The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Where to find info on gearbox conversion?

bobH · 07-10-2021, 07:40 PM

Throwing my .02 in here.... The following with acknowledgment to DDCoop, for his opinion and enthusiasm. I truly admire the skill, both engineering, and fabrication, that Coop has put into his T5 job. And, I will venture a guess that a T5 behind a flathead, even substantially modified, will likely hold up quite well, especially if the driver treats it with a little respect. Having said that......
The T5 is a POS in it's stock form, in an 80's Jeep. I've had a few myself, and also have a daughter that drove one for many years. We could break them at will. Easily, a weekend of wheeling would result in a broken T5. And, I'm not just speaking for myself, but rather the general reputation amongst the Jeep community. Sooner or later, we all converted to something else. And, I still have the CJ7 that I've had for over 30 years, and the T5 has been gone for at least 20+ of those years.
So, not saying 'don't use a T5 behind a flathead'. Just beware, they are NOT bulletproof.
Another trans that was a POS in a jeep... AX5. Another daughter broke one of those five consecutive times, in short succession, after I gave her a good-running (stock) engine. Previous to that, with a worn-out tired engine, she drove it for years without breaking the trans.
Obviously, my experience and opinion. Your mileage may vary.

07-10-2021, 07:40 PM	#13
bobH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: so cal, placerville, vegas Posts: 1,394	Re: Where to find info on gearbox conversion? Throwing my .02 in here.... The following with acknowledgment to DDCoop, for his opinion and enthusiasm. I truly admire the skill, both engineering, and fabrication, that Coop has put into his T5 job. And, I will venture a guess that a T5 behind a flathead, even substantially modified, will likely hold up quite well, especially if the driver treats it with a little respect. Having said that...... The T5 is a POS in it's stock form, in an 80's Jeep. I've had a few myself, and also have a daughter that drove one for many years. We could break them at will. Easily, a weekend of wheeling would result in a broken T5. And, I'm not just speaking for myself, but rather the general reputation amongst the Jeep community. Sooner or later, we all converted to something else. And, I still have the CJ7 that I've had for over 30 years, and the T5 has been gone for at least 20+ of those years. So, not saying 'don't use a T5 behind a flathead'. Just beware, they are NOT bulletproof. Another trans that was a POS in a jeep... AX5. Another daughter broke one of those five consecutive times, in short succession, after I gave her a good-running (stock) engine. Previous to that, with a worn-out tired engine, she drove it for years without breaking the trans. Obviously, my experience and opinion. Your mileage may vary.