• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

240 Redblock 5-speed Gearbox Options in 2020

Yep, they are absolutely fine with a 4.1-3.73 ratio
Being a manual NA car from the mid-80's I'm fairly confident my car has the 3.31 rear axle ratio so I don't think that would work with the .68 overdrive gear very well.

I think ideally you would want whatever rear axle ratio that allows the engine to turn at a good rpm for highway driving and four or five closely spaced gears, with the highest one being 1:1. An overdrive gear just bogs down the engine when you shift into it and doesn't let it accelerate very well so you end up having to shift down for passing, going up steep hills, etc., Plus when you have one in a transmission the rest of the gears get spaced out more so you're not as able to keep the engine running in its ideal power band. I doubt many top level race cars run overdrive gears.
 
Being a manual NA car from the mid-80's I'm fairly confident my car has the 3.31 rear axle ratio so I don't think that would work with the .68 overdrive gear very well.

Well....I'm about to find out on this one. When I went down that road with my swap, I was thinking that it would make for decent interstate cruising (70-80mph). I'm less concerned about acceleration with an N/A brick...

I've just got a few odds&ends to wrap up, and then it'll be back on the road...
 
Being a manual NA car from the mid-80's I'm fairly confident my car has the 3.31 rear axle ratio so I don't think that would work with the .68 overdrive gear very well.
From the way it drove, I think my roommate's old M46 equipped 1983 wagon had a 3.91 rear end. That was a wagon, maybe the sedan has a different ratio. I haven't looked.
 
My T5 with 3.35 first with 3.73 gears is borderline stupid. First gear to 35-38, second to damn near 70, which is all fine unless you're trying to drive in populated areas. Sucked at local short auto-x, ran the whole course in first. ClutchMasters fx400 pucked clutch, so good luck pulling away from a stop without drawing attention.

I'll be going to 4.56 or 4.11 gears in the future. The 3.73 is just not as much fun as I thought below 60.
 
My T5 with 3.35 first with 3.73 gears is borderline stupid. First gear to 35-38, second to damn near 70, which is all fine unless you're trying to drive in populated areas. Sucked at local short auto-x, ran the whole course in first. ClutchMasters fx400 pucked clutch, so good luck pulling away from a stop without drawing attention.

I'll be going to 4.56 or 4.11 gears in the future. The 3.73 is just not as much fun as I thought below 60.

My experience is similarish, except my trans put me at 44 and 79 mph in 1st and 2nd. Similar power delivery as an 8v, then keeps pulling. It's fun when nobody is around.
 
I think ideally you would want whatever rear axle ratio that allows the engine to turn at a good rpm for highway driving

An overdrive gear just bogs down the engine when you shift into it and doesn't let it accelerate very well so you end up having to shift down for passing, going up steep hills, etc.

What's wrong with shifting for passing?

"Good RPM" depends on where you live and what you demand of your wheels. There are vast stretches of countryside where it's so flat you can watch your dog run away for 3 days. No need to turn high rpm, for that.
 
What's wrong with shifting for passing?

"Good RPM" depends on where you live and what you demand of your wheels. There are vast stretches of countryside where it's so flat you can watch your dog run away for 3 days. No need to turn high rpm, for that.

That's what autos do all day long, match load to the proper gear.
 
I liberated a T5 from a V6 Mustang at LKQ over my noon hour today. I know there's a chance it might have gearing that some folks might consider too high for a 240 four banger but the price was right ($129) and the only other options in my area were the twoT5s listed earlier in the thread, and I'm thinking the 2.8 V6 Camaro T5 is going to have the shifter too far back for a 240 even though it has fairly low gears. I contacted a guy about a 2.3 Mustang T5 that was two hours away and never got any response, and I don't have time to go traipsing all over the country looking for the perfect transmission or thousands of dollars to spend on some custom gearbox shipped for who knows where. I figure if this doesn't work I can probably sell it for at least what I paid for it and go back to the crappy old m46. The thing I like about this box is that it is perfectly dry on the outside, unlike the m46 which was an oily, dirty mess.

It's too bad there aren't any other 5-speed options available in the midwest US to transplant into the 240 besides the T5. Unfortunately stickshift cars are only about 1% of car sales here from what I've read and have been for some time. It doesn't help that most new cars are front-wheel-drive now, too.

I'm not planning on messing with this transmission situation for a while since I have a Plymouth Road Runner project I need to finish up for someone and he's getting impatient. I converted that car to a pistol grip shifted 4-speed for him and we definitely didn't have worry about getting a gearbox for it that had too high of gears, since it has 400 c.i. of Detroit muscle under the hood!
 
