Transmission swap
02-20-2017, 02:30 AM
#2
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 55
I will add what little I know here. I don't have much to offer on a 5 speed transmission. I am assuming your considering changing from the automatic to a manual? I am not sure what year your working with, but a switch to a T5 is pretty straight forward. There will be some work that needs to be done. I think the rear engine (transmission) mount will have to be changed, and I think the drive shaft will need to be shortened about an inch. Any decent machine shop will be able to do that once you get the exact measurement you will need. The automatic transmissions have a neutral safety switch to prevent starting in gear, this will have to be bypassed to be able to start it. Other issues you will have to address is the clutch. The engine will need to have the flexplate replaced with a flywheel that will work with the clutch. I am not certain on newer Mustangs how you would mount the clutch pedal. My older Mustang had a bracket under the dash for the clutch option in that year, not sure about the newer ones. Finally, the speedometer cable is sometimes different between the manuals and the automatics.
I would guess there would be a conversion kit made specifically to do this swap.
Next question you had, the click shifters. I am not exactly sure what you are calling a click shifter. Would that be what we used to call a ratchet shifter? I really liked ratchet shifters for drag racing. A reverse manual valve body with a high stall converter made the older automatics a lot more responsive. There was a reason we called the automatic trannies mush boxes, but with some work they turned out great. In a lot of ways if done right they were better then the manuals.
The ratchet shifters were fun to drive, but they also had their issues. If you didn't switch out to a reverse valve body, to get to first gear to start off the line you have to ratchet the thing all of the way through drive, 2 and 1. The reverse valve body changed placed with D 1 and 2. Using the manual valve body, it turned the automatic into a manual, only without the clutch.
Now I don't know what options there are for doing this to a newer car, the ones I used to work with were all c4 and c6 transmissions from the 60's and early 70's.
I would guess there would be a conversion kit made specifically to do this swap.
Next question you had, the click shifters. I am not exactly sure what you are calling a click shifter. Would that be what we used to call a ratchet shifter? I really liked ratchet shifters for drag racing. A reverse manual valve body with a high stall converter made the older automatics a lot more responsive. There was a reason we called the automatic trannies mush boxes, but with some work they turned out great. In a lot of ways if done right they were better then the manuals.
The ratchet shifters were fun to drive, but they also had their issues. If you didn't switch out to a reverse valve body, to get to first gear to start off the line you have to ratchet the thing all of the way through drive, 2 and 1. The reverse valve body changed placed with D 1 and 2. Using the manual valve body, it turned the automatic into a manual, only without the clutch.
Now I don't know what options there are for doing this to a newer car, the ones I used to work with were all c4 and c6 transmissions from the 60's and early 70's.
02-20-2017, 12:05 PM
#5
Originally Posted by 97pantydropper
It's a 97 mustang. I'm doing alot of performance parts for it to be a street racer. Just don't have all the knowledge of the ins and outs
(...does that mean your 97, or that you like 97 year olds...???)
02-20-2017, 12:37 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: California
Posts: 6