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    The Panther T5 Swap...

    As I promised, here it is! This can be modified to "fit" other transmission models in other models of Panthers with very little thought...

    Before you read on: References to "Panthers" are references to the chassis. The Crown Victoria / Grand Marquis / Town Car platforms are referred to as Panther chassis, much like the 80s Mustangs were known as Fox chassis.

    I could never get my AOD adjusted quite right, so I finally gave up. I started researching and gathering parts, and here is what I came up with:

    I removed the AOD and all the related equipment (transmission, shifter equipment, flywheel). I then installed the following parts:

    Pilot bearing (Mustang 302)
    Hawks Racing billet steel flywheel
    FRPP King Cobra clutch kit
    T5 from 1987 Mustang GT (new clutch fork and throwout bearing)
    UPR clutch quadrant, cable, and firewall piece (all adjustable)

    From there, I took the clutch pedal assembly from a manual Fox Mustang (1983 GT Turbo in my case) and chopped it into a stock Crown Victoria brake pedal assembly...





    The pedal assembly on the 1990+ Panthers will be very different. You can weld the pedal shaft tube to the front edge of the assembly and it will work (test fit first!), but you'll still need to modify the clutch pedal itself so it can clear the floorboard.

    You will need to cut a notch into the channel on the under side of your dashboard so the clutch quadrant can clear. It's not that difficult, but trust me- HAVE A SPRAY BOTTLE FULL OF WATER HANDY FOR WHEN THE INSULATION AROUND IT DECIDES TO IGNITE. It WILL happen.

    Here you can see the notch I cut into the dash channel to clear the quadrant.


    To get the clearance on the firewall for the clutch cable, I had to use a 1992+ Panther brake booster because they are significantly smaller in diameter. With the new booster comes the requirement of a new master cylinder because the bolts on the booster are too wide for the older cylinder.

    Once the pedal assembly is built, make a template. To do this, put the assembly on a flat piece of cardboard. Mark the four bolt holes and take a straight edge and mark straight down from the channel of the clutch quadrant. Then align the bolt holes on the template with the holes in the firewall and mark to drill a hole for your clutch cable.

    So, the pedal assembly and cable are ready, but now what?

    When installing the transmission, remember to use shorter bolts from a T5 Mustang or cut 1/2" off the AOD bolts, since they'll be too long otherwise. For the shifter, just get the transmission into place and cut the hole large enough to leave 1/2" on every side of the shifter plate (the plate WILL come level with the floorboard) so there is room when the transmission and shifter torque to the side during "spirited" driving.

    If you're using a pre-1990 Panther, you need to drill new transmission crossmember holes 1" in front of the rear holes on your stock crossmember mounting brackets (which are located on the framerails). This is the ONLY way it will fit. You will also need to use a driveshaft from a 1990+ Panther because the stock driveshaft is too long. To fit the newer driveshaft, you also need the pinion flange from the newer Panther.




    This is why the newer shaft won't fit the older pinion flange- the bolt pattern is significantly larger and the old flange can't even be drilled to work.



    For 1990+ Panthers, you can either stretch the crossmember mounting holes forward 1/2" or you can squeeze things together by hand-threading all the bolts to start and torque them down, allowing the rubber mount to stretch to compensate for the difference.

    As for the wiring:
    There is a four-wire harness that plugged into the front of your AOD. That controlled the neutral safety switch and the reverse lights. The easiest way to figure out which did what is to touch two of them together at a time. When the reverse lights come on, those are the wires to use. Take one of those and put it on one of the pigtail connectors on the driver's side of the T5 and put the other on the other side. It's a simple switch, so it doesn't matter which side gets which wire. For the other two, you can either route them to your clutch pedal and build a neutral safety switch so the car won't start without the clutch being engaged or you can permanently attach the two. I attached the two.

    A grand total of the parts needed for the conversion:

    T5 Manual transmission (302-specific is best)
    Clutch, pressure plate, etc kit
    Pilot bearing for 302 Mustang
    Flywheel for 302 Mustang (Make sure it matches the bellhousing [you don't want to try to install a 10.5" disc flywheel into a 10" disc bellhousing])
    Shifter assembly (run a stock piece until you get the feel for it and modify as you please. Most prefer to run a tall, truck-style shifter)
    Shifter boot
    Two upper bellhousing bolts from a T5 Mustang (the AOD bolts are 1/2" too long)

    NEW INFORMATION: (only read on if you have a 1989 or older Panther) the yoke on a 4R70W transmission has a different spline count from the AOD/T5, so one would need the earlier yoke in order for the driveshaft from a 1992+ Panther to work. It's also about 1.5-2" longer than the earlier yoke.

