if I can take care of the problem if needed now.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

gavanm01

Talk to Richard at Kiesler for all your installation needs. Wish I had bought my unit from them to begin with. Had nothing but grief for two years chasing a vibration gremlin that turned out to be a off-center 5th gear wheel in the transmission. The units claim to be dyno-tested by Tremec, but looking back, the little extra to have it tested locally before installation would saved me $2,300 in shiny new parts that the other Tremec dealer claimed was the problem.

redred65cpe

A good indication is the condition of the body mount rubber bushings. The easiest ones to see on coupes is the body mount #2 and #4 bushings. The #2 bushings can be seen by looking inside your front fender wells where the birdcage ends and the mount ties it to the frame. The #4 mounts are inside the rear fender wells near the top/rear, they're quite obvious. You want to look at the bushings between the frame and body. If the bushings are bulging, pancaked, and even dry rotted away, you may have to replace them (especially if they are flat or rotted). The #2 and #3 mounts probably matter the most, but it's tough to see the bushing between the frame and body on the #3 mount. There's no way of telling if the TKO will fit unless you try it, unfortunately. However, lifting the body and replacing the mounts on my coupe is one of the easier, less frustrating things I've done in my continuing saga of the last 4 or 5 months. Getting the mount bolts out is the most problematic. I was lucky and only had to cut 1 bolt. With an engine hoist and straps you can easily lift the body 5 or 6 inches and replace the mounts. And, yes, you have to disconnect/remove a bunch of stuff to free the body from the frame - time consuming mostly unless your bumpers have never been removed, they could prove to be finnicky. A 2nd person is handy when lowering the body back down to make sure the first 2 mounts line up. Good luck if you get the TKO. The easiest way to install it is with the motor and tranny as a unit. The tranny is a beast and there's no way I'd want to wrestle with it under the car and try to mate it up to the motor.

larry