• Hello there guest and Welcome to Fox Body Mustangs forum, This forum is intended to be used by enthusiasts of the Fox body Ford Mustangs (1979-1993)!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

2.3na to 2.3t trandmission questions

Cajjar

New Member
I have a fully built 1987 2.3l motor that I have put a hx35 turbo on. I still have the stock 4 cylinder t5 from a na 4 cylinder would it be in my best interest to swap a v8 t5 in or would I be able to just put a racing clutch in the 4 cylinder t5?
 

broncojunkie

Well-Known Member
A "racing clutch" is more likely to kill the T5! What kind of power are you making? I've seen 4cyl t5's live for a while, behind slightly modified v8's. Not saying it's ideal, but it may work ok if you use a stock(ish) clutch. If you're running this on a dragstrip, you'll want to use bias ply slicks. A sticky tire with stiff sidewall will trash a t5, as well. I would suggest a billet steel cluster shaft retainer plate, steel input shaft retainer, and re-shim both shafts to have a very slight preload. About $150 in parts and an afternoon at the work bench can make all the difference in the world.

Now here's another thing to consider. If you have (or plan to have) a lower rear gear, your 4 cyl t5 1st gear may be too low. If you're sticking with stock gear, the 1st gear will be ok, but your rpm's may drop too low between gears. If you switch to a v6/v8 t5, the input shaft won't work. They probably make a compatible pilot bearing. My knowledge is severely lacking on the 4 banger stuff. I'm needing a crash course, though. I just bought an 82 capri roller. I'm going with a 2.3 n/a and t5!
 

Cajjar

New Member
It's going to be a street car, probably be in the 370-400hp with my 20 lb spring installed. I'm going to run the 7 lb spring for a while though breaking it in but itll be in that range based on the builds I've seen online. I'm going to the junk yard on black friday and pulling a rear end of a sn95 mustang so I can convert to 5 lug disk brakes. Also yeah there is a different bearing for the input shaft the part number is floating through these forums somewhere :) I can get a 94-98 v6 mustang t5 on black friday for 95 dollars which is rated at 265 ft lbs of torque. I'm thinking of going that route I'm just wanting others opinions on it because if I could just put a better clutch in the 4 cyl and how long it would last
 

broncojunkie

Well-Known Member
I would buy those v6 t5's all day long for that price! You'll need to source a fox v8 input shaft or have the sn95 shaft machined down to fit. But making that kind of power, you'll probably want to upgrade the t5.

Another thing you'll need is to post pics of this 2.3 turbo lol
 

Jet_Cruiser

New Member
What kinda race clutch? Multi-layered, dampened type will it be adjustable? What kinda weight? And how big of tires are gonna need to be turned once the clutch grabs and the gears spin?
 
Top