Complete T5 swap thread - one way to skin the cat

[jocko]

Hello Truckers, I’ve had a few requests for an A-Z S10 T5 trans swap build thread. Stuff I’ve posted was scattered among many threads and in some replies, etc, so here it is in one place. I hope. Pics are all at the end and spread over several posts – I don’t have an online account for pics, etc, so couldn’t embed them in the middle of the text (sorry…)

For the T5 swap into a 60-66, a few considerations:

This discussion is about swapping an S10 T5 (in my case, into a 66 C10) – if you have a Camaro T5 then you don’t need the spacer plate or bearing retainer index ring extender outlined below, just drill out the 4 mounting holes on the trans to ½” and bolt the T5 in with the appropriate clutch/pressure plate combo for the trans (i.e. a Camaro clutch kit) and you’re good to go. But, of course, the underlying reason folks like the S10 T5 is the forward shifter mounting location that works so well with truck bench seats.

Also note, if you have an S10 tailshaft housing, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an “S10 trans”. It could be a Camaro trans with an S10 tailshaft housing – a SUPER combo, by the way, just bolt it in and go! But just to make sure what you have, here are a few things to look for:
• S10 main case will have a 1” dia/14 spline input shaft (if thicker (1+1/8") or a bunch more splines (26 I think), you likely have a Camaro main case
• S10 main case’s input shaft will be about 7+1/8” long from trans-to-bell hsg mounting surface to tip of the pilot shaft (if shorter, you may have a Camaro main case)
• another clue will come from the metal ID tag affixed to the main case (don’t go by casting numbers, they are not a reliable indicator as to what you actually have, the factory sometimes hodge-podged transmissions together and the metal ID tag is the only way to ID it – assuming it’s not been tampered with and is the original tag – a big assumption) I’m talking specifically about the 1352-XXX number on the metal tag on the trans – this ID chart could prove helpful in the hunt for clues: http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Bo...T5-ID-Tags.htm
• Here is an EXCELLENT reference to help you identify a T5: http://www.flatheadv8.org/ernie/ernie-t5.htm and here’s another one: http://www.5speeds.com/t5/index.html
• Some things to look for when shopping for a T5:
o WC vs Non-WC (World Class) – WC is better, generally speaking, because it has better bearings and synchros and is readily identifiable by it's front of the case countersahft bearing, but is also generally associated with a Camaro T5. WC S10 T5s started in 1993 – but also note that they also started coming with electronic speedo drives after about 1989. So, pick your poison as to what you’d rather have – WC or mechanical speedo drive. Best case is 93+ WC trans with a mechanical speedo drive put in place of the electronic one.
o WC should be good for about 300 ft –lbs of torque (don’t know exact specs, but it’s in that neighborhood). Non-WC will handle a little less. But keep in mind – all that really matters is how you drive it. If you stomp on it and drop the clutch, neither will last long, so you might as well go ahead and shell out the bucks for a TKO now. On the other hand, if you have a 1000 hp big block, but drive like a granny with the clutch, the T5 will last forever. I’m running a mild 283 that will someday have headers and an old vette dual quad setup – and I don’t plan on doing my high-school days burnouts – TOO EXPENSIVE! But just wanted you to be aware, if you’re gonna pound it, a T5 is probably not your best option.
o Note than post 93 (except for the S10), even Camaro T5s used a Ford bell housing mount pattern. Make sure when you buy your T5 that it has the appropriate Chevy bell housing pattern.

Ok, so if S10 main case is confirmed and you have an S10 tailshaft housing, here are the things to do to make it work – the general idea is that you want to:

1. space the transmission and bell housing apart enough to compensate for the S10 T5’s input shaft being longer than your stock trans set-up while –
2. still making sure to provide proper trans-to-bell housing alignment (indexing) and -
3. still ensuring sufficient clutch hub spline and input shaft spline engagement and –
4. still ensuring sufficient engagement of the pilot shaft into the pilot bushing (I used a pilot bushing vice a pilot bearing, just one less thing to go bad in my mind, a bushing is a simple chink of metal rather than a mechanical marvel like a roller bearing – so I like simple – but that’s just me) and -
5. still allowing you to do all the above with a stock bell housing and regular old stock mechanical clutch linkage – no hydraulic release bearing or slave cylinder is required.

