sorry if this is a repost.

i have a 1965 mustang coupe and i finished rebuilding it about 2 years ago. it has a old top loader 4 speed in it with a ceramic clutch. i love the car but i hate driving it. the car shakes and jumps when i let the clutch out. i go from driving my xr4ti( if you don't know what that is i will explain it.) to the mustang and i can't enjoy the car at all. so i was thinking about doing the swap to a t-5 with a new clutch. i was wonder who all has done this and how difficult it is to do. and more importantly how expensive is it. thanks.

 

the merkurs are nice i love the turbo fords i had an 84 svo a while back,


the tranny swap is easy just need the parts

you will need a pedal mod or swap to go to a clutch setup like a late model 2.3/5.0 style setup up here is a link http://www.mustangsteve.com/cable.html

you will also need a new transmission crossmember and to shorten the d/s about 1inch to accommodate the additional length of the t5



i use www.mustangsunlimited.com for a lot of my parts they have the additional crossmembers cable etc

also www.npdlink.com (they love there parts a lot more expensive but rarely out of stock) www.dallasmustang.com www.texasmustang.com also check out our faq i think theres a link to swapping a t5 in the stang if im not mistaken

 

A jumping clutch in a mustang is usually the result of a bent Z-bar. as far as the T5 I swapped out my toploader for a T5 and love it. I used a T5 bellhousing and actuate it with hydraulics. I also upgraded to the 93 Mustang mini starter so I could have the oem mini starter for very little $$

 

I have to disagree, Daze. Usually a shaking clutch like that is a result of worn or nonexistant z-bar bushings. Usually after 40 years they're in pretty bad shape, if not missing entirely. This allows the z-bar to have about an inch and a half of lateral movement, causing that nasty shake when you let out the clutch.

 

so how would i check my z bar bushing. if i could just change that out i would reconsider replacing the tranny with a T-5. i just want it to be a smooth car to ]drive.

 

Check to see if there's any lateral play in the z-bar. If the bushings are shot, you'll be able to shake the bar back and forth. Not to say this is the only reason you'd have clutch chatter symptoms, but it is very common on these cars.

I don't mean to discourage the T5 swap; it really is an excellent upgrade if you want improved gearing and an OD gear. But it's an expensive fix to a possibly minor problem.

 

cool i will defiantly check that. just as soon as i figure out where the zbar is. do i have to disconnect anything is to get to it. i rebuilt the car a while ago and i have head in my xr4ti for a long time so i can't really think of where the Z-bar is.

 

driver's side of the engine bay, towards the rear of the engine block. Big zinc-colored bent bar contraption that's bolted on one side to the block and on the other to the frame rail.

 

i see how hard of a job is it to replace the z bar bushings.

 

Shouldn't be that hard. I'm going to try to do mine tomorrow, weather permitting. If you can wait, I'll give you the run down when I get it done.