Borg/Warner T5 swap

This is a collection of pictures of the T5 swap. This is one of the easiest ways to install a T5 into your Mustang - helps a lot if you have a fox-body Mustang with a 200cid engine, plus a SROD (Single-Rail Over Drive) 4-speed transmission! That brings you

- a bellhousing, that just needs slightly bigger center hole and relocated transmission mounting bolt holes

- 28-spline yoke that slips right into a T5

- driveshaft that needs no mods (shortening or lengthening)

- V8 pilot bearing already in place

- clutch that needs no mods of any kind

The transmission itself is a '85 Mustang GT unit rebuilt by ModernDriveLine in the USA with steel input bearing retainer and special order 0.80 ratio 5th gears. On 5th gear the engine turns 2000rpm @ about 60 MPH (3.08 ratio rear end).

The biggest hassle is with the crossmember which needs to be modified. Mine is now temporary, I'll fabricate a fixed version between the sub-frame connectors later. Enjoy.

SROD bellhousing

SROD bellhousing with new transmission bolt holes and enlargened center hole

 

My old (well, this has been in use since March and GEN2 engine's birth) and been driven some 11000 miles. "Valeo" can still be read at left.

 

Pressure plate, still like new.

 

Flywheel was milled in March - perfect. Note ARP flywheel bolts and V8 style pilot bearing which had gone bad due to a adapter that I had to use in it with the SROD...so I replaced it with a new one. I replaced the pressure bearing (11K miles on it) too, just in case.

 

First testfit of the crossmember. Hmmm...that won't fit...

 

A better view of the problem. Two ways to overcome; move the mounts rearwards two inches or mod the crossmember. I chose the latter.

  Now the crossmember is already somewhat modified. What can't be seen in front of that welded piece is a place that had to be grinded away to prevent the crossmember hitting the tranny. This resulted in weak crossmember so reinforcements were needed.

 

Reinforced, but ugly. Well, it is temporary and we don't give beauty points here.

  

 

First looks of the stick. The shifter is a T5 std, but the stick is a short Pro 5.0. Handle is some cheap aftermarket piece.

  

 The old speedometer gear works with no hassles. Back-up lamp switch works as well. These fox-bodied cars have wiring harnesses made so that the connector has four wires into it; two for the switch and two for automatic transmission's neutral safety. Naturally there was a lesson here and I pretty soon learned to shortcut the neutral safety wires to get the car started...

The car ran 17.04 on the 1/4 mile in August 2006, which is 0.3 sec off the result with the SROD. Practically, nothing else changed in the car between the two days at the dragstrip (there was one year of calendar time between, though)

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