2.3 Mustang 5 speed transmission question

mr_force · 08-26-2007

Hi there this is my first post so sorry if did some thing wrong. I am going to start a project car pretty soon and need a transmission. I have decided on the 2.3l mustang transmission, because of its abundance and because its a ford transmission. I am going to have a differential ratio of 4.10:1, and planing on a 200hp engine. Can some one that knows more about these transmission give me some pointers of what transmission to look for, maybe transmission code and where to find the code and what mustang to get it from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

**white angel** · 08-26-2007

Great job on your 1st post!! Right section!!
Hello,

and enjoy the site!! Be sure to
post some pictures into your gallery soon!!
Good luck with your issue!!

sleeper_inc · 08-26-2007

Do you want an N/A car or a turbo car?
Do you want it to be a DD or a track car? (wont do good at the strip)

I'll post a info sheet on the T-5 and all the gears they had
http://www.merkurtech.com/merkurtech...ages/trans.gif

mr_force · 08-27-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleeper_inc

Do you want an N/A car or a turbo car?
Do you want it to be a DD or a track car? (wont do good at the strip)

I'll post a info sheet on the T-5 and all the gears they had
http://www.merkurtech.com/merkurtech...ages/trans.gif

Thanks for all the great works. sleeper_inc I want to build it as a daily driver, and it will be N/A. I take it that the picture you attatched, first coloumb the transmission code? And are all of them the T5? Where on the transmission is the code? I think by this time you guys will notice I know nothing about any of this HAHAHA.

Thanks

sleeper_inc · 08-27-2007

If you want 200hp out of this engine you better be willing to run race fuel because of the CR you'll need.

But you can try and get there.
CAI
Exhaust header
2.5" exhaust
Higher CR
Port the crap out of the head and have larger valves installed
Big ass cam
etc etc

I'm not sure of the code either as I don't have a T-5 right now lol

mr_force · 08-28-2007

Well I'm going to be useing a 2.0l 16v Zetec out of a focus, with ford racing cams, and dual side draft cards. I just need to know about the transmition, because I'm getting that you of a mustang.

b_chandler · 08-28-2007

The only factory 4cyl manual transmission that would be worth considering is the T5 5spd box. They can be found in mid 80's and later 4cyl. Fox body cars. There should be a tag attached to the trans where the tail shaft housing bolts to the main box. The number to be concerned with is the 1352-xxx number. Boxes numbered 1352-114 and later are World Class T5's. It doesn't mean they can handle more power, just a better design. The WC boxes use ATF as opposed to gear oil the earlier Non WC T5's used. There are only a couple of different ratio sets. Stay away from 85-86 Thunderbird Turbo Coupes with 1352-114 on the tag. Those transmissions came with a 4.03 first gear. With your 4.10 rear gear, first will be about useless unless you're building a rock crawler

To make clutch actuation easier, hunt for 87-88 T-Bird Turbo Coupes. They have a factory hydraulic clutch setup. All other manual 2.3L applications had a cable actuated clutch.

Whatcha building?

mr_force · 08-29-2007

Thanks for all the information b_chandler that's a great help. I'm going to build a Lotus Super 7 replica. The Zetec engine looks almost identical to the DBR engine and I read that all ford transmission use the same input shaft specs throughout out the years, so I get to use a Ford drive train like I was hoping yey. Just one more question all the transmitions in the four cylinder ford cars were the t-5? and the mid 1980's is the better one to get right?

b_chandler · 08-29-2007

To answer your question, No not exactly. Short answer, if it's a 5spd in a 4cyl Fox car, it's a T5. It's the only 5 spd they ever used. The rest were all 4spds. It seems to me that 5spd didn't show up in the Fox cars until the mid-late 80's which would just about make them all WC T5s

Here's a link that has some handy info to have when hunting for Ford spec T5s. All the boxes listed are World Class.FORDMUSCLE.com webmagazine - T5 Swap for Early Fords!

A Super 7 replica? How cool!!