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#1
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WC T5 for 350 pontiac
Looking for info about using a wc t5 chevy or ford behind a 350 pontiac 69 firebird???
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#2
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I suppose if you drive it like a grandma it might last but better not ever do a burnout or power shift it...
Neither GM nor Ford ever put it behind anything bigger than a 305. I'd rather have an M-20 and a 3.08 rear.
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---------------------------- '72 Formula 400 Lucerne Blue, Blue Deluxe interior - My first car! '73 Firebird 350/4-speed Black on Black, mix & match. |
#3
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x2
But, I think there was a thread in the street section about a month or so ago where somebody installed a wc t-5 behind a pontiac. |
#4
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Yeah, I was watching that thread but declined to comment as he was determined to do what he was doing. Looked like a helluva lot of work including some custom fab.
__________________
---------------------------- '72 Formula 400 Lucerne Blue, Blue Deluxe interior - My first car! '73 Firebird 350/4-speed Black on Black, mix & match. |
#5
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I have done it in my '69 Firebird and I'm happy with the results. Engine is a stock 350 with a 4bbl added. I don't do any "let your foot slip off the clutch" burnouts or gas pedal to the floor speed shifts so I haven't had any problems with it. The swap was done about 5 years ago. Rear gear is 3.08. O.D. ratio is .63, seventy mph is about 2,000 rpm.
I used a t-5 from a '88 F-body so it bolted right up to the Pontiac bell housing.
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1969 Firebird 350 convertible, t-5, Carousel Red 2008 Solstice GXP 5speed manual, Sly 2008 Grand Prix, Ink Slate, Winter daily driver 2009 G8, Switchblade Silver, summer daily driver |
#6
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Firebirdhank, Thanks for the info. Did the shifter come up in the original opening, or was it modified? Except for the clutch disc and drive shaft no other changes were necessary? also was this wct5 or nwct5 and what was the 1st gear ratio?
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#7
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With the GM F-body t-5 the shifter is slightly further toward the rear. I simply moved the stock console back as needed. The transmission mount (that bolts to the cross member) had to be shimmed as well. Original crossmember was used in the original location, just had to drill one new hole for the tranny mount. I have heard that using a Ford tail section on the GM box solves some of these issues. I did have to modify the shifter since the original t-5 unit leans to the right to account for the trans sitting at a 17 degree angle in the third gen F-bodys. There are after market shifters that can be used as well.
Drive shaft had to be shortened approx. 2", good opportunity to change old u-joints and have unit re-balanced. The transmission I used is a world class from a 1988 GTA Firebird. First gear ratio is 2.95. Over all one of the best mods I've done to the old 'bird. We put on a lot of miles every year and the five speed makes the car much more driveable.
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1969 Firebird 350 convertible, t-5, Carousel Red 2008 Solstice GXP 5speed manual, Sly 2008 Grand Prix, Ink Slate, Winter daily driver 2009 G8, Switchblade Silver, summer daily driver |
#8
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Would most problems be eliminated if I drilled or found an adapter for a pontiac bellhousing
that would adapt a 17 deg chevy or ford t5, also more cost effective? With your setup do you use a hydraulic clutch? |
#9
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If I were to do this again I would look into a Fort tail for the t-5. I used the existing mechanical clutch set-up, just changed the disc.
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1969 Firebird 350 convertible, t-5, Carousel Red 2008 Solstice GXP 5speed manual, Sly 2008 Grand Prix, Ink Slate, Winter daily driver 2009 G8, Switchblade Silver, summer daily driver |
#10
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How did you modify the shifter? Is it only a matter of heating and bending or more involved?
Any pictures of rear mounting shim and shifter without boot? Thanks again for the info |
#11
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My friend did this to his 68 camaro convertible, 355 small block. The 5 speed T5 he modified the stock linkage to push the clutch , it worked great. He is not a mechanic, not afraid to drive it hard.
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#12
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Quote:
This pic shows the tabs that have to be opened to rotate the "ball". That gave it the right angle in relation to the trans. The only part of the t-5 shifter that I used was the mounting plate and about 1 inch of the shaft above that. I then cut the original Firebird shift lever and connected it to the stub on the t-5 piece. Here is the modified shifter installed of the transmission. The shim was just a piece of steel and a longer bolt to get the transmission mount to sit parallel to the frame cross member.
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1969 Firebird 350 convertible, t-5, Carousel Red 2008 Solstice GXP 5speed manual, Sly 2008 Grand Prix, Ink Slate, Winter daily driver 2009 G8, Switchblade Silver, summer daily driver Last edited by FirebirdHank; 12-21-2015 at 09:02 PM. |
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