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my own T5 install thread


Young Ed

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another update. I'll post a picture after I buy some bolts. All 4 holes are drilled tapped and they lined up perfectly. No filing required :) Next hurdle will be to see if this thing actually fits in the frame! Since the frame is 120 miles away that will be a little while away. Oh another question. Any reason to cover the 4 original trans mounting holes? They will be covered by the new trans.

Edited by Young Ed
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  • 6 months later...

Next update. Got stalled by a broken water pump bolt. Took the flathead to our machine shop. $15 cure. Found out our machinist built a turbo flathead ford that set some sorta record during speedweek while installed in someones stude.

Bellhousing reattached.

DSC01861.jpg

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Yes Tim we went to the Apple Orchard on saturday. I promised my wife I wouldn't use the cordless drill on my pumpkin this time. Last year it ended up costing me a new drill chuck!

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Few more pictures

3spd that my truck would have had vs 5 spd. the extra length is what really worries me as the trucks have a frame crossmember behind the trans

DSC02116.jpg

and a picture of the disgusting gooo that came out of my 5spd. mix of water and ATF. I got this puddle and a second one this size. The water in there is a little concerning

DSC02115.jpg

Ed, If you look hard enough you can see your face in the puddle of goo. In the upper left hand corner is your mug and your camra in the lower right, LoL.

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I have bought 5 different T-5 transmissions, three 3 speed overdrive Chevrolet transmissions and a T-50 and a T-4. All had water in them, I have never bought a transmission from a swap meet that did not have water in it. Everybody either takes the transmission to the car war wash or they have a pressure washer. They neglect to put a yoke in the back end of the transmission then proceed to power wash the transmission driving water up the output shaft. I am now in the habit of standing the transmission up on the tail shaft over a one gallon can when I get home.

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I am now in the habit of standing the transmission up on the tail shaft over a one gallon can when I get home.

Again some excellent advice James!

Thanks once again for letting me get some "wheel" time driving your car on my visit earlier this year. I recently met a guy from Austin. I told him of the place you and I went for lunch and he knew right away where it was located.

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I have bought 5 different T-5 transmissions, three 3 speed overdrive Chevrolet transmissions and a T-50 and a T-4. All had water in them, I have never bought a transmission from a swap meet that did not have water in it. Everybody either takes the transmission to the car war wash or they have a pressure washer. They neglect to put a yoke in the back end of the transmission then proceed to power wash the transmission driving water up the output shaft. I am now in the habit of standing the transmission up on the tail shaft over a one gallon can when I get home.

And what did you do with them after draining? Were they ok when put into use? This one probably only had 1-2 cups of water in it.

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Two of the Chevy overdrives growl when installed in the truck, will need to be rebuilt with all new bearings. Non of the T-5s, the T-50 or the T- 4 have been put into service yet, all have been refilled with ATF and feel good when turned by hand with out any load on the bearings. When I buy any transmission I assume that it will require new bearings at the least but I will try each one of them in my car or the pick up until I find a good one and will leave it in. I suspect that I will have to rebuild all of them to get much mileage out of them.

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Don, the place has been featured on the Anthony Bourdian show, " No Reservations." so a lot of other people from different parts of the country have heard of it. His show featured all of the good Bar-be-cue joints in Taylor, Lockhart and Luling here in Central Texas along with places in Tennessee and Georgia among others.

Edited by james curl
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  • 2 months later...

Just an FYI on installling a T-5, make sure you know which model yours came from and DO NOT just assume that ATF will work in it. When I was young I phoned the GM dealership with my vin # in my 84 Firebird with a T-5, the lady at parts just said, well just use atf that's all we put in them, I can't see any difference with yours......I droped the oil and it was gold...so I wondered why and just figured...dealer knows best, used atf and within 2 weeks the trans was HOOPED, phoned back and got a different person...ya your trans needs a special GM Syncromesh oil...sorry about the other girl

Sorry....cost me a transmission...so please check it out!

Great thread, but I would like to see more pics on the "kit" and the spacer etc.

Thanks guys!

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Correct Don truck application only. Somone on this forum went a different direction and sent this to me(thanks again to whoever sent it) but I believe it can be ordered from stovebolt.

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I personaly like the motor stand in Y-Ed's pic with the pumkins in the background. Looks solid enuff to hold a hemi.

Merle built the start of it and included it with the engine when I bought it from him. About 6 months later someone down the alley put out a moving cart on trash night. So I grabbed it and took the wheels off for the engine. I think I added the cross brace 2x4s at that point too. The only piece I really had to buy were the bolts to hold the wheels on.

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Merle built the start of it and included it with the engine when I bought it from him. About 6 months later someone down the alley put out a moving cart on trash night. So I grabbed it and took the wheels off for the engine. I think I added the cross brace 2x4s at that point too. The only piece I really had to buy were the bolts to hold the wheels on.

I built a 2nd one for the engine I took out of my parts truck. This one came out a bit stronger than that first one I built for Ed's engine. (learn from your mistakes ;) ) With both I had them sitting on a furnature dolly so I could move it around in my garage. Josh (41/53dodges) is going to get this one (without the dolly) this weekend when I deliver this engine to him.

PC111538.jpg

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I made one for both my engine and transmission when I purchased it in Denver. Bolted it to the "dolly" through the front motor mount and the ears on the bellhousing to transport it back to Dallas in a rented pickup. Once I did the work on the engine/trans I used the "dolly" to move them around the garage until I installed them in the car.

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