    Also, the pinion flange adapter has the larger design, so on a 1989 or older, one would need to swap the pinion flange adapter, too, using the following joint:

    Spicer Part #: 5-134X
    Precision Joint #: 353

    They're the same thing, just different companies. Auto parts stores can cross reference those numbers to find the joint made by the company they use. O'Reilly uses Precision Joint.
    Last edited by Freshmeat; 03-18-2006, 07:54 PM.
    2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
    1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
    1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

    #2
    Where is the rest of the 83 GT turbo? That car is INSANELY rare...
    Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

    Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

    Comment


      #3
      In pieces all across the country. The guy ran the Hell out of it and then welded the wastegate shut. It's now in a Mustang graveyard over at Ascension Pony Cars, owned by the guy who's been hooking me up left and right during all these conversions.
      2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
      1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
      1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

      Comment


        #4
        That's a shame...very very rare car. I had the chance to buy a GT turbo convertible and passed it up...found out there are only like 200 of those around. I was stupid to pass that one up.
        Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

        Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

        Comment


          #5
          Well, he doesn't part anything out unless it's beyond repair. When the engine exploded (literally) from the welded wastegate, it took out a lot of the engine compartment and other things with it.
          2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
          1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
          1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

          Comment


            #6
            mmmmm five speed panther

            If only I werent a college student.
            -Matt
            1968 Fairlane 500 - 1998 Camaro Z/28

            Comment


              #7
              Nice writeup!
              Pebbles-1968 Ford F250
              Pile of Junk! An Electronics Project Site (To get wet by)<---Clicky! NEW STUFF!!!!

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by nitroracer
                If only I werent a college student.
                I didn't spend $700 on the swap.
                That's with a rebuilt T5, new UPR equipment (cable, quadrant, and firewall piece, all adjustable), new pilot bearing, new billet steel flywheel, and FRPP King Cobra clutch kit.

                I'd like to see someone do a built AOD swap for that price...
                2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
                1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
                1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

                Comment


                  #9
                  $700 Is a lot ofr a college student, and that is also enough for a wide ratio trans.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Stock ratio or wide ratio, you're still fighting with that damn adjuster on your throttle cable. How did GMGT put it...?

                    I can shift my own fucking gears!!
                    2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
                    1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
                    1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Freshmeat
                      Stock ratio or wide ratio, you're still fighting with that damn adjuster on your throttle cable. How did GMGT put it...?

                      I can shift my own fucking gears!!
                      Fuckin' A!
                      1983 Grand Marquis 2Dr Sedan "Mercules"
                      Tremec TKO conversion, hydraulic clutch, HURST equipped!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Freshmeat
                        Stock ratio or wide ratio, you're still fighting with that damn adjuster on your throttle cable. How did GMGT put it...?

                        I can shift my own fucking gears!!

                        No I am not fighting that damn adjuster, you must have me confused with someone else. I am fighting a person that keeps suplying me with crap parts. My adjustments are great, around 5400rpm 1-2, 5200rpm 2-3.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I'm actually not questioning your adjustment skills at all, Blaze. I was simply poisoned against the AOD by parts that would never hold adjustment. I tried and tried, but nothing was working, so I gave up. I was actually considering selling it when I began finding the information I did concerning the T5 swap. Glad I did!
                          2011 Mustang GT Premium, MT82, Kona/Saddle, HIDs, 3.73s, 19s, hood/side stripes, UPR 1.5" springs with adjustable panhard bar, and UMI solid LCAs and relocation brackets.
                          1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer, slight lift, 34s, and A/C...
                          1979 Bronco Custom, 351M/C6/NP205, 4" lift, 35s, lots of fender trimming.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Yeah, I want a manual trans too, wish I had done it this past summer.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I like my AOD, it may slip a little, but I got it adjusted to where I want it.
                              Pebbles-1968 Ford F250
                              Pile of Junk! An Electronics Project Site (To get wet by)<---Clicky! NEW STUFF!!!!

                              Comment

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