I'm in this exact situation myself, bought a WC T5 only to find out the input shaft had been swapped with a 4-cyl T5 and this won't work with the Deeworks Kit. I've been desperately trying to find a guide on how to swap the input shafts because I've never done any type of trans work at all. Has anyone done an input shaft swap that could give me some tips? I really don't want to buy whole new T5.
The V6 mustang t5 will work with the transmission adapters available (or if you make your own) if you swap in a 5.0 inut shaft. Super easy and costs considerably less then an original 5.0 unit
Easiest solution from there is volvo flat FW, saab viggen PP and either custom disc or get the right one off the specs for some random ford.
Nice thing about the T5 is if you grenade it you just need another cheap junkyard unit, can't really say that about any other transmission option out there these days
 
I'm in this exact situation myself, bought a WC T5 only to find out the input shaft had been swapped with a 4-cyl T5 and this won't work with the Deeworks Kit. I've been desperately trying to find a guide on how to swap the input shafts because I've never done any type of trans work at all. Has anyone done an input shaft swap that could give me some tips? I really don't want to buy whole new T5.
It's super easy, with the following caveat, inside the end of the input shaft are 15 individual roller bearings. Make sure the input shaft end of the transmission is pointed down so the roller bearings don't fall out. The gear on the end of the shaft is notched, you just spin it around until it comes out. Just make sure you put everything back the way it came out. Use some grease to hold the individual roller bearings in the end of the shaft. You should probably re-shim it. I got a peel away shim kit online. You just keep peeling shims off until it's tight and not binding. I also replaced the input shaft bearing with one from Advance auto.
 
I'm in this exact situation myself, bought a WC T5 only to find out the input shaft had been swapped with a 4-cyl T5 and this won't work with the Deeworks Kit. I've been desperately trying to find a guide on how to swap the input shafts because I've never done any type of trans work at all. Has anyone done an input shaft swap that could give me some tips? I really don't want to buy whole new T5.

I think the problem you're going to have with just trying to change the input shaft is when you pull the input shaft/ front bearing out of the front to the case the little needle bearings on the inside of it are going to want to all fall out and some will go to the bottom of the case, and then you will have trouble fishing them out from the top of the case since the T5 is a toploader. The input shaft bearing is usually pressed onto the input shaft and is a snug fit in the case so it may take some doing to get it out once you remove the front bearing retainer. I've just rebuilt four-speeds so the T5 might be a different animal, but I wouldn't count on it. You might want to plan on having to take the mainshaft assembly and counter shaft out of the case to be able to change out the input shaft unless you get lucky and the needle bearings stay in the input shaft cup.

Another option that might work is to have a spacer plate made to go between the case, adapter, and bellhousing that would compensate for the longer input shaft, although this would also mover the shifter back a bit which might be a problem.
 
I think the problem you're going to have with just trying to change the input shaft is when you pull the input shaft/ front bearing out of the front to the case the little needle bearings on the inside of it are going to want to all fall out and some will go to the bottom of the case, and then you will have trouble fishing them out from the top of the case since the T5 is a toploader. The input shaft bearing is usually pressed onto the input shaft and is a snug fit in the case so it may take some doing to get it out once you remove the front bearing retainer. I've just rebuilt four-speeds so the T5 might be a different animal, but I wouldn't count on it. You might want to plan on having to take the mainshaft assembly and counter shaft out of the case to be able to change out the input shaft unless you get lucky and the needle bearings stay in the input shaft cup.

Another option that might work is to have a spacer plate made to go between the case, adapter, and bellhousing that would compensate for the longer input shaft, although this would also mover the shifter back a bit which might be a problem.

Hence my advice to keep the input shaft end of the transmission pointed down so when you take it out so the roller bearings stay in the input shaft cup. I've had the input shaft out 3 times and haven't lost a roller bearing yet
 
I wish I chimed in earlier.

Don't start screwing around with ANY of the GM T5s. It's not worth it even if it has the Ford case. The GM input shafts and extension housings are going to end up requiring extra spacers, different clutch disks, and the shifter will not land where you want it.

The Ford unit will always be your best bet.
 
I'm surprised that you're finding more F-body units than Ford. The opposite was true for me when I was looking for something to replace my blown up Camaro unit. Go figure.

FWIW. Even if you can't easily find a Fox body T5, I cant see the support going away any time soon. It's still a super versatile and simple package for swaps, and tons of them were made. You can buy any part you need for the Ford units or even buy them brand new! Of course you'll be spending big money there, but I think a T5 is still a very solid choice.
 
I missed the talk of input shaft swapping but it's dead simple and I've never had a needle bearing fall out in me.

V6 unit is easy enough to get that idea still say it's the beast 5 speed option dollar and effort wise
 
I missed the talk of input shaft swapping but it's dead simple and I've never had a needle bearing fall out in me.

V6 unit is easy enough to get that idea still say it's the beast 5 speed option dollar and effort wise

Easy only if has the same ratio though, right? I don't think you can just swap a V8 input for a V6.
 
http://bakaxel.se/vaxellador/andra-530d-5vxl-volvo-rod.html

From 530d BMW, handles about 1000nm or 800 pound-feet.

Bakaxel.se is a good company from all of volvo lovers we are. They sold gearboxes, clutches and all good for the turbobrick.

And they ship all goodies to Finland also...:cool:

I tried going this route a couple of years ago, and they weren't willing to ship across the pond. Otherwise would be a nice option for a more refined gearbox than the T5.
 
I have been struggling with this issue for some time.
I have a 240 wagon M47 with a 3.31 rear which out here in west texas is fantastic. No, you are not into 5th until at least 50 mph but man does it scream right past 80 where most of my other volvos about max out!

That being said, I have always much preferred a wide ratio gear box. Way more useful to me in the real world. With the 3.31 I wish first was a bit lower and 5th was a bit taller. I finally went to the source:
https://tremec.com/menu/passenger-vehicle-transmissions/
The TR-2450 seems to have a gear ratio for everyone, too.

However, I have no clue where to buy one or how much they are.

Any suggestions on viability?

Andrew
 
Back
Top