Dave, 

Used the stock Mustang T-5 tail stock and a B&M "Ripper" shifter. Shifter came with a reversable 1" offset adapter. I bolted a Hust stick (for a nostalgia look) to the B&M shifter and it cleared my bench seat by at least 4".
 

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

I looked up the B&M Ripper shifter. Very  interesting.  The S10 tailshaft housings are getting very hard to find so this is a great solution.  Dave V

SE Wis

I take it you are talking about the pro ripper. The ripper doesn't look like it could be adjusted.

Durham Missouri

I take it you are talking about the pro ripper. The ripper doesn't look like it could be adjusted.

Durham Missouri

Big Window, 

I guess you are right. The pro ripper comes with a bolt on "offset" for the shifter.  I welded my Hurst stick to this offset and then bolted it to shifter.  This also gives me shift stops as I have heard that a weakness with T-5's is jamming the 3rd gear syncro (the stops prevent this). 





I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

Since we are talking about T-5's and I just put mine back in, I have what may be a dumb question. LOL  My Ripper shifter has a plug in the top base that bolts to the transmission. Last time I filled the T-5 with synthetic ATF through the side plug in the body with a suction pump. This worked, but was quite messy!  Could I just not put a funnel into the  shifter plug, leave the side plug out and pour in the ATF up top until it starts to come out the side plug? This is a heck of a lot easier since this time I am not using a hoist, but doing it on my back on jack stands! 

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

All Tremec transmissions have built in stops.  Stops on a shifter are extra insurance, and can account for wear of the stops within the T5.  Check the adjustment every now and then to make sure the clearance is adequate as out of adjustment stops on the shifter can cause more damage than no stops at all.

Here's a link to a thread about that, which includes a Tremec service bulletin you can verify for yourself by contacting Tremec.  http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic80557.aspx?

The 2 - 3 shift has to do with the way most manual transmissions are built and the fact that a T5 is not a racing transmission or a transmission for really high powered vehicles.  The input and output shafts are directly inline.  4th "gear" simply locks the input and output shaft together.  Where the two shafts connect is the weak link.  Abuse the transmission or shift with too much power, and the transmission is going to break.  This is true for most manuals, but TKOs and T56s, for example are built to support higher power and take more abuse than a T5, so you are able to get away with a lot more with those.

Can't help with the plug but as long as it doesn't hold some critical part in the shifter and goes into the transmission, it should work.  It's a question to ask B&M.  If that works, I would just put in the measured amount of fluid, I think 2.9q.  I can never get the full capacity in the transmission if I use the fill plug.  Never had a problem with a little less, but if I have the ability, I put in the specified amount.



Lawrenceville, GA

Thanks for the clarification on the ripper. I plan to use that shifter with the Hurst bench seat shift handle. It should give me plenty of room to bang gears.

Durham Missouri

Ok, thanks for the info Charlie. Now I have a question about the stops on my shifter. I read the article and it mentions the later model Tremec T-5's. Mine came out of an 89 Mustang, so I am going to assume it is a Borge Warner model? Should I remove the stops from my shifter or just leave them be? I've been beating on the T-5 for 2 years now with no problem, but now I am putting out 310 ftlbs of torque. 

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

It applies to the Borg Warner T5 as well, essentially the same transmission.  Just check your stop screw adjustment with each oil change and you should be good.  You just want to be sure that you are fully engaging the gear and that the stop screw does not prevent that.



Lawrenceville, GA