Here’s the general order of steps for the swap (I apologize for too much detail – trying to make this so anyone could do it from scratch):

Remove the old stuff first:
• Properly support on sturdy jackstands at all 4 corners – do not use cinder blocks or wood, they can/will crush.
• Recommend take as many digital pictures as possible beforehand of things like clutch linkage, e-brake setup, etc and measure things like the amount of thread showing on the e-brake adjusting rod, etc.
• Remove bell housing inspection cover (may need to remove the engine oil filter canister to get to one or two of the bolts, but maybe not)
• Drain trans fluid in old trans
• Remove driveshaft by removing the 4 bolts on the rear u-joint, pushing the driveshaft into the trans (slip yoke) a bit so you can clear the pinion u-joint mount, then pull it straight out of the trans and set it aside.
• Unfasten the old clutch linkage (recommend taking it all the way off and cleaning and lubing it up for the re-install)
• Remove the shifter linkage, it will not be used again. I had manual column shift, so removed all linkage as well as drove out the pin in the column lever to remove the shift lever as well. I left the dog ears on the end of the steering column and did not shave the column’s shift lever mount because I may someday install an old automatic column that I will modify to look like a smooth floor-shift manual column and didn’t want to butcher my stock 3-on-the-tree column or it’s shifter ears at the business end for some reason (yet, that is, I still might).
• Disconnect the speedo cable from the trans. The old one will be about 8-10 inches too short for use on the T5. You can either buy an extender or a new cable. Here’s an extension, for example: http://compare.ebay.com/like/2306656...=sbar&_lwgsi=y
• Loosen/disconnect the parking brake cables to get them out of the way.

Machine Shop Work you’ll need done: (Note: you can do all this once you have your T5 in hand, no need to wait to pull move all the old stuff first – just make sure you know which T5 trans you are working with etc)
Remove the T5’s bearing retainer and take it to a competent machine shop – the machinist will use it as a reference for the two new parts he’s going to make – a spacer plate and a bearing retainer index ring extender.
• Mill the spacer plate from a 9”x12” piece of ½” thick aluminum. The center of the 4.686 index ring should be in the center of the plate’s 12” width and 4” from the top (of the 9” height). Make sure he uses the bearing retainer you provided to check for a proper slip fit into the index ring he mills into the plate – if it’s TOO tight, it will be a nightmare to install. Just tell him to mill it to a slip fit like a bearing retainer has into a bell housing, and he should get the idea.
• Mill the bearing retainer index ring extender out of the same ½” thick aluminum stock. It should be ¾” wide (i.e. distance between outer and inner diameters of the ring). Have the machinist also bore the holes for the bearing retainer screws using the provided bearing retainer as a guideline.
• Also , if re-using your flywheel, now is a good time to get it re-surfaced at the machine shop.
• NOTE: I don’t have the machine shop drill the mounting bolt holes in the spacer plate – only the main index ring bore. The reason is because I can’t find the EXACT location of the 4 mounting bolt holes RELATIVE TO THE centerline of the input shaft. Since input shaft runout relative to the bell housing index ring is important (should be <.005”) to trans life – and the reason index ring locating is so important, I wanted to make sure the index ring was perfectly located (and then, no, I don’t measure the runout with a dial indicator afterward, I just use a sound method and then run with it – factory specs weren’t even as tight as the TKO manufacturers say you need, so factory is close enough for me…). So, I had the machinist just mill the index bore and then I brought it home to mount on the trans itself and then I located the mounting bolts. See discussion below. The index ring location and appropriate slip fit is what’s important, there is a little room for slop in the spacer’s mounting bolt holes as discussed below. Just wanted to point this out in case you were wondering why I didn’t have the machinist drill the 4 mounting holes now. I also didn’t have the machinist cut the final outline of the spacer either for other reasons – BUT, if I ever get the exact dimensions, I’ll draw up a blueprint and post it. Bottom line is that it is most accurate to hold the blank up to your own trans and then drill the holes and also cut the profile because it has to accommodate your bell housing’s shifter fork boot, etc etc.

