I set out looking for a 5 speed without the big conversion price... last week I located a very hard to find GM WC T5 with the 2.95 first gear... one popped up last week on marketplace while I was boarding a plane in Portland... I reached out and it was gone by the time I landed, knowing how hard it is to find that T5 I pursued a new one through Silver Sport... however they are the Mustang version which is a bit more complex install and $2k for the transmission and another $2k for the kit... I was about to pull the trigger Monday and the gentlemen from the marketplace post reached out to me.

He said he had another in his garage and these T5s he had were sitting for about 30 years, I drove out to his house Tuesday, this 78 year old man opened his garage and along with 5 corvettes from 54 to 69 was an exceptionally clean T5 world class 1352-196 with the 2.95 first gear, he wanted $500 and it spun nicely and through all gears.
there was no end play, very tight with what I feel is just the right amount of backlash from input shaft to output shaft in all gears, no noises or clicks or binding so was well worth the $500. Also had the mechanical speedo as a bonus




Today I pulled it apart to inspect better though I really only know how to visually inspect gears etc.

It appears exceptionally clean, the fluid that came out looks new with zero glitter or shavings, no soot anywhere and functions by hand very well... even the fork pads look new with no wear at all and I was planning on at least replacing those.

Is there something I should be looking for or checking while apart? I feel comfortable enough to reseal it and put it back together for the install but wanted to post pics before putting it back together to see if I should be looking at something in here beyond visual inspection?
Should be a good budget install if all is good... leaving funds for a vintage AC

 

WOW! nice score for $500.

 

thanks Crimson... yeah I believe I got fortunate with this.
I found and joined a T5/TKX/TKO facebook group yeaterday and posted the same question... checked the few suggestions to check but appears this is ready to go with almost no wear.
ordering a clutch, speedo adapter and crossmember flanges tomorrow and gonna start the project in the next few weeks while its hot here in Az and not the best cruising around weather.

Thanks again

 

I’ve replaced many a Camaro and Mustang T5s back in the day. They didn't hold up to any power or sticky tire even when new. Not sure why you would go through all time and trouble installing a T5. Good chance it will be coming back out and starting over. Find a use TKO transmission if on a budget. Otherwise the new version TKX is a great trans.

 

thanks for the advice but I think I will pass... I've hammered on enough T5s in 5.0 mustangs in my younger years and have spent the past few weeks reading hundreds of posts on multiple forums from the past 25 years of T5 installs in C3 corvettes, camaros, mustangs etc... I've reached out to a number of early C3 owners from this forum who've done the install and all have no regrets, frankly out of the hundreds of threads I've read couldn't find one who blew one up... I dont track my car, hammer it or search out sticky tires. Thanks again.

 

Looks familiar, nice find for sure. Enjoy the swap.

 

thank you John and thanks for the direction the other day. I picked up an extra trans mount and fabricating the same as you did, ordering the remaining items today/tomorrow, gonna start over the memorial week and take my time. Thank you again.

 

100% Agree!!^^^^

The GM WC V8 T5's will be just fine as long as you don't drop the clutch from 2,500-3,000 RPM from a standing start (X2 with Sticky tires) and you roll into the throttle at speed...no smashing the accelerator to the floor, assuming the engine has some HP/TQ.

I was mildly concerned about this issue back in 2014 when I rebuilt/upgraded my 355 L-82 into a roughly 450 Gross HP motor with the GM OEM Borg Warner Super T-10 which is rated max to 325 Net HP. More than a few tranny experts of these transmissions told me the same above and here we are 12 years later and all is good.

You will be fine and congrats on "stealing" that GM WC V8 T5-I am jealous!

 

Thanks, definitely hard to find the GM in this configuration... I've read about them behind some good hp SBC and even big blocks with good results as long as they're not hammered constantly, spoke with Silver Sport about them quite a bit as they still build and sell them to World Class specs.

 

When I built a 66 Mustang with 400 hp 302/T5 combo my local builder said the thing that kills a T5 is bad or missed 2-3 shifts.

 

That is exactly what I've read several times regarding the 2-3 shifts

 

Hi,

$500 that is a very good price, and it looks very nice.
My T5WC is the 176

Thx,
John

 

thanks John I was looking for pretty specific GM T5, WC with the 2.95 first gear and mechanical speedo... with the .63 final gear should be a fun 4 speed with an overdrive 5th