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T10 in a 68 behind a 351w, should I?

Boom

Well-Known Member
Donator
Good morning everyone. I may have a line in a T10 transmission. It came out of a guys 68 mustang (not original) so I known it will fit. He got everything to go with it, bellhousing to driveshaft, except the shifter. I'd need to get that.

Is it worth putting in my 68 behind a 351w? I plan on a manual of some sort, but a new tremec is super expensive. My thought is if got this i could always swap the transmission out later for a 5 speed.

I am finding fixed info, some people love them and some say they're all garbage. What do you folks think?

The guy pulled it out to run a t56 and MII style front end. Hes asking 700
 
Depending on how nice of a shifter you want, I have a T-10 4sp shifter (w/T-handle reverse lockout) sitting in a box in my shed. I believe it came out of a Falcon or Ranchero, but it might work for you if you can find new linkage rods.

That said, I can't offer advice on the T-10 itself. I believe they had lighter internals than the toploaders, making shifting smoother/faster, but no idea how they stand up to torque.
 
My car had a T10 when I bought it back in 94. I tracked the car for 4 years with the T10 before changing to a toploader. The T10 worked just fine behind the 289 that had just shy of 350hp at the crank.
 
For about the same money you should be able to find a decent quality T-5. A much smoother transmission and it gives you the much needed 5th gear. Unless your 351 is putting out a lot of HP, it should be fine behind that motor.
 
I ran a T5 in my coupe behind a 302. Worked fine but everyone swear they self destruct behind anything bigger. I loved the T5, no issues. I'd go with a T5Z if I got one now.

I'd love to go with a T5 and have overdrive, but I want the trans to last/work behind the 351w. Some people swear they last years behind a blown nitro injected 556, others say they broke it behind the stock 3 cylinder in their metro. It's a gamble with anything.

Maybe I'll look into the T5 route real quick and see what all I'd need for that. If only there was a wrecked 95 Cobra R locally for cheap.
 
T5s are easy and fairly cheap to rebuild. I see good cores all over in the $500 range. Add some upgrade parts and you should have a solid trans. I am pushing fairly high hp and torque numbers from my 306 and am known to be a "spirited" driver. So far, so good! Not too mention it fits in the car with no additional tunnel work like the T56.
 
I've got an astroperformance T5 I'm rebuilding right now. Learned a few things on the way.

T5s have a couple major weaknesses.
1) No stops on the shift forks. A shifter with adjustable stops, or a very light hand while shifting, is required. Bend a shift fork and you're in deep trouble.
2) Main and input shafts can break with shock loads. Generally only an issue with drag launches with slicks, but I've heard of people snapping main shafts on a full throttle pull with a torquey motor.
3) The case is relatively weak, particularly around the countershaft rear support bearing. Under a high torque load in 2nd/3rd (usually that 2-3 shift), the case will stretch while the main and countershaft gears try to push away from each other, potentially causing severe gear damage. This can be mitigated by using a CNC bearing support rather than the stamped steel piece.
4) Stock gears are small and very helical, which is great for reducing noise, but not great for torque loads.

If you manage problems 1 and 3, you're less likely to have issues under normal spirited driving conditions. If you want to abuse it, figure out what to do about 2 and 4 as well.
 
You can beat the hell out of a T5 and they keep on ticking. On the street. Like anything weakest links show up when put to the test. If your engine has good power and you stick it with slicks at the track all bets are off. If you wanna run light to light like a fool (I resemble that guy) a T5 will do the trick. as Ken says they slip right in without need to mod the tunnel too. Get a decent shifter and you're good to go.

$700 for a T10 is ridiculous. No one wants them, in my experience. You can buy and rebuild a T5 for that amount if you look around.
 
I was a bit skeptical on the price also, but he would be including the bellhousing, starter, fork, clutch and flywheel, driveshaft, and crossmember. That made it sound pretty good. With the thought that down the road I could just slap a tko or something in and go, everything else is ready to go (gross generalization).

I looked and there arent any T5s for sale locally right now, but they arent too hard to find. I did like how my old T5 shifted too.
 
T10's have a reputation, when worn, for jumping out of gear when accelerating, which is quite annoying. Parts are somewhat hard, but not impossible, to find. I had one in Midlife, and swapped it out for a period-correct toploader.
 
T5 conversions aren't exactly inexpensive, either. You can certainly find a T5 for cheap, but the rest of the accessories add up quickly.

I'm trying hard not to think about my Modern driveline invoice total, lol.
 
I was a bit skeptical on the price also, but he would be including the bellhousing, starter, fork, clutch and flywheel, driveshaft, and crossmember. That made it sound pretty good.
Another way of looking at it is he is making it seem like a great deal by including all the other parts that are essentially worthless unless he finds someone who wants a T10!
Hey, if it is a functioning trans and you can get it for a fair price and understand it is a temporary solution that will be upgraded later, go for it. As long as your next step was a T5 switching it out wouldn't be too tough. If you went to something newer(larger) I'd suggest holding off on the T10 and just doing all the mods now for the modern trans you really want.

I'd tell the guy straight up it's not a desirable trans at all (he knows, after all he yanked it!) but it could work for you for a while if he'd be fair on the price. Offer him a couple hundred bucks for the package and be willing to maybe go another $100 to get your car moving sooner. I do a lot of Craigslist type wheeling and dealing and this approach is fair and works. If he says no, walk but let him know your offer stands. He will call you soon.
 
T5 conversions aren't exactly inexpensive, either. You can certainly find a T5 for cheap, but the rest of the accessories add up quickly.

I'm trying hard not to think about my Modern driveline invoice total, lol.
If patient, you can find and "rebuild" a stock T5 for about a grand. Maybe a little less if lucky. Bellhousings pop up now and again for anywhere from $50-$100. You can get a flywheel and new clutch for about $250 provided your not looking to back up a 450 h.p. small block. If not making your own you can find trans crossmembers for less than $100. How you actuate the clutch can cost you next to nothing or push upwards of another grand if you go with a nice hydraulic bearing system. So stay with a stock fork arrangement and you've got a complete new assembly for about $1500. Maybe a touch more depending on patience and parts availability and how you go about the driveshaft.
 
I have a T10 in a current vehicle, it will endure fairly strong HP if you dont drag race it too hard. But no way would I pay 700 for one, unless it was a "period correct" issue. Id get a T5Z or equivalent.
 
Good morning everyone. I may have a line in a T10 transmission. It came out of a guys 68 mustang (not original) so I known it will fit. He got everything to go with it, bellhousing to driveshaft, except the shifter. I'd need to get that.
If it's for this project IMO buy once cry once. Get what you want for the end result. I'd pass on this offer.
 
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