Mod yourt T5, prep for the new stuff, then install your T5:
• Cut the T5’s bearing retainer down to the appropriate length. In my case, I cut approx. ¾” off my T5’s bearing retainer. Its original length was 4+1/2”. The GOAL of cutting the bearing retainer’s length is two-fold:
o Ensure that the bearing retainer is SHORT enough to not hit the clutch hub (where the clutch splines are) – the original length of the T5’s bearing retainer would impinge the clutch hub
o Ensure that the bearing retainer is LONG enough to keep the release bearing from sliding off the end of the bearing retainer when you depress the clutch pedal (in other words, don’t go crazy and cut it too short…)
o In any case, I can’t guarantee your bearing retainer length and overall combo is just like mine, so just make sure you measure with the two above goals in mind.
o Bottom line, shorten the bearing retainer so that it extends past the pressure plate diaphragm fingers when they are fully depressed and you should be good to go. If all else fails and you screw the pooch, there are resources for new T5 bearing retainers…. (here’s an example of one on ebay, but make sure you buy one long enough to chop on again http://compare.ebay.com/like/2905832...Types&var=sbar)
o Also note that you can do this at home with a hacksaw easily. I marked my cut-line with blue painter’s tape as a guide and went to town on it. It does not have to be perfect because, once assembled, the end of the bearing retainer you just cut never actually touches anything and the release bearing itself just rides back on the shaft of the bearing retainer, not over the end of it. But once you cut it, do take the time to dress it and BEVEL its outer edge slightly with a file because the bearing retainer will pass through the release bearing one time – when you install the trans. All I’m saying is it does NOT need to be cut by a machine shop, home haircuts are GOOD!
• Install the shortened bearing retainer back onto the trans WITH the bearing retainer index ring extender on top of it using ½” longer-than-stock metric M8 bolts (recommend using your big spacer plate installed temporarily before tightening the bearing retainer bolts so that you ensure perfect alignment of the bearing retainer and index extender ring as you tighten the bolts – then remove the spacer and save for later). The bearing retainer bolts should go through the new part you had machined (i.e. bearing retainer index ring extender) and then through the bearing retainer itself, and then into the trans – this ensures proper pre-load on the input shaft bearing.
• Modify your 9”x12” spacer plate by mounting it over the bearing retainer and squirting some spray paint through the mounting holes of the trans – also kinda spray the outline of the trans on the plate so you have an idea where to cut out the outer profile. I sacrificed a woodworking bandsaw blade to do this outer cut, but it only took a few minutes.
• Remove the 9”x12” spacer plate and drill the 4 ½” mounting bolt holes. Note – I ended up re-drilling them to 9/16” because I was slightly off – and that is ok, they are just used as a pass through for the mounting bolts and the bolts are just used for clamping pressure to hold the trans to the bell housing with the spacer sandwiched in the middle. The actual proper locating of the input shaft (which is very important to preclude premature input shaft wear/failure) is all handled by the bearing retainer index ring extender you had made at the machine shop.
• While you have the 9”x12” spacer plate off, cut out the profile you highlighted with the spray can. It’s ok to leave excess meat on the bone, I did – I wanted to minimize the risk of snapping off a mounting hole ear… Generally, avoid sharp corners to minimize stress risers. But you will have to make a cut to allow for the shifter fork boot in the bell housing. If you don’t it will interfere with installation. All you have to do is make sure you cut back to your spray paint shadow in this area of the driver’s side of the spacer and you should be good to go – but everywhere else I left a little excess meat on the spacer. This should make more sense if you reference the pics below.
• Once done with the big spacer plate, slip it onto the trans with maybe just one mounting bolt (and nut) to secure it so that it will remain aligned during installation later.
• Leave the shifter off the trans and cover the shifter well with tape (recommend wide blue painter’s tape) to keep stuff from falling into the shifter well. There is not sufficient space (low tunnel) to have the shifter installed onto the trans before the transmission is installed.
• Set aside the trans for now so it’s ready to install later.
• Install a new pilot bushing if you want. If it’s never been replaced, best to do it while you have this mess all apart. Word of caution, this can be a major job in and of itself…. There are a thousand different ways to skin this cat, from the hydraulic grease packing method where you make a total mess of the garage and yourself while teaching your dog words he should never hear to using a dedicated pilot bushing remover tool – but neither worked for me. That sucker was practically welded into the crank. In the end, I found the simplest method of removal to be tapping the old bushing with a 5/8”-18 tap. Then screw in a long 5/8”-18 bolt and let it bottom out on the back of the crank – then keep turning – it will force the pilot bushing out very nicely. You will likely need to back the bolt out and then insert a little metal rod/spacer to be able to have enough useable thread to get the bushing all the way out. Anyway, it will make sense once you get going. For me, this was a pain in the butt until I used the bolt method – then it was simple. To install the new bushing, I left it in the freezer overnight and then installed it with an actual bushing installation tool. Easy. You can use an appropriately sized socket, but the tool is cheap (but more expensive than the bushing itself) and it keeps things properly aligned when pounding that sucker in. You can also rent bushing installer tools.
