The fluid should be Dex/Merc.

 

damn...so no gear oil?? isn't ATF the same type of tranny fuild automatics use?

 

yes the t5 uses small needle bearing and can not be lubed properly with gear oil

easiest way to aff fluid is to unbolt the t5 shifter and remove the drain plug on the right side, then add fluid thru the shifter hole till its starts coming out


and OP make sure to get a good aftermarket shifter like the triax or you will end up over shifting and bending the shift forks

 

Yeah,a good shifter with positive stops.

GM Synchromesh is the preferred fluid for a manual trans that uses ATF, otherwise Dex III. And yes, it's the same fluid that goes into automatics.

 

I have a hurst shifter with positive stops and will be putting my tri-ax handle on it. The tri-ax isn't on it yet since I am still using it on the 3 speed.

 

Do some research before you go putting fluid in that thing. You say it is an 85 WC T5 but if I'm not mistaken they didn't make the WC in 85. It didn't start until 86. If you have a nonWC trans it will take regular gear lube. There should be a tag on the trans that you can run the numbers.

 

None I'm wrong the first year of WC was 85. This is a cut and paste from the modern driveline site. Looks like ATF for you.

World Class & Non-World Class
There are two basic kinds of T-5's, Non World Class (NWC) and World Class (WC). The first T-5 was non-world class. In 1983 and 84 Ford used the Non-World Class T-5 to improve the Mustangs performance and gas mileage. All the V8 NWC boxes had 2.95 first gear set with .68 overdrive. All the main output shaft gears and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, gears riding on a solid output shaft with deep oil grooves to provide lubrication. The lower counter gears spin on straight cylindrical bearings with a thrust washer in front to provide support when under load. All the synchronizer rings are made of solid bronze which are of different size than those found in a would-class T-5. It is because there is no bearing under each gear and the bronze synchro rings that the NWC use the heavy 70w gear oil. Torque rating for the NWC was 265ft/lbs.

 

If you are going to do a T5 swap and need the crossmember check out CJ Pony Parts. They are having a sale on parts, but I don't like them. So I had Mustangs Unlimited price match the sale price on the crossmember. So I am all set for the swap and just have to wait for the parts to come in.

 

Thats cool you got MU to price match CJ.

Are you sure you want to run that shifter handle? The late modle Mustangs have the shifter positioned farther back so it works, but on the early Mustangs, the shifter is positioned farther forward so the angle of the late model handle is wrong. It makes it so you have to reach farther forward.

 

I'm not using the handle pictured. I am using a steeda tri-ax handle, but I have it installed on the 3 speed currently. The steeda actually is angled back more than the hurst and also angled toward the driver.