I really want to switch my maverick from the 4spd manual to a 5spd. It has a 302 (rebuilt with few miles, but I don't know what it is out of....replaced the starter recently and I had to go with a starter out of an 80's model mustang 302, because one for a 72 302 mav would not work). It was a c4 car and there's now a 4spd in the floor, it needs a rebuild (synchroniser issue with 3rd gear) but drives fine. The car's just a driver, not going to be doing much other than driving around town, I don't really need the power of the 4spd. So, my question is (and please forgive me for being such a mechanical dummy) since it has already been switched over to a manual tranny, what would I need to do to install a t5? I have looked through a few hundred pages and I have found a lot on changing from the c4 auto to a t5 but I don't know how much work it would be to switch from the 4spd (and I don't know exactly what trans it is) to the t5 or other 5spd transmission. I am sort of learning as I go here.
I'm surprised no one's jumped in yet? I'm not sure myself, but it would seem like you'd need a bellhousing with the correct bolt pattern for the trans, plus a clutch disc in the right diameter with the right spline count.
Thanks. This is not necessarily something I am going to do super soon, so I'll keep doing a little research if I can--and talk with a few friends who are a little more mechanically inclined than I am. But any information posted here would be great.
If you are going from 4spd to a 5 spd...You will need a T-5 bell housing for the 5 spd. OR, you can purchase a spacer which will allow you to use your existing bell housing and clutch linkage. As for The clutch itself...The T-5 uses the same spline count/diameter as the 4 spd clutch disc...You will have to fabricate a trans mount for the car ...No one currently makes a mount to put a T-5 in a Maverick. You may need a custom length drive shaft. (Some have, some havent) You will need a yoke to attach the trans to the driveshaft. Your 4 spd one may or may not work once again...(Some do,some dont) Clutch actuation and headers seem to be the biggest hurdles to jump for the swap...Do a search on the forum...LOTS of info regarding this swap.
Contact 71gold on this forum and see if he has a crossmember you can use. He makes them, and they are the best quality I have seen. I use one for my 5spd (T5), but mine is in a 69.5, smaller tunnel. Good luck!
I guess the question is how much money do you want too spend? If you want to go as cheap as possible then look at getting a T5 out of an mustang. With it you will have to get the bellhousing and figure out what clutch setup you want, either a cable or a hydraulic setup(I personally havent had any luck at all with the cable setups but members on here have) The old mechanical linkage wont work with a T5 bellhousing without allot of backyard engineering and duct tape(And honestly it doesnt end up that safe even if you attempt it). And then you have to build a transmission mount since nobody specifically makes ones for our cars. These are the cheaper transmissions, you can find them used and get them rebuilt fairly cheap, heck you can buy them new for about $1500 from ford racing. The other option is to run a Tremec TKO. Where you have the 4 speed already you can get a short input shaft Tremec and it will bolt up in place of your 4 speed(the bolt pattern on the Tremec is the same as the toploader 4 speed), you will have to make a new transmission cross member though. Also with the Tremec you can follow the same path as the T5 you can buy a bell housing from ford racing and use all the cluch components that you would with a T5(if you have the 10 spline input) this includes the hydraulic clutch or the cable clutch. The Tremec runs more money then the T5 though new they run anywhere from $1000 to $1500 more expensive then the T5 even from ford racing, but they are also rated too handle 500-600 horsepower over the T5's 300 horsepower range. You cant use the mechanical linkage with either the T5 or the Ford Racing TKO bellhousings the clutches actuate differently. The T5/TKO clutches get pulled/pushed too the front of the car, whereas the mechanical linkage pushes too the back of the car. This brings me too my next big no no. If you use the 302 flywheel you are going to have to get a conversion clutch, dont just go out and buy a clutch for a 92 mustang with a 5.0... it wont work. The 5.0 engines use a diaphram style clutch that is METRIC and they have metric alignment dowels that are required to align the pressure plate. The 302s use a SAE or standard bolt pattern, they are very close but they dont swap over. If you try and run a 5.0 clutch on a 302 they usually chatter and burn up your new clutch.
They make an adapter that fits between your bellhousing and transmission. This adapter allows you to use your bellhousing and clutch linkage. The thickness of the adapter will take care of the T-5's longer input shaft so there's no need to change to a different bellhousing
