by Isaac Martin
photography by the author
Installing a T-5 manual trans in a late-model V8 Thunderbird
Those wanting a manual transmission in their '89 and
later Thunderbirds have had a single option, the Super Coupe. It was a
good package, but simply not a V8 as many insist. Ford worked the V8 part
out in '91 and offered a 5.0 option, but only with an AOD, then the AOD-E
automatics. Compared to the SC, the 5.0 car came across as pretty light
duty, with torque, but not enough of everything else. Clearly a manual
gearbox would have helped the enthusiast.
At R&E Racing they've recently engineered a prototype five-speed manual
transmission installation kit for the V8 Thunderbird using mainly Super
Coupe parts. Racing made them do it. The 1993 'Bird seen here is on a mission
- to run in the 155 mph class in the Silver State Challenge. The body offers
excellent aerodynamics wanting only minor tweaking to reduce front end
lift. Based on a 25.6-inch-tall tire, a .68:1 fifth gear and a 3.08 final
drive, this T-Bird will be flying at 168 mph at only 4500 rpm. The low-rpm
power is thanks to a supercharged, 355-inch small-block stroker with nearly
500 hp.
The transmission selected is a T-5 out of a low-mileage '94 Mustang Cobra
because it offers more durable internal parts. A tough alloy gear set is
used on the third and cluster gears, plus roller-taper bearings are utilized
between the input and output shaft. Carbon fiber synchronizer rings also
contribute to increased strength, The gear ratios are 3.35, 1.99, 1.33,
1.00 and .68.
We've listed the Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe clutch part
numbers used in this swap in a sidebar on page 56, and R&E would like
to commend John Rondov at Antelope Valley Ford who dug into the microfiche
to retrieve this necessary information.
Ford was unusually consistent in parts interchangability
on the chassis. The AOD transmission crossmember fits the T-5 and so does
the insulator. Not unexpectedly, the AOD driveshaft is too long, so it
must be trimmed to fit. R&E, however, discovered an aluminum Aerostar
driveshaft fits with no more than the correct transmission yoke. Furthermore,
the wiring needs and clutch bracket, pedal and master cylinder mounting
points are all in place in the V8 Thunderbird, simplifying installation.
The tough part is making the shifter fit the hole in the
floorpan, a job handled on our subject car by smoke wrenching a second
shift turret to the back of the existing T-5 turret.
Because there are over 500 horses on tap, a Centerforce Dual
Friction pressure plate and clutch disc were installed. According to Centerforce,
this unit produces a 90-percent increase in holding capacity compared to
stock.
To sum up, the trans bolted right in, and it works great.
It helps make a spectacular car. While the big T-Bird is a little pudgy,
the supercharged 355 moves it with authority. Transmission operation is
stock, as expected, and, generally, a supercharged 5.0 with a five-speed
manual should have been a factory option back in '91. They supercharged
312s didn't they?
R&E Racing's is a prototype kit, so if you're interested
in converting your Thunderbird, give them a call. If demand warrants it,
they'll sell them.
R&E's first modification involved the throwout bearing.
The stock SC bearing is part of the slave cylinder, and lives inside the
bellhousing. The T-5 bellhousing need holes drilled to mount the
SC slave/TO, plus another pass-through hole for the hydraulic line.
Here we see R&E fabricated a new input shaft bearing from alunimum stock.
The TO bearing will bolt to the holes drilled and tapped at the 2 and 8 o'clock positions.
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Now the hydraulic throwout bearing is To
accommodate the hydraulic fittings, two bolted to the fabricated
bearing retainer. holes are drilled in the aluminum bellhousing.
The slave/TO bearing mounts approximately 3/4 of an ince closer to the
clutch than an SC's.
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Here are the clutch components. On the left is
a hydraulic line, clutch master, clutch reservoir,
clutch pedal bracket and clutch slave cylinder that
functions as a hydraulic TO bearing. In the right
photo is a Centerforce Dual Friction pressure plate
and clutch disc, plus the T-5 transmission.
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Here's a peak at the supercharged 355, built using
R&E Racing's stroker kit. Stroke is increased from
3.00 to 3.50 inches and the bore was opened .020
of an inch. Motorsport GT-40 aluminum heads,
lower intake and short-tube headers were added.
