[vortec86z29]

I have a 86 camaro with a 700r4 which is screwing with me and i was thinking about a t5 swap. I have a 350 with summit racing vortec heads a comp XE274 cam flatop pistons and 1.6 roller rockers. say 300hp to 350hp. Right now with a stock converter it is running a 13.9 at 98mph with soft launches.

Now i see alot of mustangs at the track with t5's running 12's and 13's. An old guy i have known for a while has ran a stock t5 with a built 351 in a fox body for years and never had a problem. He says it has around 400hp and hes in the low 13's. hes like late 60's or early 70's so i dont think he power shifts it though :nono: .

So anyway has anyone used a t5 with a mild 350 and did it work decent?Because im SICK of my 700r4 P.O.S. not goin into 3rd when im racing.

And i dont want to use a 3 speed because i drive the car everywhere and I NEED the overdrive if you know what i mean. Its got a 3.73 gear in the rear.


Thanks alot again guys!!

 

[64Bird]

I'm no expert but from my reading the person doing the shifting has a lot more to do with it than horsepower.

 

[M&M CUSTOM]

Powershifts or not, everything I have ever heard seen or read about the T5 holding up to any amount more than just stock V6 and mild small V8 power has to do with the World-Class version.

I have a non WC T5 out of my S-10 that I am contemplating installing into my Malibu for the simple "Dare to be different" factor, and the power output of both engines is almost exactly the same, with the V8 only having slightly more torque.

 

[Chevrolet4x4s]

From what I have heard the will die if powershifted.
Have you thought about a T56 or NV3500 or NP833?
Shane

 

[M&M CUSTOM]

I've considered the 833 but the Chevy version is very rare around my part of the country, the T56 is too much $$$ and the 3500 it plentiful enough around here, I considered that one myself several times, even the ones installed behind V6's are rated better than the T5.

 

[OldMechanik]

GM did not put a T5 behind a 350 for a reason and the V6 trannys are wimpy at best.
The early T5 was a pop can made to hold about 175 horsepower. It did it poorly. The later (88-92) T5 World Class held more torque, but not much.
The T56 is a much better way to go, but requires trans mount and clutch/actuation modifications.
A 700R4 can be built to hold some strong engines but all of your options will cost cash-ola.

The T5 will move your car around well untill you start puching the fun pedal and banging gears. I got quite a few passes on the 1/4 while power shifting mine, but I was only getting about 225 horses and high 14s. Traction was an issue which may have helped the longevity of the trans. Eventually it ended up in three pieces.

Check out www.thirdgen.org for more info. Good luck dude.

 

[JeffB]

Your 700R4

Before you go to a bunch of expense to fab up a T5 swap you might want to talk to the tech guys at www.transmissioncenter.net for a little free advice, there were several BBC cars over 500 inches running on episodes of Pinks running in the 9's with 700R4's.Your '86 was the last of the problematic 700R4's the best cores to build are 1987-91,also 3:73's and the stock converter won't play nice with each other you should have at least a 2600 stall.

 

[aisr]

My personal experience...

appx 550hp 357 SBC, Brodix heads, solid roller, lite flywheel, organic clutch, 275/60-15 MT drag radials, 3.73 gears in a 2760lb car.
The WC T5 lived just fine until i got around 7.15 in the 1/8mi. Put 100lbs inside my rear bumper and it became a T5 killer. At that point, 3rd gear might last 3 or 4 runs. Strangely enough, the 6cly non-wc boxes would work into the hi-6's before the same trouble. Not sure why my experience is different, but that's the way it was for me, the non-wc version seemed stronger. I was always able to drive them home w/ teeth gone from 3rd (3rd lines up perfectly with that big magnet in the bottom). Loved the way they shift, but eventually went to a 4spd and a more aggressive clutch. Now i'm 6.40's.

I feel the key for me was light car, lite flywheel, organic disc/smooth engagement.

 

[hbbob]

If your making much more the 275 hp I would avoid the T5. I broke 4 teeth on first gear on mine, had nothing to do with power-shifting.

 

[z28camaro82z]

i have a t-5 behind my 406 and a 3.73 gear. it was freshly built before attempting to make it last, and i'm still not sure how long it will last, but i have no problemes, however i definately don't "powershift".. powershifting anything other than a manual trans built to do so is asking for trouble.
i recommend you look into building your 700r4.. i know several people personally that run them into the low low 9 seconds, and soon to be high 8's. i can assist you in getting one built at a reasonable cost considering i work at a very reputable performance trans shop. feel free to pm me.

 

[greenmoonshine]

I feel the key for me was light car, lite flywheel, organic disc/smooth engagement.

By light flywheel, do you mean an Aluminum one?

Strangely enough, the 6cly non-wc boxes would work into the hi-6's before the same trouble, the non-wc version seemed stronger.

Now thats what I like to hear. Both the WC and Non-WC carried the same max torque specs of 265-lb-ft, but I think most people just rounded it up to 300.
Here is where I found some of my info http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0404_five_speed_manuals/index.html
its a nice little article and explains what there differences are........not much but the only major difference between the 2 that I think would give the WC any added strength would be the use of the tapered roller bearings on the counter shaft.

 

[aisr]

I use a 16 lb steel flywheel.

As for the WC's tapered bearings, the bearings themselves can take more load, but if the sheetmetal bearing retainer allows the bearing cones to spread as load increases, the bearing's taper allows the countershaft to move away from the mainshaft, moving the contact area of the gear teeth out to their tips, where they are weaker. That's the main reason for installing a billit retainer, an effort to maintain the pre-load on the tapered countershaft bearings.

FYI the T5's input shafts, the V8's spline diameter is larger than the V6's, but they both neck down to the same diameter in the middle.