Borg Warner T-50 transmission
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,941
Likes: 35
From: El Cajon California
Borg Warner T-50 transmission
I found a Borg Warner tranny at the swap meet for 5.00.
Turned out to be a T-50
Some B/W T-50 were close ratio installed in V-8 Monzas, which may be OK for a stock low HP 1978 L-48 Corvette
With the right bell housing it might install pretty easily
But most were wide ratio used in 4-Cylinder cars
Four questions
1. How do I tell if it a close ratio T-50
2. How would it hold up with a 1978 L -48
3. How much would a shop charge to rebuild it?
4. Or should I just scrap it and take the 5.00 loss! LOL
Turned out to be a T-50
Some B/W T-50 were close ratio installed in V-8 Monzas, which may be OK for a stock low HP 1978 L-48 Corvette
With the right bell housing it might install pretty easily
But most were wide ratio used in 4-Cylinder cars
Four questions
1. How do I tell if it a close ratio T-50
2. How would it hold up with a 1978 L -48
3. How much would a shop charge to rebuild it?
4. Or should I just scrap it and take the 5.00 loss! LOL
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 971
Likes: 45
From: Middlesex NJ
Friend of mine had one in his 68 behind a 396 with 373 gears.
Now..... vega should tell you the whole story. If your a *****-foot then the trans will work and wont blow up. We did several pretty good burnouts with it and it didn't break.
Its got a god awful shift pattern... first is down and to the left second is up and to the right. Reverse is where first should be and the damn shifter ball kept falling off the t50 only shift lever. Not to mention the throw is real short.
Its the smallest damn 5spd you will ever see and can put it in place with one hand.
It will bolt right up to your stock bellhousing and their are no modifications to the crossmmeber and I think it will bolt right to the original trans mount location (i don't recall if it had a simple piece of flat steel with some new holes drilled in to make up any offset between the tail shaft mount and the isolator or not).
You will have cut up your floor to fit the shifter through the floor.
If you could do it yourself then maybe it would be a fun change that you could reverse yourself after you break it. But I would NOT pay someone to put it in.
Now..... vega should tell you the whole story. If your a *****-foot then the trans will work and wont blow up. We did several pretty good burnouts with it and it didn't break.
Its got a god awful shift pattern... first is down and to the left second is up and to the right. Reverse is where first should be and the damn shifter ball kept falling off the t50 only shift lever. Not to mention the throw is real short.
Its the smallest damn 5spd you will ever see and can put it in place with one hand.
It will bolt right up to your stock bellhousing and their are no modifications to the crossmmeber and I think it will bolt right to the original trans mount location (i don't recall if it had a simple piece of flat steel with some new holes drilled in to make up any offset between the tail shaft mount and the isolator or not).
You will have cut up your floor to fit the shifter through the floor.
If you could do it yourself then maybe it would be a fun change that you could reverse yourself after you break it. But I would NOT pay someone to put it in.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 817
Likes: 11
From: lewisburg wv
Put the trans. in 1st. gear and see how many turns of the input shaft it takes to turn the output shaft 1 turn. If just slightly over 3 it is a close ratio. If nearly 3 1/2 it is a wide ratio. Also,the close box came in V-8 Monzas. Hope this helps.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 279
From: Olmsted Falls, Ohio
My advice.
Sell it for more than you paid for it.
Get a tranny that will stand up to the 350 like the M21 Option close ratio 4-speed Super T-10 (S-code) (1st=2.43 2nd=1.61 3rd=1.23 4th=1.00 rev=2.35) that was an option for my 75 L82. You won't have to cut up the floor and it will bolt right in. Even if you get a T-10 wide ratio, it's pretty straight forward to convert it to an close ratio. I see these at swap meets all the time.
Sell it for more than you paid for it.
Get a tranny that will stand up to the 350 like the M21 Option close ratio 4-speed Super T-10 (S-code) (1st=2.43 2nd=1.61 3rd=1.23 4th=1.00 rev=2.35) that was an option for my 75 L82. You won't have to cut up the floor and it will bolt right in. Even if you get a T-10 wide ratio, it's pretty straight forward to convert it to an close ratio. I see these at swap meets all the time.
Last edited by KenSny; May 31, 2012 at 04:30 PM.
