[Popeye54k]

Please feel free to hit me up with any corrections I have overlooked...

This write up is for the T-45 tail shaft swap. I had to change my tail shaft due to the magnetic speed sensor (found in the 99+ models) as appose to the gear driven sensor (96-98 models).

Car getting the tail shaft swap is a 2000 Mustang GT. I purchased a rebuild transmission and didn't realize that it had a gear driven sensor. So I had to swap the tail shaft in order to get the speedometer to work (and get rid of the "check engine" light).

Lets get started. First, we jack up the car (safety first).



Next, we drain the fluid, disconnect the oxygen sensor plugs, speed sensor, and drive shaft (I couldn't get the tail shaft out without disconnecting both oxygen sensors).



Now we need to remove the shifter, and accessories within the shifter assembly (sorry, don't know the name but it's in the pictures what needs to be removed) from the transmission. Make sure you remove the pin (shown in one of the pictures below) but make sure you don't lose it.




Now, remove the transmission crossmember (make sure you support the middle of the transmission in order to avoid stress on the engine mounts).



Once the cross member is removed, remove all the bolts holding tail shaft. Once removed, you should see a ring (plastic or metal depending on year of transmission. This one is a gear driven speed sensor transmission, so it's plastic with grooves). Removing the safety ring on the reluctor ring was the hardest thing to do for me because I didn't have the correct tool. I used a flat head screw driver and some needle nose pliers.



This is the reluctor ring (metal ring) I had to use for the required 2000 Mustang GT model. The way I removed the metal ring was by tapping it around it (not too hard and not too soft) until it finally came off. You can put it in the transmission the way it came out, with taps. A fellow AFM member helped me out on this one...thanks!



Now you can put everything back together. Make sure you put plenty of silicone on the tail shaft. Also, if you don't have a pump to pour oil into the transmission, you could always pour some in through the shifter like I did. I had to use Pennzoil oil because my local high performance shop was out of Royal Purple transmission oil.



Here we have the 2 tail shafts side by side with sensors.



So make sure you have transmission oil before you even start the job or you'll end up running around shop to shop looking for oil like I did. I wish I could upload more pictures here but it looks like I'm limited to 15 pictures. If there's anything I left out, again, don't hesitate to tell me.

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NOTE:
TO BE CONTINUED UNTIL I CAN FIGURE OUT TO UPLOAD MORE PICTURES. OR I MIGHT HAVE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PICTURES HERE.
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[rj8806]

Awesome write up and documentation. Pictures are worth a 1000 words. Hopefully the moderators can make this a sticky so it never goes away.



Richard
Tech Support
Tremec TKO, T45 & T56 Transmission Systems

[klrblue04]

on my 97 i would like to get a new tranny. with doing so i would also like to swap my instrument cluster with one from a 99-04. is this possible without splicing any new connectors or anything like that??

[Sxynerd]

Very good write up.

[RHaury]

Awesome, very detailed lay-out on tail-shaft swap

[RHaury]

I pulled the old Borg-Warner T-45 and put in 2000? Model Tremec T-45 Trans.

What I was wondering is, am I going to have to do a tail shaft swap if the transmission I 'm putting in my 96 GT has a pulse admitting gear and a pulse sensor, and i want to change to the speedo gear back to a worm gear so I can use the old senor for my speeometer to work?

I noticed in the picture you have posted of the two tail shafts, that there a slight difference in the angle where the sensor is mounted in the housing. That's what has me wondering.

Let me know ASAP. Thanks a lot

[Popeye54k]

Well, I know for sure that the worm gear does not work for the 99-04 models. I could only assume that magnetic speed sensor/gear does not work for the 96-98 models. Besides, either sensors WILL NOT fit on the wrong tail shaft.

So, to answer your question, you would have to change your tail shaft and reluctor ring to get your speedometer to work. If you don't, you'll get a check engine light, and your car will turn off multiple times on idle (well, at least mine did until I changed the tail shaft).

[rj8806]

Originally Posted by RHaury

I pulled the old Borg-Warner T-45 and put in 2000? Model Tremec T-45 Trans.

What I was wondering is, am I going to have to do a tail shaft swap if the transmission I 'm putting in my 96 GT has a pulse admitting gear and a pulse sensor, and i want to change to the speedo gear back to a worm gear so I can use the old senor for my speeometer to work?

I noticed in the picture you have posted of the two tail shafts, that there a slight difference in the angle where the sensor is mounted in the housing. That's what has me wondering.

Let me know ASAP. Thanks a lot

The 2000 model T45 is an electronic speedometer, your '96 model is mechanical. The tail housings are different as well. You can do the swap but you will need to get a '96-98 GT (not Cobra) tail housing and then change the metal reluctor ring for the plastic gear.
On the '96-'98 models, the access port where the speedo cable goes, is at an angle. On the '99- and up models, the access port comes straight out. If you try and use the tail from the '00 on your '96 and just change the metal ring for the plastic gear, your speedo cable and drive gear will not mesh correctly with plastic gear on the output shaft and you won't have a speedo.
Also, the GT tail is different from the Cobra tail. The mounting pad for the transmission isolator is in a different location so they are not interchangeable either.





Richard
Tech Support
Tremec TKO, T45 & T56 Transmission Systems

[RHaury]

I appreciate the input.

[RHaury]

How do I get that pin out of that shifter block on the shifter rail, located in the tail-shaft?

[Popeye54k]

The way it worked best for me was using an allen wrench (as pictured) and tap it with a hammer. Try using an allen wrench no bigger than the pin itself, just about the same size or so.

[RHaury]

Thanx. So you just tapped that pin all the way through the bottom of that shifter rail then?

[Popeye54k]

Yes, just be careful in not losing the pin though. If I remember correctly, you might need to engage the shifter block in 1st or 5th gear so the pin will face sideways. If you look closely in one of those shifter pictures, you'll see what I'm talking about.

[RHaury]

So I have the tail-shaft off now. I have encountered another obstacle, removing the speedo gear. Any crafty ways, going about removing the "c" clip above the gear?

[RHaury]

Nevermind, I worked hard at it. Go it off. Tail-shaft swap commences tomorrow.