T5 Transmission Build - Third Gen Camaro Road Racer Tranny

Upgraded T5 Street Transmission Installation

Our third-gen Camaro road racing project is coming along nicely, thanks in large part to the students out at Norco High School in California. In our last installment, we got the Moser rear in, and attached the Bilstein components to the car. Slowly but surely, this one-time junkyard beater is coming back to life as a corner-carving animal.

While we anxiously await our slew of parts coming in from Year One (stay tuned for an entire article dedicated to the famous 1LE front components), and the kids out in California clean the car up with all the awesome products Eagle One has provided for the project, we decided to look for a transmission. The rules are fairly strict in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Camaro-Mustang Challenge, calling for: "Any OEM stock four-, five- or six-speed transmission that was originally offered in an eligible model car of the same manufacturer." We decided to give the great folks at G-Force Transmissions a call, as we knew its T5 Street 5-Speed upgrade kit would be perfect for getting the most out of what the rules allow.

Here we have the G-Force Transmissions assembly room, where all the "magic" happens. Over to the left, longtime employee Mike "Bubba" Mastller appears to be working at the speed of light-in actuality he really does, as he can finish a T5 in about four hours. He figures that in his seven years at G-Force, he has assembled thousands of transmissions. Over the next few pages, we will witness Bubba build the T5 that should supply the Super Chevy road racing crew with some hardware (trophies) over the next few years.

Here we have the G-Force Transmissions assembly room, where all the "magic" happens. Over

G-Force has been in the transmission game for over 15 years, and supplies boxes to many top Nextel Cup and NHRA teams. G-Force also has a complete line of upgrade kits and complete transmissions for street cars as well. In short, you really can't find a better product that offers a "no compromise" approach to quality and performance. The G-Force T5 kit we selected to drop into the Camaro offers high-nickel-content gears (that are tooled right on site with G-Force's massive array of CNC machines), a heavy-duty input shaft, and upgraded bronze/aluminum shift forks. We also opted to use a new main and tail housing. The beauty of the kit is that you can send in your old battered T5, have G-Force install the kit, and have it sent back to you in as-good-as-new condition, and with parts that are built to withstand extremely high horsepower applications.

G-Force can also build an entirely new transmission from new housings as well, as was the case with our T5. If a serious racing application is your desire, G-Force also has dog-ring straight cut and helical cut dog-ring gears for lightning-fast upshifts.

After watching the pros at G-Force build the T5, we can't wait to get it out in the racecar and get down to some serious heel-toe downshifting into the corners of California's road racing circuits.

Here we have all the parts that comprise the G-Force T5.
At the bequest of the photographer, red carpet was placed over Bubba's normal workbench. He insisted that we let readers know it normally doesn't look this pristine. This picture shows the original stock gears and shafts (above) when compared to the upgraded G-Force parts (below). Pay careful attention to the thickness of the gears with a higher nickel construction, these are clearly superior units when compared with the OEM parts.
At the bequest of the photographer, red carpet was placed over Bubba's normal workbench. H
In these three photos, Bubba is positioning the cluster shaft into the housing...

...and adding the cluster support plate...
...starting the installation process.
The cluster support plate is a G-Force-made part, with a much beefier construction over the stock part (right).
The cluster support plate is a G-Force-made part, with a much beefier construction over th

With the cluster shaft installed, Bubba will check the feel of the transmission up to this point.
With the cluster shaft installed, Bubba will check the feel of the transmission up to this
The main shaft is assembled with the G-Force gears...
...synchros...

...and sliders.
The main shaft is then dropped into the housing...
...with a little "finesse," according to Bubba.

Here Bubba greases up the rollers within the input shaft, and installs it next.
The bearing retainer that's used is another improvement over the OEM piece, and then the input shaft is installed.
The bearing retainer that's used is another improvement over the OEM piece, and then the i
The overdrive gears are then added to the outside of the housing. We went with a .90 overdrive gear, which should be usable on the track without dropping too much engine speed. However, G-Force offers different ratios, depending on what your application is.
The overdrive gears are then added to the outside of the housing. We went with a .90 overd

At this point, the internals of the transmission are mostly complete. The transmission now goes through a 29-point inspection, the other half to be completed at the end of the assembly.
At this point, the internals of the transmission are mostly complete. The transmission now
Now the transmission is placed on a stand for the final assembly, including the tail housing and the top cover, which include the upgraded bronze/aluminum shift forks shown here.
Now the transmission is placed on a stand for the final assembly, including the tail housi
Bubba then applies some sealant to the housing, being careful to line everything up...

...and slides the top cover on.
The tail housing receives the same treatment.
After a Long T5 shifter (Long Shifters is also part of the same company) is added, and a rigorous test regimen takes place, the T5 is ready for shipping. At the time we went to press, the transmission was well on its way to Norco High School for an installation in a future issue of SC.
After a Long T5 shifter (Long Shifters is also part of the same company) is added, and a r