T5 rebuild - advice needed

[hoogiesngrinderz]

I know, "Why put money into a T5!?"

A) I have it, and it's a WC T5
B) Rebuilding it to get the car moving again ASAP - not enough $$ for T56 right now
C) I have a full UMI crossmember/Torque arm setup for T5/700r4
D) Pretty sure it has the 2.95 gear set
E) I won't be racing
F) I picked the clutch to be the weak link

So far I have purchased:

• Main bearing kit
• 1-2 slider
• Reverse idler
• Cluster support plate
• 3-4 billet keys
• Bronze fork pads for 1-2 and 3-4 forks

I was wondering if anyone has used the bronze fork pads in a T5 before. I've read both good and bad about them - but that was with a T56.

I'm also curious about the new carbon fiber 1-2 and 3-4 syncros. The bearing/seal kit I bought was $93 but the 1st gear sleeve and main shaft gear needle bearings are not included. The kit that includes the synchros (same bearings/seals as the one I bought) is $276. The full master kit is about $350 with Koyo bearings, $435 with Timken. I guess the big question is - is it worth all the extra coin to jump to the carbon fiber blockers? My syncros don't look bad at all. I hear new syncros help with high RPM shifting...but how high of RPM?? That I couldn't find.

Other option is putting in a bronze shifter bushing. Anyone have problems (vibrations, wear, cracking, etc) with these? It's the same part for the T5 and the T56.

As for the gears, the dogs were worn on the 1-2 slider and reverse idler. I was getting the occasional grind when going into reverse which I want gone.

[Nocooler]

Are you sure they are carbon fiber and not compressed carbon?

My T56 has carbon blockers, billet keys, bronze pads - and all the little tricks RPM does to them. It's night and day difference from stock to where it is now.

I guess if your going to upgrade to a t56 at some point - I wouldn't spend the extra $$$.

[hoogiesngrinderz]

Depending on how will this trans holds, I may never switch it to a six speed. If I do the swap, this T5 will likely go into a different project later on down the road.

Pretty sure the blockers are carbon fiber lined lined (I'm told that is all they make now for the T5 now) but I'm sure they are a step up from the composite lined blockers in there now. I did read on a TKO site that carbon lined blockers make for clean shifts up to 8000 RPM. I don't plan on going that high...maybe the occasional 6000+ shift. The engine parts were picked to allow some high RPM stabs but mainly sustained 5-6000 RPM...but I must have gotten excited when putting the motor together, or had a major brain fart, because my ARP rod bolts are still in the box I should have tossed the stock bolts out.

[Nocooler]

I'd call Liberty and see what they do to make them live - carbon blockers can't hurt anything but your wallet.

[hoogiesngrinderz]

Seems like not many people want to get hands on with their transmissions I guess I will just build it and tear into after a couple thousand miles and see how things look, if it doesn't blow up before hand

I sent an email to Liberty to see what they have to say.

[hoogiesngrinderz]

From Liberty:

Michael,



It looks like you have most of the upgrades you can do to a T-5. If you
want to get the carbon rings for 1st-4th it would be $148.30. Some
other upgrades we could do to make your transmission stronger would be cryo($4
per pound),thermal stabilization($35),shot peen($50) and surface
enhancement(starts at $16 per gear).

Very tempting, and probably wouldn't ever have to worry about breaking gears with this motor.