• Install the flywheel if removed/resurfaced or new and torque to factory specs (install a new flywheel if the old one displayed any heat cracking in its surface). Progressively torque to 60 ft-lbs (for pre-86 small block chevy)
• Install the clutch with an alignment tool (usually provided in the kit) and ensure it is facing the correct way – a new clutch is almost always stamped somewhere with a statement that says “flywheel side” or something like that to indicate which way to install it. It’s important because the hub is usually not symmetric/centered on the disk, so there is a right and a wrong way to install the clutch.
• Install the pressure plate – progressively torque the pressure plate bolts to 35 ft-lbs ( for small block chevy)
• Install the bell housing (Note – because of the pain in the butt the lack of maneuvering space involved here due to the bell-housing mounts/cross-member, I kind of jacked the engine down, slipped in the bell housing (but didn’t attach it), then jacked the engine back up, then slipped in the clutch and attached the pressure plate, then slipped the bell over the whole thing and attached it. In other words, I had a hard time maneuvering the bell around the pressure plate after it was installed, so had to kind of monkey with jacking the rear of the engine up/down and play with the order of stuffing stuff in to make it work. But, of course, because I FORGOT the pilot bushing once, I got to do it all twice, so it does get easier with practice…)
• Now pull the clutch alignment tool out, grease the T5’s input shaft a little (nothing excessive, don’t want it to squeeze out and fling all over the clutch disk when you start it up…) Also grease the front of the release bearing (the side that contacts the pressure plate diaphragm) and grease the bearing retainer shaft a bit so the release bearing will slide freely on it. I also greased the tip of the pilot busing a bit.
• Time for the big moment, again, really helps to have a friend help you here. Time to stick the trans in:
o You can use looong ½” bolts in the upper bell housing mounting holes to help guide the trans during installation (heads chopped off and a screwdriver slot ground in or ends just squared off – either way just so you can get the trans over them). It helps to do this if you are working solo. I used them, but one was bent, ended up causing more problems, so I removed them and “phoned-a-friend” for some muscle assist). He held the tail as I guided the trans into the clutch hub and then into the pilot bushing, and finally into the index ring of the bell. That is, by the way, the order in which things may hang up on stuff during installation.
o It was a tight fit getting the last ½” inch in (i.e. the index ring was pretty snug) but pushing in the clutch seemed to help while my buddy squirmed under the truck pushing….
o Once in, install the bolts of course and tighten them down. (don’t know this torque spec) (it’s imperative the spacer plate you had made is VERY FLAT – if it’s not, now is when you will find out – If you tighten the bolts and it was warped, it’ll probably crack at this point. So, make sure you use a reputable machinist – but odds are it will be very flat because ½” stock aluminum is flat and stable, so don’t stress over this too much. But don’t go nuts tightening it down either, you can also crack the aluminum T5’s mounting ears if you get carried away.
• You will need to cut a hole for the shifter in the floor. I had pre-drilled a 3=1/2” hole with a hole saw where I THOUGHT it should go, knowing I’d need to elongate it into a rectangle to match the shifter mounting plate eventually. In hindsight, I’d go a little smaller. The hole is essentially ¼” bigger than the dimensions of the shifter well/shifter mount plate rectangle. The rectangular hole is centered (left to right) on the (low) hump and the aft center of the rectangular hole is approximately 3/8” forward of the seam at the rear of the aft hump. Depending on how anal you are about cutting the perfect hole – I highly recommend waiting til the trans is in and then either cutting the hole with the trans in OR removing the trans and cutting the hole. I used a cutoff wheel and hacksaw – then dressed the hole with a small air grinder. And I did it with the trans in the truck. Do cover the shifter well if you cut the hole with the trans in the truck to keep junk out of the well – Glad “Press & Seal” works well for this purpose – and it is transparent. Either approach is a bit painful, but you pick your poison – either cut the hole with the trans in and worry about hacking into the trans – or mark for cutting and remove the trans again and cut “care-free”. Over to you, but after having to call my buddy over to help once, I opted for the lazy man approach and left the trans in. It worked out.
• Cut holes as appropriate in any carpet, padding, rubber mat, etc. I cut the smallest round hole in my rubber mat that I could and left as much padding, Styrofoam in place as possible – as this all fits OVER the shifter plate and well once installed. (Note - the shifter can't be on during trans install - too tight - and it also can't be installed wiggiling wrenches from below, so the hole you cut in the floor needs to be about the size (slightly bigger) of the shifter well housing so you can drop it in from the cab-side) - this is the case for a small hump tunnel - don't know about a big-un - only more room, but could potentially run into shifter throw issues - ebut I doubt it.
• Install the shifter onto the trans
o I used a Lokar 16” stick and 5-speed ball. Note, most t5 shifters you buy are drilled for 8mm metric bolts. So if you buy a Lokar or similar, you will likely need to use 5/16” bolts that pass through the stick and shifter mounting holes and then throw some lock nuts on them because you may find a counterbore/bolt/thread mismatch between your shifter and stick, etc. I used 5/16” socket-head bolts and nylon-insert lined lock nuts on the other side.
o Reinstall the carpet or rubber floor mat, etc and the interior door sill plate.
o Fill the trans with appropriate fluid . You’ll need a little over 3 quarts.

