Engine and Transmission Tech

Hello,

I have a 1978 MGB that I have decide to install a Buick 215 engine in. The engine is in the overhaul shop now. I have now started the transmission search. All the Tag #’s listed below have the 1st / 5th gear ratio I want.

Which one is the easiest conversion? Is there an input shaft length or preferred shifter location?

All tag # numbers below have acceptable ratios:
1352-065 Ford 1984 Mustang/Capri 5.0 V8
1352-072 GM 1985 Camaro/Firebird 5.0 V8
1352-115 Ford SVO 5.0 V8 WC
1352-157 GMC 1986 V8 F Cars .9 V8 LG4-LG9
1352-166 GM 1987 F Cars LB9-308
1352-176 GM 1988 F Car lO3 TBI 5.0L V8 WC
1352-182 GM 1987 F-Car LB9-308
1352-196 GM 1989 F-Car LO3 TBI 5.0L V8 WC
1352-200 Ford 1989 SVO Mustang WC
1352-213 GM 1992 1/2 MY-F Car WC
1352-249 Ford Mustang All 5.0 V8 WC
1352-251 Ford 1993-prior Mustang 5.0 V8 WC

Thank you

Chuck, GM T5 will bolt to the stock Muncie bellhousing. Ford will need an adapter. D&D has new bellhousings. Some of those Ford T5's you list have the 3.35 first and most others you show have the 2.95 first.

Hello Jim Nichols .Nice to hear from you. I'd like to say a couple of things although I'm not that well versed on T5s. The Ford trans have the shifter a lot closer to where the Triumph shifter is located and I kind of think it;s the same on the MGB's. .The Chev T5 is a lot farther back.Also you want the 295 first gear with the .63 overdrive. or at least the .68 overdrive to get the most out of the deal. The 335 first is like losing a gear. The 84 Capri has a roughly6 1/2 inch input shaft and all the later Fords have the 7 1/8 input shaft so if you are looking for an adapter that is probably more prevalent. Chuck you can search through the archives to find all kinds of discusion of T5 problems and answers. If I'm wrong on some of this stuff the other guys will let me know

Hey Tim, You are right but, Ford and Chevy shifter location is within 2". I think the 3.35 first would work better with the 3.31 rear gear change. 94 and later Ford T5 inputs are even longer. This old thread may be helpful to adapt Ford T5 to Chevy pattern:

[www.mgexp.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2017 11:33AM by mgb260.

I'm using a Ford Mustang 5.0-spec T5 behind a Rover v8, Buick 4-speed bellhousing, and 1" thick D&D spacer adapter.

In a '79 B using D&D motor mount brackets up front, and a modified MGB rear trans mount, the Ford shifter stub comes through the large-oval MGB trans hole almost exactly centered front-to-back, and slightly to the right of center side-to-side. That's about 2.5 inches forward and about 1" right of the stock location, but I think a custom shift lever stalk will compensate, but I don't think it will look right if I use the factory plastic center console. I think the camaro setups end up closer to the stock shifter location, but the fabrication work is a bit more complicated.

The D&D motor mounts place the engine as far back as the firewall comfortably allows, and I had to "ease" the trans tunnel near the dipstick hole to clear the top of the T5, but I think those factors are constant for any setup.

Despite many hours of internet research, I could never find a benchmarked comparison between Ford Mustang and chevy Camaro T5 tailhousing dimensions. Ford T5s are placed 1" further back due to input shaft length, but their tailhousings are 3-ish inches shorter. The Camaro and mustang T5 tailhousings are interchangeable with sufficient expertise, spare parts, and resources, I'm told. I do not think the input shafts interchange, but there's a lot of gear combos out there, so maybe the 2.95 first-gear pieces would. The Ford bolt-on shift lever is somewhat easier to modify than the Chevy, which would be tough to replace if you screw something up.

Mustang v8 T5s can be had for $200 if you dig for them, and there's still many in junkyards. Camaro v8 T5s are rarer, and sell for $600+. Any Ford requires a custom bell adapter for about $200. Dellow in Australia makes a one-piece Ford-pattern bell that is price competitive with D&D's new bell/adapter combo, but the forward-to-backward location is of course the same.

If Absolute Simplicity As Measured By Fewest Parts is your primary issue, then a D&D bellhousing with a V8 Camaro-spec T5 is probably the best install. It may be easier to mod the Ford shifter and rear trans mounts at home, if you don't have a lot of metal fabrication skills. I ended up with a ford T5 because I got a cheap one.

I ended up buying a TKO. It's beefy but has some odd features. First, it's a GM type but uses a Ford speedo gear on the plug-in. This means I'll have to modify the plug-in to mate with my Jag speedo sender like I already did on the non-WC that's in there now. Then I get to go through the whole speedo correction thing again, what fun.

This apparently was an earlier unit prior to the 500/600 ratings so I have no real idea what the differences were. I suspect it'll be strong enough though.

It has the 3.35 1st gear and .68 OD (I think). Should be OK with my 3.54 axle gears and 27" tires I hope. At least it'll be an improvement.

Don't know if it was the right decision, it was close by and I had the money. The upside is it's new. The downside, other than what I had to spend to get it, is that it is not entirely a direct swap.

Jim

Jim
Pretty sure if you contact [www.fortesparts.com] Mike can fix you up with what you need for your speedo gear. You can check with Tremec I think the ratios are:

TKO: 1st-3.27, 2nd-1.98, 3rd-1.34, 4th-1.00, 5th-0.68 The TKO 600 has different ratios, (TKO 600 - 2.87, 1.89, 1.28, 1.00, 0.64 OR 0.82).

I'm told the only difference between the TKO 500 & TKO 600 is the gear ratios. The higher geared 1st gear (lower numerically) gives the 600 higher rating.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2017 01:30PM by jim0899.