T 5 Question????????

EarlsflyinCobra · #1 (**permalink**) 07-23-2004, 10:55 PM

I bought a T 5 that was sent to a shop in Calif. and beefed up. The guy paid like $1600 to have it gone through and then wrecked his car and went to jail. The car (Mustang) was then parted out and I got the T 5. I am getting ready to install it next week and seeing as how it went through a wreck I took it to a local shop to have it checked over. I got it back today and they said everything looked good inside and out with the exception of 3rd gear. They told me somebody purposedly ground all the locks off of 3rd gear. It was a professional looking modification, however no one at the shop had ever seen it before. Can anybody tell me "why" this was done???? Any help would be appreciated. Should I use the tranny or start looking again?????

blykins · #2 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 05:49 AM

Just tell them to replace the 3rd gear cog, Earl....I don't think this would be a professional modification. If they have "professionally" ground the engagement teeth off the gear itself, then there is no way the synchronizer hub teeth can engage the gear and therefore transfer the power to the mainshaft. If all the teeth are missing, it would be like sticking the tranny in 3rd gear, letting the clutch out, and it would perform like it was in neutral. The only locking force between the gear and the synchro would be the friction between the blocking ring and the gear itself...and I wouldn't think that would be much.

In my opinion, which isn't worth much these days, this was not a modification, but all the gear teeth are stripped off from some joyous shifting into 3rd gear.

If you have the tranny, you can reaffirm what I'm suggesting. Put it in 3rd gear with a shifter and you'll probably have to hold it.....and then twist the input shaft....the output will most likely not turn....or just barely turn.

If the rest of the tranny looks fine, then just have them change the gear out. No worries. :-)

blykins · #3 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 06:19 AM

Earl, were all the teeth ground off, or just a few? If it is in fact all teeth, then the tranny would behave like I suggested.....

However, if every other tooth or every other 2 teeth were ground off....then I'd say it was done to get the synchro to engage the gear quicker....therefore having a quicker shift.

If so, this may or may not hurt you. It may work fine, especially in a street application. But on the flip side you have to remember that the gears were designed with that many teeth to begin with for a reason.....that reason is the more teeth, the more surfaces to take the torsional stress in the shaft....So if you have less teeth on one side, eventually the rest will fail because they're having to take the load that was originally designed for twice as many teeth or however many were ground off.

I'd replace the gear either way.....especially if it's still apart laying in the shop.

EarlsflyinCobra · #4 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 07:29 AM

Unfortunately, it's already back together and at home. The shop guy said they were definetly "ground" off purposely and not from any abuse. He said someone spent a lot of time doing so, so he thought there must be a purpose, he just did not know what it was...Thanks for the input......

blykins · #5 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 07:46 AM

If it's back together, try what I suggested.....I honestly don't see how 3rd gear would have any purpose whatsoever with all the engagement teeth missing. Stick it in 3rd gear, give the input a spin...see what happens....

Keep us tuned in....I'm curious myself......

EarlsflyinCobra · #6 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 05:16 PM

Tried the turn test, it seems to turn fine in all gears....I can't hold the output shaft still in any of the gears while turning the input shaft, too much torque to hold.....I'm guessing he must have said every other tooth as one of the guys in a local speed shop had heard of that being done to improve on track shifting....Thanks, Earl

blykins · #7 (**permalink**) 07-24-2004, 06:59 PM

I'd say it would be alright.....but if that engine of yours is making any torque at all, I'd probably go ahead and have it changed. Gears aren't that expensive.

CALHOON · #8 (**permalink**) 08-05-2004, 05:09 AM

I think you touched on a mod here. Its an old trick to remove some of the clutch teeth from the locking sustem. Generally a bad Idea to take them off the gear. Better to take them off the synchro ring. It is done to allow better quicker shifts at higher input RPM.

EarlsflyinCobra · #9 (**permalink**) 08-18-2004, 09:29 PM

Okay, I've been thinking......(my wife says that always gets me in trouble).......Should I go with the T5 I have, that supposedly was beefed up by a company in Calif., should I have it beefed up myself so I know for sure, or should I go to another tranny???? I plan on about 450HP. I already have the clutch, pressure plate, and bell housing on the engine. I know it does not matter on the clutch and pressure plate, but the bell housing is a Lakewood scatter proof, so what other tranny will bolt to it???? Decisions, decisions, whats a guy to do????????????? I gotta quit thinking and changing my mind, it's gonna drive me "CRAZY" and thats a "VERY SHORT" drive?????????????????

griffinzein · #10 (**permalink**) 08-19-2004, 02:06 AM

speaking from personal experience the mod you have in your tranny is woth keeping. the 76 cobra II that i run has the same mod. for some reason the T% tranny has a really bad habbit of grinding 3rd gear when you shift quickly. i put 380 lb/ft of torque through mine on a dailey basis and i n the past 4 years i havent had any problems with it.however before i had some teeth ground off 3rd i had to replace it 4 times becuase the grinding was causing the teeth to break off. so if the tranny is beefed up likey ou said i would stick with it, in fact if you have the money to replace the gear you should run it realy hard as is for 2 weeks replace the gear and run it really hard for 2 weeks then tell me which gear you prefer. even though i know you will be putting the ground gear back in the tranny.