Parts List (this is what I used, you can of course use different shifters and other parts, etc as you choose, I’m just presenting a recipe that worked for me):
• Loctite 598 RTV (Black) – for sealing the bearing retainer back to the T5 and the shifter to the tailshaft housing.
• 3-4 quarts of appropriate trans fluid (my trans is a 93 WC T5 – and the appropriate fluid is Dex/Merc ATF). Have read some info that the 87 T5 used regular old 80W90 gear oil. Bottom line, for your specific transmission, recommend asking a trans shop what type to use just to be safe. MOST T5s use ATF vice gear oil.
• M8x1.25 bolts (4) that are ½ “ longer than the original stock ones you’ll remove from the T5 – to compensate for the additional thickness of the bearing retainer index ring extender.
• ½” transmission mounting bolts (4) – to mount the trans to the bellhousing – length must be ½ “ longer than the stock bolts you just removed to compensate for the thickness of the spacer. Make sure the top two bolts are socket head bolts, and you may still need to grind on them a little bit to get them through the trans mounting holes, but that’s ok. I’d rather grind on the bolt than the trans… Note: ½” longer for all 4 bolts is the correct answer if all your bolts go THROUGH the trans and INTO a threaded bell housing. IF your truck has the goofy set-up my ’66 had wherein the lowere 2 mounting bolts actually got from inside the bell housing THROUGH the bell housing and screw into the old threaded trans, you’ll have a situation where you have no threads on the bell or the trans for the 2 lower mounting bolts. In this case, add an additional amount (on top of the ½” for the spacer) so you can run the bolts thru the trans, the spacer, and the bell housing and then slap a nylon-insert lock nut on it from inside the bell housing. So, in reality – the 2 bottom bolts will be almost 1” longer than the stocker you removed. Not advisable to insert the bolts through from inside the bell (as in the original stocker configuration) because the length will make it very difficult to get them inserted in the holes from the inside – the pressure plate will likely be in the way – they were in my case. Again, if your bell housing has 4 threaded mounting holes for the trans, NONE of the above matters, just buy 4 ½” bolts that are ½” longer than the stock ones you removed and go to town. Hope that discussion made sense….
• Shifter – you can use the stock S10 shifter, but I highly recommend a Hurst shifter specifically for the S10. For your awareness, they are no longer made and seem to all be hoarded on ebay by this one dude – he’s a great guy by the way – hopefully he will still have some left, here’s a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...4233&viewitem= - also recommend visiting his online ebay store or contact him on ebay - he sold me just the shifter (no stick) because that's all I needed.
• Stick - http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Lokar-...ever,7428.html
• White 5-speed Ball - http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Lokar-...nobs,7429.html
• Black 5-speed Ball - http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Lokar-...DisplayId=7431
• 5/16” socket head bolts and nylon-insert lined lock nuts (sorry, don’t remember the length of the bolts) – I needed these to install my stick to the shifter stub mount.
• Pressure Plate bolts - http://www.speedwaymotors.com/ARP-Ch...olts,5154.html
• Flywheel bolts - http://www.speedwaymotors.com/ARP-Ch...lts,23422.html (note, no washers required and these are re-useable)
• Bell Housing shifter fork boot – http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cbe/full.aspx?page=79
• Clutch Kit - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...51&ppt=C0015 \
• Floor shifter boot options (I wanted to look somewhat original….) I plan to probably use the round Mr. Gasket and paint the trim ring black… http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mr-Ga...item4cf9b5d9f8 – or - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-...item48338da879
• Index ring reducers (just in case you have a LARGE INDEX RING BELL HOUSING…) - http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/pn-716078/


