How much power and tq can the 2005-2009 t5 take

Justin Bradford

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Doing some research online and seems like the t5 is a terrible platform for power. Read somewhere that they can only handle around 300 tq before breaking. This was from a foxbody page I believe so is there a internal difference at all between the t5s since the foxbody till now and if there’s not what’s an estimate on how much tq these can handle assuming an upgraded clutch was put in.
 

skwerl

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The 3650 behind the 4.6 v8 was only good for 400. Ford has made decent but underpowered vehicles for decades.
 

Juice

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It can 'handle' more torque but, as you increase power, breaking the T5 becomes easier.
It depends on how you treat it.
Drag race? Just plan on replacing parts, thigs WILL break drag racing.
Road race/HPDE? Now how you drive it will matter more and more as you up the power.
Daily driver/cruise? Could last a very long time.

Shock loading kills transmissions: hard launches and power shifting, aka 'clutch dumps'.
Ps: I have known ppl who could break any trans, regardless of power rating. lol
 

RED09GT

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The input shaft and the internal gear sizes are the weak points of the transmission in stock form.

With all manual transmissions, some drivers can finesse these transmissions into the 10's in the 1/4 mile, while some can break any transmission in a 13 second car.

I had several friends go deep into the 11's with a nitrous combo fox body with a centerforce dual friction, or ford performance clutch, and also knew another guy who went low 10's with a vortech'd 5.0L but did eat at least 1 stock T5.
 

roddy

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Long story short:
If you're not an Animal with a big hairy clutch and Velcro tires, they can take quite a bit.

Long story:
An upgraded clutch is what you want to avoid if you're looking for a long life with a T5 variant that has some power in front of it. There are some differences between the 'modern' T5OD in our cars, and the T5 of old, but the gearset from the old trans will work. This allows the use of the upgraded '93 Cobra internals, which were (and may still be) available through Ford Racing.

I'm making just over 300 HP, and ~320 TQ at the tire with my 4.0 (I'm guessing 325-330 and 340-350 at the flywheel), and even at that low-ish level, my transmission builder (Modern Driveline) recommended "a soft-locking clutch" to help keep it in one piece. They can handle a fair bit of power if you don't 'shock' them. So...not very strong, then.
 

RED09GT

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That is a good point. Think of the clutch as a fuse with a t5, better to blow the fuse than the appliance.
 

SPeace-ATL

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Unfortunately, that 2005-up T-5 is a unique animal. Yes, gears from a T5Z or even the Astro A-5 gears and G-Force Street gears will go inside, BUT if it will be bolted to the original V-6 bell housing there is NO INPUT SHAFT made that is the correct length that goes with those gears. Also, the front retainer on that configuration has a smaller outside diameter and will not center the transmission in a Fox (traditional Ford T5) bell housing. That front retainer matches the GM size centering hole in the bell housing...

Next, I want to comment on the statement that gears for the 93 COBRA are available from Ford Racing. No, I am confident that Tremec has discontinued ALL of the T5 gears except for the 2.95 ratio T5Z that is still being sold as a new aftermarket transmission. Replacement Tremec 2.95 T5Z gears exist, but Tremec is very reluctant to sell them and when they do the price is sky high. This is intentional so that people will not buy the new gears as parts and build the T5Z transmissions rather than purchasing a complete new transmission.

Now, to clarify about the 93 COBRA gears. Yes, the 93 COBRA T5 is made like the T5Z with the special caged, tapered bearing between the input shaft and the main shaft. Yes, the T5Z is a direct bolt-in swap for the 93 COBRA T5, but NONE of the gears are the same and that even includes the speedometer gear. Also, the COBRA T5 has the reverse brake feature that began with all Ford T5 transmissions in 1992, but the T5Z to this day still does not have that feature.

There are well-respected online sellers of the T5Z that incorrectly advertise the T5Z as BEING the 93 COBRA T5.

1993 GT & COBRA T5: 3.35 1.99 1.33 1.0 and 0.68, 8-tooth Speedo Gear
Book-rating is 300 foot pounds of torque.

T5Z T5: 2.95 1.94 1.34 1.0 and 0.63, 7-tooth Speedo Gear
Book rating is 330 foot-pounds of torque.

Stan
 

Justin Bradford

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Thanks for the info. I am making a turbo kit and and going to probably be making no more than 330whp and I already have a spec stage 2 clutch that says it’s rated for 400tq. The cars going to be a track car so it will be beaten on a bit but won’t see any digs or slicks. I have a spare transmission for if this one breaks.
 

roddy

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Unfortunately, that 2005-up T-5 is a unique animal. Yes, gears from a T5Z or even the Astro A-5 gears and G-Force Street gears will go inside, BUT if it will be bolted to the original V-6 bell housing there is NO INPUT SHAFT made that is the correct length that goes with those gears. Also, the front retainer on that configuration has a smaller outside diameter and will not center the transmission in a Fox (traditional Ford T5) bell housing. That front retainer matches the GM size centering hole in the bell housing... Next, I want to comment on the statement that gears for the 93 COBRA are available from Ford Racing. No, I am confident that Tremec has discontinued ALL of the T5 gears except for the 2.95 ratio T5Z that is still being sold as a new aftermarket transmission. Replacement Tremec 2.95 T5Z gears exist, but Tremec is very reluctant to sell them and when they do the price is sky high. This is intentional so that people will not buy the new gears as parts and build the T5Z transmissions rather than purchasing a complete new transmission. Now, to clarify about the 93 COBRA gears. Yes, the 93 COBRA T5 is made like the T5Z with the special caged, tapered bearing between the input shaft and the main shaft. Yes, the T5Z is a direct bolt-in swap for the 93 COBRA T5, but NONE of the gears are the same and that even includes the speedometer gear. Also, the COBRA T5 has the reverse brake feature that began with all Ford T5 transmissions in 1992, but the T5Z to this day still does not have that feature. There are well-respected online sellers of the T5Z that incorrectly advertise the T5Z as BEING the 93 COBRA T5. 1993 GT & COBRA T5: 3.35 1.99 1.33 1.0 and 0.68, 8-tooth Speedo Gear Book-rating is 300 foot pounds of torque. T5Z T5: 2.95 1.94 1.34 1.0 and 0.63, 7-tooth Speedo Gear Book rating is 330 foot-pounds of torque. Stan

Thanks for the extra info. It was 8 years ago when I got this trans...memory could be a bit foggy. I know the ratios, at least, are the same as you have listed for the T5Z. It was explained that some machining had to be done to the input shaft (and maybe the case, but I could be wrong there) for use in this application, and it was done as the transmission was built. Modern Driveline is a Tremec distributor, and the trans actually came in a Tremec 'crate'.

Added strength or not (Modern claims 350 ft lbs with this gearset), it was worth doing for the better gear spread alone. Just for sh!ts and giggles, the stock ratios in the s197 T5OD: 3.74, 2.19, 1.43, 1.0, and .73. So, a truck trans, then...
The stock gear spread works ok-ish with a heavy car and the OE 3.31 rear end ratio. Anything lower (higher numerically) than 3.73 with the stock V6 trans ratios makes first gear pretty much redundant. It was miserable with 4.10s until I went to the 2.95, 1.94, 1.34, 1.0, and .63 trans. Much better now
I'd be surprised if mine even had a speedo gear...probably some sort of spinning magnet flappy wheel Voodoo stuff.
 

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