Re: Identifying the T-5 5 Speed

["Todd Wallis" <cyclone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe-

This was the most succinct yet informative post on the T5 so far.  I 
actually learned something here and it may help me make a decision on 
choosing a trans.

Thanks,

Todd Wallis

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> For those that haven't had enough on the T-5
>
> Information found at:   http://www.5speeds.com/t5/index.html
>
> The T5 5 Speed was originally manufactured by Borg Warner Automotive. The 
> first T5 5 speeds were manufactured as far back as 1982 and are still 
> being made at the time this page was written ( 2001 ). The T5 was the only 
> American made standard transmission to span almost 20 years of production. 
> Before the GM's Muncie 4 speed held that honor. Because of the large 
> quantities of T5's produced, many parts are interchangeable, allowing one 
> to create interesting 5 speed combinations. No other transmission allows 
> this to be done quite this easy. There are now over 260 different T5 
> transmission assembly part numbers.
>
> There are 2 basic kinds of T5 5 speeds. Non World Class ( NWC ) and World 
> Class ( WC ). The T5 is an evolution of the Borg Warner SR4 4speed. The 
> SR4 was a lightweight design, ball bearing and needle bearing counter gear 
> box using bronze synchro rings. The T4 was an improvment of this design, 
> using tapered input and output shaft bearings combined with a drawn cup 
> roller bearing countergear. The T5 NWC was a T4 with an added 5th gear.
>
> NWC T5's were issued in 1982. First applications were in S-10 Blazers. By 
> 1983 Ford started using them in the Mustang, GM had them in the F body 
> Camaro and Firebird Cars, AMC had them in the Eagle and Jeep lines. AMC 
> dropped the T5 by 1985 to make room for cheaper Peugeot and Toyota boxes. 
> By late 1985 the first WC boxes were used by Ford. The WC boxes had 1st, 
> 2nd, and 3rd speed gears riding on roller bearings instead of solid 
> shafts. The countergears saw an upgrade to tapered bearings. The bronze 
> synchro rings were replaced by fiber lined rings and dual cone designed 
> rings to improve ring surface area. GM started using WC boxes as early as 
> 1988 in the Camaro / Firebird line but still kept NWC boxes in S-10's and 
> Astro Vans. By the mid 1990's most of the GM T5 installations were all 
> World Class.
>
> How to identify T5 5 speeds.  There is a TAG ID program. The TAG ID 
> program requires the stamped number off of the tin metal tag bolted to the 
> tail housing. No other numbers on the case, tail or cover are needed or 
> will tell you anything.  Over this 19 year span we have seen improvments 
> to casting designs, synchro ring designs,alloy changes, addition of 
> reverse gear synchro's and sadly the sale of Borg Warner's T5 line to 
> Tremec Corp.
>
> Send me an e-mail if you would like a copy of the Tag ID's that I have 
> started in Excel...There are over 200 listings by number and vehicle the 
> T-5 are used in.
>
> Joe W.......................