Handy Tools (other than general hand tools, the following may come in handy, but not all are required):
• Pilot bushing removal / installation:
o Bushing installation tool
o 5/8”-18 Tap and Grade 8, 4” long (about 1=3/4” useable thread) 5-8”-18 bolt and a couple of rolled steel spacers (a ½” and a 1” long – slightly less diameter than the 5/8” bolt)
• Flywheel holding/turning tool (for torqueing flywheel and pressure plate bolts)
• Clutch alignment tool – 14 spline – should come with clutch kit if you buy the kit (recommended)
• Trans jack or at least one good buddy (I used a regular hyd jack and the good buddy…)
• Reliable torque wrench – I used ft-lbs for all the big stuff, but converted and used inch-lbs for anything to do with torqueing bolts into the aluminum T5
• Benchtop belt sander and grinder (to dress the several cuts you make and smooth the outer edges of the spacer plate.

Things to be aware of:
• Torque values on the aluminum T5 are MUCH lower than a cast iron trans. Most are on the order of 15-25 ft-lbs, but check the manual to be certain. Over-torque and you will certainly strip out the threads and buy yourself a headache as well as a trip to the Heli-coil store, just like I did….

What I screwed up (ok, the BIG things I screwed up)…..
• In the process of jacking the engine up/down/around, I banged the fan on the fan shroud and busted my water pump’s bearing. Took an antifreeze bath.
• Stripped a bearing retainer thread in the T5 main case. Installed a heli-coil that cost as much as my first car, and then proceeded to drop the attachment tang into the trans anyway. Had to get it torn apart to fish it out – so got it inspected in the process for peace of mind.
• In the yoga-like process (first attempt) at getting ATF into the trans, managed to dump almost a whole quart in my own face before I could untangle my arms from the frame/e-brake cables/everything else to get out of the way. THEN discovered what that little access hole in my floorboard just above and right of the bell housing tunnel could be used for effectively! (i.e. a funnel in the cab with a long tube to the trans, so much cleaner!) Glad I didn’t weld it shut some time ago.

