[87mustang2.3]

well im considering turning my automatic 2.3 mustang to a 5 speed ....now i have a couple a questions....first what exactly would i need???......two is there any modification to be done...third what kind of budget am i looking at.....and would this make a difference in performance at all would it help the car and if so i know and heard about a t5 so if someone can explain this to me to get a better understanding i will appreciate it

[2oo5GT]

Originally Posted by 87mustang2.3

well im considering turning my automatic 2.3 mustang to a 5 speed ....now i have a couple a questions....first what exactly would i need???......two is there any modification to be done...third what kind of budget am i looking at.....and would this make a difference in performance at all would it help the car and if so i know and heard about a t5 so if someone can explain this to me to get a better understanding i will appreciate it

probably talk to someone at ddperformance.com
but you will most likely need the T-5, crossmember, driveshaft, the clutch set up, flywheel, the pedal assembly, clutch cable, the wiring for the T-5. Not hard to do if you have the time and money.

[Lamonte_1993]

And the bellhousing and speedometer gear (if you want your speedometer to be accurate), which doesnt bolt up at the bottom, but i and many others have driven them for years with those few bolts not there and they are structuraly fine, you can run the manual on the automatic computer so you dont have to worry about that, pretty much everything listed aboce is what you need. I think you would be much happier with the manual in the car instead of the auto, i oerformed alot better.

[OneOwner88LX]

I am planning to do that same thing to my 2.3L hatchback and came across this write up:

Auto to 5 Speed Tranny Swap

[OneOwner88LX]

As far as cost goes the local junkyard is charging me $500 for everything in the parts list in the above link (including shifter and console trim etc). Not cheap but they take all the parts off and they guarantee the trans will be good (we'll see). I will also have to get a clutch kit and get the flywheel resurfaced and possibly replace the u-joints in the manual trans drive shaft. Not cheap. But to rebuild the AOD with a reconditioned torque converter would run me $900 for a well respected trans guy to rebuild it as a side job; I pull trans and take it to him. The 5 speed swap will be slightly cheaper and should be more durable in the long run. Plus I don't want an automatic anyway.

I recently looked at an '88 LX 4 cyl notch with 5 speed in running condition (didn't run very well) with trashed interior and crappy paint and the lowest the guy would go was $800. Body was pretty straight no rust that I could see. Would have been cheaper to buy that car, take off what I wanted, and part it out. But it is more work and my wife would freak out if I brought another car home. Plus I don't have truck and trailer and the car was not tagged and it was an hour away. I told the guy I'd give him the $800 he wanted if he would put some tags on it and drive to my house but he wouldn't do it. I am not sure it would have made the trip cause it kept stalling out and idled rough. So I said $500 and I'll have a towing company come get it and he didn't want to do it so I passed.

[turboeeyore]

the bellhousing and speedo are fine, no difference ,you'll only see a difference 91 and newer, the speedo cable is run through the clutch cable hole and has to be rerouted. the driveshaft out of a 5.0 5 speed or AOD are the same as a 2.3l T-5. the only wiring on a t5 is the reverse light and speed sensor and a jumper for the auto's neutral saftey switch., which plugs in right under the car. the pedals are way easier to change with steering column right out, and the hole in the floor needs to be cut 2 inches or so backwards. DO NOT use a flywheel from a ranger or 2.3l turbo unless you're prepared to buy the matching clutch, the clutch is bigger on those models.

[93stangfutr5.0]

i have a T5 and the driveshaft only want $150

[OneOwner88LX]

I have all the parts from the junk yard. One question: on a 2.3 the wires that go from the harness around the upper intake to a switch on the AOD, what do I do with those two wires? I got the trans harness from the donor car that goes from the three connectors on the T5, up through the floor, and plugs in behind driver's side kick panel. The two wires from the upper intake harness to trans have no place to plug into the T5 trans so do I leave then disconnected or wire them together to form a closed circuit?