looking for thoughts before I blow this thing apart--again. here's the scenario. cad 390, wilcap adapter for a ford t-5. capri RS (v-8) t 5, off the shelf ford truck clutch kit. after a few minor hiccups finally got everything installed today. give it a test drive around the block--adjusted the clutch throw (using an external pusher hydraulic slave) a bit and plugged the speedo cable hole I forgot about on the test drive. then ran around the block again seemed ok. headed for the house (3 hours away from my dad's shop where I did the swap). 15 minutes out felt a wabble that I thought might be loose lugnuts. went back to the shop and tightened them. when I got there there was a curious whistle. thought it was power steering so I topped that pump off again and whistle stopped. by the end of the road (.25 miles) whistle had returned, but only with the cluth relesed. headed out for the drive home. ran GREAT, shifted great, both the car and I agreeed that moving from a 4 speed toploader to the t-5 was the right move. stopped for gas about 30 minues in and it was hard to get the car to start in 1st gear (shuddered like it needded more RPM's but that didn't help). Once moving shifted easy between gears. Stopped again about 20 minutes later for more gas (it was .25 cheaper down the road so I did a splash and go the first time). same shudder in first gear, but everything else fine from there. easy going for the next hour, then I go to downshift and it's hard to get 4th on 2 different occasions, but goes back into 5th no biggie. about 2 hours 15 minutes into the trip I hear a rattling start. I assume the nut to adjust the throw on the slave has backed out and the cluch arm has loosened enought to be clattering around an make it hard to shift--no biggie--I'm on interstate for the next 45 minutes then 2 turns to home. maybe 5 to 10 minutes later engine revs and I loose ALL motivational power--nothing--zip--zilch--nada. coast to the side of the road, wait for roll back and pay $180 for a ride home stepping on the pedal still feels like the clutch is working--or at least the fingers are engaging an being pushed down by the throw out bearing--nothing happing in the tranny. can shift through all gears but there's nothing there--no engement whatsover. did I: 1) somehow grenade the whole tranny--does that happen, can you loose ALL the gears at once like that? 2)have some sort of failure in the clutch it--I'm thinking in the disc? 3) ????????????? just would like some thoughts. I any case I'm back to square one and have to pull everything out. HOPING it's just the disc/clutch kit. thanks for your thoughts
If something happened to the trans, I think you would have heard it. My guess would be the clutch. Let us know when you get it apart and find out.
I don't think so, but I guess anything is possible. Murphy was in the house for this whole swap. what should have been a 2 day project ended up taking 3 or 4 weekends--lost count.
Sounds to me maybe the clutch wasn't totally disengaged while you were driving it an burned up, just a thought.
Did the trans bolts loosen off? A slight looseness can twist the center out of the disc. Or maybe your adapter is machined crooked?
used ATF per specs, did NOT add more fluid after the first trip around the block--figured I hadn't lost THAT much. no clutch burning or otherwise funny smell during the drive, cleaned everything wth brake clean on installation. interesting thought on the bell housing bolts--will check them out in the light to see. thanks for all your thoughts/comments.
I read it twice. With what was said and how the pedal still feels normal, I would think the center of the disc failed due to some problem with clearance between the splines or TOB guide tube snout. Any constant strain on the hub, might have caused it to break out...but there should have been some noises.
Whats the history on the tranny? Sounds like something internal may have let go. I know nothing about T5s but it must have a cover to pull, correct? I'd look there
Henrietta the '38 Ford pickup, SBC and T5 out of an S10 did the same thing. Hub broke out of the center of the clutch disc. Made a loud rattling noise when I tried to engage the clutch and wouldn't move in any gear. I once had a T-5 lock up on me at 60 MPH, which was a thrill ride I don't ever want to experience again, but if it rolls freely in all gears, it sounds more like clutch than transmission.
I'm pretty familiar with T5's as I build Mustangs for a living and from your description it doesn't sound like an internal transmission problem, sounds more like a clutch related problem.
It seems like the clutch to me - center ripped out or something along those lines. But I can't get over the "no engagement" statement. When you shift, do you get the standard gear sliding noises and feel out of the shifter? If not, then I'd say it's your trans. Here's a quickie on the T5: It's an internal gear linkage (obviously, and I realize you know this, just putting it out there) and there is a cup that the shift lever rides in to shift the gears. This cup is attached to the linkage "lever" with a pin, which, if sheared, would eliminate all the gears. If you were in gear though, then this wouldn't be your problem unless it popped out of gear on you too. Hell, easy way to tell is pull the trans and spin it on the bench! Of course, that will let you see your clutch disk too...
Sounds to me like your clutch disk failed. Google "Chinese made clutch failures" or any similar string of words. New disks can grenade for any number of reasons, guys are losing the springs, rivets fail..... just because it was new, doesnt mean it wasnt bad.
A collapsed TO bearing or busted clutch fork would do it, also look for something largly amiss in the clutch linkage or slave mounting. Bob
It sure sounds like clutch problems to me. A broken clutch fork or bad T/O bearing wouldn't likely be it, as that usually means that the clutch won't release, in other words you put it in gear and it only wants to go. I broke a main shaft in half on a T5 in my race truck one time and it still had 3rd and 5th so I doubt it's in the trans. I'd bet it spun the hub out of the disc. And that could have been caused by a maladjusted T/O bearing, which could explain the "whistle"
Has to be the clutch.If it shifts in all gears then there are no problems with syncros of shifter forks. If there were any problems there you would feel it when trying to shift. Oh and by the way 5th is independent of 1st thu 4th on the main output shaft.
Did you use the correct diameter TOB and did you match the PP arms to the TOB. I have seen the PP fingers over ride the TOB and grind apart. JMHO
the more I think about it this is what I"m thinking too--kind of like binding up a cut off wheel on a 4 inch angle grinder. I'll keep everyone informed.
You might want to measure to see if the adapter moved the trans. back enough to need a pilot bushing extender. Could be that your clutch is not making any contact with your tranny input splines. Just a thought.
How does ATF fluid work in a manual??? At least you had fluid in it but in opinion ATF may be too thin. EP gear oil would be more appropriate. Just my 2cents.
ATF is right. i put gear lube in an A833 Dodge trans and wrecked it, the bearings all went. The lube passages are sized for ATF, the thick stuff can't get to the bearings.
I had a situation once where you could shift it in all gears and the clutch seemed to work fine. There were no noises at all. All of this was created during a shift between 2nd and 3rd. Broke the input shaft.
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