Some useful links:
Advance adapters, a GOOD company! http://www.advanceadapters.com/categories/adapters/60/ The only reason I didn’t rig up and modify one of their spacers was because they were too thick for my application – but had to mention them, they were very professional and helpful.
Speedometer Gears - http://www.transmissioncenter.net/sp...#Misc.%20Gears
If you really want to check your trans alignment… http://www.asedan.com/t5b.htm
T5 Tech from Inliners site – excellent resource - http://www.inliners.org/ then select “Tech Tips” on the left side and then select “The T5 Tranny Page” (can’t post a direct link for some reason).
T5 ID link (5-speeds.com) - http://www.5speeds.com/t5/index.html
Another T5 ID link (the BEST one) - http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Bo...T5-ID-Tags.htm
Excellent T5 swap and ID article - http://www.flatheadv8.org/ernie/ernie-t5.htm
Car Craft article on T5 swaps - http://www.carcraft.com/howto/116_06...ion/index.html
T5 info clearing house of sorts – directs you to other T5 resources - http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/t5_fivespeed.htm
T5 Rebuild Instructions by Chris Neighbors - http://pomoforacing.com/tech/T5Rebuild2002.pdf
The ACTUAL T5 Service Manual - http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English...ice_Manual.pdf
Other member threads for T5 swaps –
Brad’s MOST EXCELLENT reference thread for T5 swaps - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=313954
CWT’s MOST EXCELLENT T5 swap thread - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=408694
My t5 vs Tremec thread (I had a few questions!) - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post4220832


Hope this helps! Thanks to all that helped me along the way. This was a fun project and the the ol 66 is much more fun to drive now.

Here’s the pics, will take a few threads to post ‘em (ok, about 7 posts, so please bear with me). Note - the hand-drawn ones that are kinda hard to read are the drawings I gave the machine shop. Also note that in the 2nd drawing, the relief on the ring was NOT cut, instead, the machining on the bearing retainer described above was done to ensure a flat mating of the two. If any questions on unreadable parts, just ask, haven’t had a chance to make “purdy” drawings yet, but they worked for me.

Thanks to all the members that helped me do my install, hopefully this will help someone else along the way. As I mentioned, many ways to skin the cat, this is just one.

Jocko

[jocko]

more pics

[jocko]

and a few more

[jocko]

and some more more

[jocko]

and a couple more

[jocko]

still a few to go

[jocko]

Finally there. Hope you enjoyed, let me know if any questions. Thanks again for all your help on this project!
Jocko

[MikeN]

wow...best post ever on this website...

[bigyellow]

you're a godsend lol

[nachodog2]

Hey jocko, nice write up. Where did you get that shifter? I think you already told me but i forgot. Would work great on my truck.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jocko]

thanks guys, much appreciated.

nacho dog - shifter (stick) was from Speedway - it's the Lokar 16.5" stick, listed in the parts list above (I hope).
The actual shifter mechanism was purchased from Ebay and it is a Hurst product. This guy bought up the inventory when Hurst stopped producing the shifter - here's his listing: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53...4233&viewitem= But, I also recommend visiting his online store, he has tons of stuff and many options. Also recommend contacting him directly - he sold me JUST the shifter mechanism because I already had the Lokar stick. Great guy and easy to deal with.

[TR65]

Jocko,

Great, high quality work and all the details! Thanks for posting it.

TR

[66redw/white]

very nice! my saginaw just blew up a month ago. this is the next step. with out this i definately would have messed it up. thank you sir!!!

[jocko]

you're welcome 66redw/white - hope it helps. My ol 3-speed was good to go, but wanted a 5-speed so bad I yanked it (have a pretty deep rear, cruisin highway, which is all there is around here inthe desert) was not so fun... No regrets though - also prefer floor shift vice column (51 to 49 - it's close...) so it was a no brainer of a choice. I felt a little guilty about the trans swap, truck pretty original, but I have no plans to sell it and want to build it how I want to build it, so, there you go.

