Fitting a Tremac T5 manual gearbox to an ex auto and having a problem with the gear lever movement being so great as to hit the sides of the tunnel gaiter box before engaging the gears, I need a short shift top on the box to overcome this problem, does anybody know of a short shift unit that will fit this Mk2 adapted T5 gearbox. There are plenty on the market but which one fits this conversion. When I have finished and it’s up and running I will post all issues arising and how we solved the problems.

 

What is the T5 from? There are many variants with different shifter positions.

I used a Ford Motorsport version, deigned to fit a Mustang and used the Mustang shift lever, turned 180 degrees. The reason was the shifter came up too far rearward for me, the shifter reversed brought it forward.

 

With the Auto's huge tunnel which you have to cut as it has no gearshift hole I would have thought you had plenty of room to play with many variations until you find something you like.

 

It sounds as though the shift mechanism sits very low relative to the top of the tunnel? Roadcraft in the UK sell a T5 and mention a shortshift tail housing for Jaguars.

Jagboi, Doesn't the Mustang version (or some of them) have a long tail to move the shifter further back?

 

The Mustang version has the shifter near the rear of the tailshaft, while others, such as in the Chevrolet S10 pickup have the shifter much further forward.

Mustang:




Chev S10:

 

If I was doing it again, I'd probably use the Chev version for two reasons. One is the shifter is further forward and that's a better fit in an S Type/ Mark2, and also I have run into problems getting the rear of the transmission high enough into the car to obtain proper driveline angles on the drive (prop)shaft. The S 10 version has an extension housing that is lower profile than the Ford.

However, the input shaft length is shorter on the Chev, and with the Ford I was able to use a Mark 2 bellhousing and clutch and I made an adapter plate between the bellhousing and the transmission. I couldn't do that with the S10 version, as the input shaft is too short.

 

How do you find the T5 in use? I've read some complaints that it can be noisy and a bit agricultural in action, but that may well be due to people using worn out or badly re-built boxes.

 

The T5 is a great box, I love it. I can shift it as fast as I want and it doesn't grind or make noise, it's a very smooth box. It virtually shifts itself, it's so easy to shift. I've had E Types with the Moss and all syncro gearboxes and they are no comparison to a T5, the T5 is much lighter and easier to shift in comparison.

The T5 I have is the Ford motorsport version, which has all the improvements in terms of the greatest torque capacity, carbon fiber blocker rings and a short throw shifter. As I mentioned, there are many different specifications of T5 out there, as they were used by a number of OEM's and built to different specifications. I'm also using synthetic ATF as the lubricant, if that makes an difference. Regular Dexron III is specified.

One thing I do like is because there were so many variants, it's easy to adapt. Mine originally came with a 0.63 5th gear ratio, and even with a 3.77 axle I found that too tall. I changed it using some Camaro spec gears to a 0.73 OD ratio and the 3.8 is much happier with that. 70 mph works out to around 2400 RPM, which is a good tradeoff between power and economy. Highway cruising I can achieve 30mpg, which I think is excellent for an old car.

 

I Have one in my Mazda B3000 (Ford Ranger) as Jagboi says.
The only other box that was even smoother was in my Mazda B2200.

 

It's good to hear that the T5 works well, especially as the supply of Toyota's W58 seems to have totally dried up. With companies that sell them to the UK kit car market offering much better prices than those in the classic Jaguar business, the T5 is looking a more attractive option.

We've discussed gearbox lubricants a few weeks ago, but I had the same experience with my Moss box: ATF made it much more pleasant (or less unpleasant) than the standard oil. That was years ago, nowadays there are manual transmission fluids.

 

Toyota's W58 was a honey.

 

A Potassium Borate ISO 32 does the best job by far. We make it but it's going to be hard to find. We even pack it in 500ml squeeze bottles with spouts.

 

After Jim's earlier thread on the gearbox swap, I met Adrian from Realm Engineering at Spares Day. They seem to be offering the W59 with the excuse that it's better for a heavier vehicle - Toyota used it in trucks. I think that it's as much the case that almost all the W58 boxes have been taken because they are so nice. I'm sure the W59 works well, but the ratios are far from appropriate, especially for a sports saloon that's not that heavy by modrn standards. If I had to use it, I'd want to change the axle ratio to 3.3, something Jaguar almost never used, making the whole process very expensive. Without the W58, I think the T5 looks the best way to go. For those who don't have easy access to a machine shop, it's just a matter of arranging the parts at a better price than the Jaguar specialists ask.

 

I’ll let you know as soon as it’s on the road along with all issues and how I resolved the problems, thanks for your responses.

 

For anyone wanting to check RPM / gear ratios / road speed in each gear this is a good web sight.
Put in your criteria and watch the results.

https://www.blocklayer.com/rpm-gear.aspx

 

I went and visited my car in storage today and took a photos of the Mustang shift lever I have used. In a Mustang, the lever points rearward, I turned it 180 degrees to point forward.

 

Do you mind saying who "we" is so I know what I'm looking for? Or perhaps the simpler question, is this oil available in Canada?

 

PM Sent. I don't advertise my old company on forums & I'm open about where I think the competition did a better job e.g. another company on nuclear ~ not a strength of ours. They can't fire me in retirement. We all have our strong points.

What I will say ~ rest in PM ~ is: We hold the Pottasium Borate patents. We developed it but our additive company will sell the additive to other companies today. Potasium Borate creates a greater film thickness while working best in low viscosity base oils that allow it to migrate to the lubricated part more quickly. It bonds by a process of Electrophoresis to parts.