Hey guys! I couldn't find much on this subject but I'm hoping someone here can help. I installed a T5 in my 73 Maverick and I have a vibration that starts around 45 and continues to worsen the faster I go (I haven't gone above 60 because of this vibration). I'm pretty sure it's the drive line angle causing this, but I can't raise the transmission any higher due to the height of the transmission tunnel. I know t5 conversions are relatively common, but is this an issue anyone else has had? To clarify, it vibrates above 45mph while accelerating in any gear, decelerating in any gear, and in neutral. Also I have 4.11 rear ratio with 25.5" tires so the driveshaft is spinning pretty fast even at these lower speeds.
if it does it in neutral, not the drive line. (you are sitting still?) sounds like wrong flywheel balance. I'm not a pedal person so I'm guessing.
From my experience, a vibration in neutral tends to eliminate anything from the transmission forward. Driveline angle issues tend to appear during acceleration and/or deceleration. Where did the driveshaft come from, is it original to the car and unmodified therefore a known quality unit? Are the 4:11s newly installed along with the T5 therefore an unknown? (When installing used components; never do more than one driveline modification at a time. Road test each changed used component separately.) Are wheels, tires and axles known quality components on the car prior to the T5 install? Is there any moan or drone to go along with the vibration? Please answer these questions to focus a vibration diagnosis.
To add to the list of questions, is the engine original to the car and what flywheel did you use? If you do have the original engine and source the flywheel from a Fox that's the issue as suggested above.
If you are getting the vibration when you are moving and in Neutral , the Pinion Angle likely is off. Shims are available to correct or minimize angle difference and driveline vibration. As in pic' shims can only minimize vibration tendency. https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/pinion-angle-shims?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=shims+rear+axle&N=part-typeinion-angle-shims When installing the T5 in the '74, seemed easier cutting tunnel for T5 and retaining original driveline angle would be simpler than attempting to match pinion angle by using shims to minimize vibrations. . . . . .. hav efun
So many fast replies! Thank you for all the input! I know it's not the engine because it revs perfectly smooth in neutral while sitting still at any rpm, what I meant was that it vibrates in neutral at speeds above 45mph. Hotrock, the driveshaft is brand new and balanced from a local driveshaft company, the third member is also brand new (rebuilt), and the axles are brand new. The wheels and tires were driven on before and weren't causing any vibration. Also no droning sound, just a steady vibration that worsens with speed. This doesn't sound like a pinion angle issue? Powerband, that's what I'm afraid of but I'm trying to avoid modifying the tunnel if this is the case. Did you drive yours before cutting the tunnel for clearance, and did it have a similar vibration? I'm curious if anyone knows if it's possible to drop the engine about 1/2" to correct the drive line angle? (I highly prefer sticking to rubber mounts if possible) Also I'm not the best with measuring my driveline angle but according to a phone app I used (lol) it states that I'm 2.9 degrees off
Couple of other things, what about your T5? was it rebuilt, how where the input/output bearings, tailshaft bushing? Did you install a new pilot bearing, although this may not cause vibration, did you check the runout on bellhousing where the hole that input retainer sits, excessive runout will cause premature input bearing wear....... David
Here's an angle finder "app" from Lowes - $ 8.98 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Swanson-Tool-Company-Angle-Finder/1057041 > no , had a 3.03 3OTT, didn't drive til finished T5 upgrade. First had to rebuild the T5 though... .
Tremec has an app for the driveline angles and it is free. Will measure the angles and give you a green or red light.
Shim the leaf springs to bring pinion angle to within +/- 0.5 deg of slip yoke angle. Vehicle must be at ride height so, you either need to work off the floor or use a drive-on lift. Use this calculator and watch the video. https://spicerparts.com/calculators/driveline-operating-angle-calculator
The T5 is a brand new built unit rated to withstand 500hp to the wheels and a new pilot bearing was also used The tremec app is the one I used that states I'm 2.9 degrees off but while getting the engine angle and driveshaft angle are easy, the pinion angle is harder to find a good flat surface that I trust. It's also nearly impossible to measure it on flat ground because the car sits very low I have played with rear axle shims and first the 4 degree ones helped slightly then the 6 degree shims helped more but it just made the vibration less severe, it didn't eliminate it. (I measured with the shims installed and the app says it's off by 2.9 degrees still, which seems excessive but maybe it's right).
T5 into the Maverick 'hits' - interferes at the front of tranny and firewall. To tip the tranny low enough to not hit at front requires tilting whole eng/tranny quite significantly down. The rear output shaft of tranny is much lower than original tranny output shaft and more significantly - output shaft centerline is at a severe angle rather than just being lower. Would like to know how T5 swap without altering tunnel was achieved. Previous mention of lowering entire eng/tranny seems viable but difficult alternative. hav e fun
Well there's only enough room to safely lower the engine about 1/2” before the steering comes too close to the starter and oil pan, but if I can find engine mounts that would drop it this much I would buy them in a heartbeat Powerband, when you cut out the sheet metal to raise the transmission, did you weld in a new brace to make up for cutting the top of the tunnel brace?
Anyone succeed with T5 install and NOT modifying tunnel and using corrective SHIMS ? - Sure seems easier ... did you weld in a new brace to make up for cutting the top of the tunnel brace? .. good question: Yes, cut the support brace / crossmember and welded a piece of C-Channel across, and more significantly modified the rear tranny support into a structural brace. It uses two OEM toploader support braces welded together with triangulated attachment struts for a bolt-in T5 crossmember. hav e fun . . . . . . . . .
Never considered extending the reinforcement to the interior. I cut around the tunnel on mine and added an inch, totally removed the top of the brace and rebuilt it with 1/8 steel from Home Depot. This gave me all the clearance I needed for the TKO.