You can have a car with an engine capable of 10 second ET's and the T5 can live behind it for a good while. Much has to do with your shifting style. Me personally,.. I am very aggressive with my transmissions. When I mat the gas,.. I dont lift if I can help it. Unless the car is getting sideways and risking putting me in the wall,.. I usually wont lift. That means most stock transmissions under my foot dont last very long,.. regardless of strength. I'll wear out the cogs and synchro's on the best of them.


My 89 was blowing out 3rd gear,.. I did it with stock heads and cam,.. I did it with aftermarket heads and cam. The life of the T5 will depend on your driving style. Hit it hard and it will break sooner then you expect. Granny shift it and it will live for a good while at higher hp levels. I used the 12 second rule as a rough guestimate. Not something you should take to heart. Because a high 13 second car is fully capable of destroying a T5. Yet,.. I've seen guys run them in 11 second cars and do well.

Hurst

 

bad info...t-5 are garbage build your car to last a t-5 will not last.

 

Not nesacarily bad info... I always seen the V8 T-5's as one of the strongest (stock for stock) trannys available in the early 80s to early 90s production cars... If not people still would'nt use em to this day.

 

You took the words outta my mouth. For a production car they serve thier purpose. OP is modding a car. I would put some money in the tranny for sure.

Bad info was for t-5 living behind 10 sec cars, not gonna happen

 

And yet it has been done.

T5 is by no means to be comparable to a purpose built racing transmission. Even the best Gforce built T5 is still marginal in a 10 second car. It can last for a little while. Maybe a couple passes,.. maybe a week of passes. Even a Lenco can fall victim to eventual failure.

The original info I gave was that anything beyond a 12 second car,.. the T5 should be replaced. I still stand behind that.

Hurst

 

That's my point ^^^^. I've done several in the past and left a weak link. Build it to last and they're more fun. My build now, my whole chassis will be done right and the motor is gonna be the last piece of the puzzle. I'll have an car thats good for 8.50 with a 12 sec motor But I wont have to worry sbout something breaking every trip out, or having to launch easy because of weak axles ect, ect...

 

Thats my approach right now. Do the bodywork and chassis work first. Well to be honest,.. its because I cant afford the engine right now. Cant really afford to finish the chassis work either,.. but I have a good start.

I'm aiming for 9's. I'm not using a T5,.. I bought an MMR Prepped TKO500 that has had a lot of work done to it and is now stronger then a TKO 600. I should be ok. My biggest problem will be getting the HP to the ground. Doing a turbo build with a manual tranny,.. hows that for making things difficult? LoL

Hurst

 

That's me fo sure, car is certified to go 8.50 but I have some stock junk in it that wouldn't pull a greased string from a hogs ass.....

 

^You rag on that car too much man, its quick for being a bonestock longblock with just a turbo. You gonna bring it out to thh FordSpeed Dyno Day?

 

If you havent gotten bored with that motor by the time I get mine track worthy I would really like to run your car against mine for nostalgic reasons. I'll run mine on low boost settings and it should be pretty even considering how quick you are now. I'll get my wife to get it on video so I can send it to my buddy up north.

He wants to come down here so bad. They shut down most of the tracks up there. Capitol is gone,.. they had shut down 75/80 for a few years but recently a new owner re-opened it,.. but its a long haul for him to make it up that way. He runs at Budds Creek (MIR) and says the TnT's have turned into a circus event there. Not fun anymore.


Hurst