How to install a Camaro T-5

[Brad]

For years I put off installing the T-5 transmission into my truck because there just didn’t seem to be enough information about them and the information that was out there often times seemed contradictory. I finally decided to take the plunge when I accidently took apart my 3 speed Saginaw while it was still in the truck. (Don’t ask!)

Anyway, that weekend I went through Craigslist and found a T-5 out of an S-10. I went out to take a look at it and the guy was willing to take $150 for it so I brought it home. Using the printed tag on it I determined it came out of a 1989 S-10. According to the rotations, it had a tall 1st gear in the neighborhood of 3.76:1 if my memory is correct. Based on my experience with the 3 speed Muncie and 3 speed Saginaw (2.95:1 or 2.85:1 depending on the engine configuration), along with other research I knew that would give me a quick, off-the-line 1st gear but would limit my overall effective use of the 1st gear and I’d need 2nd gear well before I’d be through an intersection. Initially I was willing to work with it but after looking at it closer and being confused by conflicting information about the T-5’s and my lack of experience, I decided to spend the extra money and get the Camaro version. Unfortunately, in my area the Camaro T-5’s are going for a minimum of $300 bones on up and at a junkyard you’re taking a gamble and hoping the prior owner did the proper maintenance. Yet I found a Non-World Class transmission at a local yard and bit the bullet.

(The pic below shows the Saginaw up top, the Camaro T-5 in the center and the S-10 T-5 on the bottom. Notice the difference of length in the input shafts. This can be a problem with the S-10 input shaft. With the exception of the spline count, the input shaft lengths on the Camaro T-5 and Saginaw or Muncie are almost identical.)




So there are 2 basic models of GM T-5’s out there- the World Class (WC) and the Non-World Class (NWC). The Non-World Class is the original model with the normal analog speedo output and the World Class which is a bit stronger, having ‘heavier duty’ internals and an electronic speedo output.



Both will work very well. Generally speaking, the Camaro’s had the analog speedo ouput up until 1988 which is also when they went to the WC series. These 2 transmissions can be further broken down into various gearing ratio’s with the S-10 version having tall 1st gears and sometimes not very good overdrive gears, (ie. .85 overdrive which hardly seems worth it unless you have small rearend gears), and the Camaro version which typically had a gear ratio as follows:
1st gear 2.95:1
2nd gear 1.94:1
3rd gear 1.34:1
4th gear 1.00:1
5th gear .73:1 or lower
There are 2 ways to verify exactly which transmission you have if you’re unsure of what it came out of. On the driver side of the transmission should be a brass tag with lots of numbers and codes. The codes you’ll want to look for begin with 1352-___ and will end with 3 digits. It appears to me that the WC transmissions also had a vinyl bar code sticker affixed to the top of the transmission with the same 1352-___ code on it, in case the brass tag is missing. There will also be a 1352 code on the case, but do not use this as it will be an invalid number. You can then go to http://www.5speeds.com/t5 and look up the tag number to find out what it came out of.


Once you’ve acquired the T-5, you’ll want to make sure it will fit snugly in your bellhousing. This brings up a side issue- it appears to me that in 1968 GM changed the hole in the truck bell housing from 4-11/16” to 5-1/8”. The T-5 requires the smaller 4-11/16” dia. hole to mount properly. If you have the larger hole, no worries as you can have a machine shop in your area make a press fit ring to fill the gap.