Borg-Warner T-5 transmission

The BorgWarner T-5 is a 5-speed manual transmission for longitudinal engine automobiles. It includes one overdrive gear, a lightweight aluminum housing, and adaptability for four wheel drive use.

Originally designed by Borg-Warner, it was manufactured by TREMEC for use in production automobiles primarily for GM and Ford. The last year a production car offered theT-5 was in the V-6 Mustangs as recently as the 2010 models. Tremec continues to offer one version of the T5 as an aftermarket replacement for 1983-1993 Mustangs. This one is referenced as the 1352-000-251.

The T-5 was originally designed by Borg-Warner based on the T-4 and earlier SR4, and was sold as the Borg-Warner T-5 until the design was sold to TTC (aka Tremec) in the late 1990s. The SR4 was a light-duty 4-speed manual that used ball and needle bearings on the countershaft with bronze synchronizer rings. The T4 improved this design with tapered roller bearings on the input and output shafts and a straight roller bearing on the counter gear. The T-5 is a T4 with an added overdrive gear. The T-5 carries a part number of 1352-000-xxx, where xxx is a three-digit application-specific number ranging from 001 to 260 that also can be used to distinguish World Class from Standard T-5 transmissions.

The first T-5s were installed in the AMC Spirit/Concord. In 1982, GM began fitting the T-5 to the S-10/S-15 compact pickup trucks; then in 1983, both Ford (Mustang) and GM (Camaro/Firebird) picked up the T-5 for their pony cars.

The T-5 has become a popular restomod option for older and classic manual transmission cars, as the overdrive gear can improve fuel economy. In general, retrofitting the T-5 is straightforward for many rear-drive Fords from the 1960s and 1970s, as they are dimensionally compatible.