Also the Thunderbird upper intake plenum was
modified to provide increased airflow from the
Motorsport blower, which was hung with R&E's
Thunderbird V8 installation kit. It comes with
all brackets and an air intake tube for a bolt-on
installation. With 9 lbs. of boost, engine output is
estimated at 550 horsepower and 500 lb. ft. of torque.
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Transmission removal is pretty standard. Remove the driveshaft
loop and driveshaft, remove the torque converter dust
cover and
undo the four flex-plate-yo -torque converter nuts, disconnect
the
cooler lines and snake them out to the front. Then, undo
the throttle-
valve cable at the throttle valve and down at the transmission.
Also,
unplug the transmission wiring harness at the neutral
safety switch,
back-up lights and speedometer. Next, use a couple of
long extensions
and a swivel to reach the bellhousing bolts. Finally,
undo the
transmission crossmember. The trans will then come out,
a job
made eaiser with a transmission jack.
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Inside the car, remove the console housing so the shifter
assembly can be unbolted and removed.
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Installation began with a 10,000 RPM aluminum flywheel
and a
pilot bearing in the crankshaft. These were topped with
a
Centerforce Dual Friction clutch using a clutch alignment
tool.
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With the T-5 on the jack, it's moved into position with
it's
input shaft ready to go into the pilot bearing. Install
the
bellhousing bolts and rear crossmember (a bolt in). A
cover for
the bellhousing clutch fork opening will be fabricated
and installed.
When the clutch master cylinder is installed, you can
connect the
hydralic line between it and the hydralic throwout bearing.
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Now the bad news. The shift lever comes right to
the front edge of the transmission opening. The hole
could be notched, but the shift knob would end up
tight against the radio and heater controls. One
solution would be to fabricate an L-shaped shift handle.
Rather than bend up a shift lever, R&E decided to
build an SC-like tower. First a shifter turret was cut
from a second T-5 and secured to the subject T-5 with
aluminum straps (ARROW A). The existing shifter
shaft was cut and a shaft extension welded to it (ARROW B).
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The photo shows the new unit with the
shifter in place. A fabricated aluminum
cover was installed on the existing turret
(ARROW C). The extension positions
the shifter in the middle of the transmission
opening. Whith the modified trans back in
place, the driveshaft can go back in.
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Detailing the clutch bracket and pedal
assembly would require the same space
as the shop manual, so it's best to read
it there. Basically, the dash is unbolted
from the cowl and lowered to gain access
when bolting the clutch pedal bracket to
the firewall. The bracket location dimples
are already stamped in sheet metal, so their
easy to identify and drill. Because the
automatic brake pedal is retained, trim
the left side for additional room between
the clutch and brake pedals.
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Here's where the hydralic clutch master cylinder passes
through the firewall. The dimpling for the locating and
drilling the hole for connecting the rod to the pedal
is
already stamped. The clutch reservoir and tube are
attached to the wheel well hump.
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The last step is to hook up the modified transmission
wiring.
The AOD had a neutral safty switch at the trans, but
now it's
located on the clutch pedal bracket. The wiring has to
be
spliced to accommodate the T-5 connector plug. The
wiring for the neutral safty switch is in place. Consulting
the shop manual wiring schematic is a good idea here.
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Here's the final shot. Ford utilizes two
transmission shifter boots. There's a
lower (E9SZ-7277-C) which seals the
transmission tunnel opening, or you can
fabricate your own. The leather shift boot
illustrated (E9SZ-7277-B) makes the
installation look factory.
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Transmission Swap Part Numbers
Description Part
Number
Clutch pedal and bracket E9SZ-7B633-A
Clutch Master Cylinder E9SZ-7A543-A
Clutch Slave/Throwout bearing E9SZ-7A508-A
Clutch reservoir and tube E9SZ-7A508-A
10,000 RPM flywheel 9519-F
Centerforce Dual Friction DF021057
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Sources:
10,000 RMP
42541 6th St. East
Lancaster, CA 93535
(805) 942-1312
Midway Industries/Centerforce
2266 Crosswind Dr.
Prescott, AZ 86301
(520) 771-8422
R&E Racing
44533 N. Sierra Hwy.
Lancaster, CA 93534
(805) 948-7622
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