[66redw/white]

no need to feel guilty! this makes is mo-betta! im also tryin to decide what read end i wanna put in. mine got tore up with the tranny on its way out.

[jocko]

wow, sounds quite catastrophic! I won't ask... I have a 3.73. Trans 1st gear is a 3.76, so I'm guessing I'll get about 10 ft then shift into 2nd... (so I may just start out in 2nd) But highway cruisin will be sweet. (can't get the test drive rollin til I sort out my water pump problem).

[nachodog2]

Jocko, i got the same gearing in my truck and let me tell you, 70 mph at 2100 rpm is awesome!
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[jocko]

I agree!! Successful test drive this evening, drove like a dream. Until I got home (at least I got home) and in the garage - and my brake pedal went rock hard and my brakes froze.... From one project to another! But yes, even though I didn't have my speedo hooked up for the test drive - this set-up was a dream to drive. And I was actually surprised how 1st gear was very usable - I really thought I'd prefer starting off in 2nd because of the 1st/rear gearing combo - but it really didn't bother me at all. Row thru them all each time.

[ChiefRocka]

EXCELLENT THREAD !!

I will make sure this ends up in FAQ's !!!!

Thanks again !!

[bigyellow]

now that you've test driven it it's time for me to buy my plate of aluminum and get to work

[bigyellow]

jw how quick was it? i know its not going to be fast but i have a feelin it's gotta have more acceleration than the old 3 speed cause the gear ratios are closer together. my transmission goes from 3.72 to i think 2.70 then 1:1.

[jocko]

Well, not real quick on the "test drive" - didn't want to be sweeping my parts off the pavement. But I did notice I had to be pretty darn ginger with it to not chirp in 1st gear. And I didn't want to chirp in 1st gear either, but occasionally did. I have a 3.76 1st gear and 3.73 rear. It does run notably smoother (i think it just seems that way because I'm no longer running the rpm so high in 2nd/3rd) and it "seems" to pull more because, theoretically, you're keeping the engine in a more narrow (and more optimum) power band, i.e. rpm range where it makes its best power and/or torque with les rpm drop between shifts. But, it's still just a little ol 283 and I don't want to get on it too much after all the work of getting it in. So, nothing crazy yet - but depending on what you had before... If your last sentence means your 3-speed's 1st gear was 3.72:1, then you won't notice any difference in 1st - IF your T5 has a 3.76 1st gear. If you have a 4.0something S10 1st gear, then you'll notice a bit more oomph/accel, but will need to shift to 2nd even sooner. Across the entire band and getting up to speed, yes, feels like more accel if you've got your foot in it because you've got your foot in it with less rpm drops between shifts, etc. it's pretty darn nice.

[bigyellow]

this is gonna be awesome. i'm definitely putting my 3:73s back in. cause even with my granny box i was able to bark 2nd gear. i'm not going to hot rod around with the t5 but i'd like to know i have a passing gear lol

[jocko]

Finally capped this sucker off with a boot. I liked the look of this one AND, more importantly, it fit over the Hurst shifter mechanism. Note that once you set your shift stops, you can hack off the remainder of the bolts with a hacksaw (leave a little for adjustment).

Here's the boot order info in case anyone likes it.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-...item48338da879
It's actually an early 70's Dodge part.... (sorry)

I like the look of it though - looks like it COULD be original to the truck, even though it's not. Just weanted a basic black rubbber shift boot and none of the stock stuff for a 66 fit over the shifter because it comes up so high thru the floor for the T5.

Anyhoo - have also id'ed my leaky speedo gear problem - prev builder left out the inner seal. Pics at bottom also - sorry a bit blurred on the lase one, but you can see what the problem was - missing seal. Posted more detail in the Drivetrain forum. Also replacing the gear since it has a wear ring near where the seal SHOULD have been hitting it..

[oldtrux]

looks great man!is the new boot over the original one or in place of?also is the stick in neutral in the pics?just curious how close to seat and dash the stick is.very professional looking!