T5

[Straight six]

Finally put in a 1986 s10 t5 in my 1978 inline six I'm not getting why everyone says its a crappy trans it works great shifts perfect. Even with the mods I did cam, offy intake four barrel Holley and headers thinking of changing the rears out. Still can't get over all the horror stories I think these people just read that **** and post it as their own knowing well they never tried to put a t5 in anything don't get me wrong there are hundred of people who have just think they treat it like a dragster trans
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[thepenguin99]

I doubt their are that many horror stories about the trans behind a L6. Nissan used it behind their turbo L6 and V6 (190hp and 210hp) in the 280zx and 300zx. If you want to hear praise for the trans behind L6 applications check into a few Z forums. It gets used behind 300hp turbo L6s by those guys. Chevy and Ford used it behind V6s. I imagine it is the perfect trans for your application.

[kalbert]

I did manage to wreck the T5 in my old Camaro, it didn't explode or anything but the synchros were all worn out in it when I was done. That's nobody's fault but my own really. The T5 in my old S10 seemed bullet proof, albeit it was mated to a 2.5 4cyl

I'd think your going to love that unit, they shift sweet and the ratios are all just right. You always have the right gear available for the situation. The 1st gear is a little tall maybe, but those 6cyls are luggers and I bet it's smooth as silk when you get it up into 5! What gears are you running in the rear now?

[mopar346]

The stories aren't they are junk the stories are that they don't hold up it hard use and abuse behind 300+ ft lbs of torque, especially in a heavy vehicle. They are great for what they were built for. The world class unit holds up pretty well behind a 5.0 in a 2800 (I think) lb car. I is a known/documented fact they are weak due to the design of the clustermain being too close to the mainshaft. There are many upgrades that can make them capable up to 400 or so lbs of torgue, one of the most inportant being (from my research) a billet bearing retainer. You can get aftermarket gear sets to further increase their strength but most are cost prohibitive from what I have found. I have a name of a guy who builds them for strength and runs them in 10 second Mustangs with wheels up launches and has for years. I have one I am probably going to run in my son's Camaro but it will be built to handle it if I do. I will also probably dyno the engine BEFORE I put any money in it to make sure I am in the right neighborhood.

My personal experience is more with a T-4, which is the same basic unit without 5th gear. I broke a new output shaft with a soft dirt road 1500 rpm clutch drop, my son later broke 2 nd gear on a up shift from a normal 1-2 upshift. When then put a NP435 in it and needless to say I will brake everything on both sides of it before I ever brake the tranny now.

[smashingchuck]

The T5 that was in my Mustang split the case right down the middle. TKO 600 for me.

[wraprail]

My WC T5 from a 1990 Camaro has 60k miles in my C10 behind a mild cam 350 after 90k in the doner camaro. For a low price wrecking yard 5 speed you can't beat a world class T5, imo.
You can break just about any trans if you abuse it. Drive it like an adult and it will last. Let your kid thrash on it, it probabley won't.

[406 Q-ship]

T5 is fine as long as you don't put big torque through them. The T5's in the GT Mustangs, Z28', and the Trans Ams would not stand up to any kind of abuse. Behind a 250 I6 in a mildly driven truck would be fine.