T5 Crossmember

[Rocket989]

So far, it doesn't look like the FleaBay T5/ C4 crossmember (the one posted sometime back under eBay Finds) is going to work. I'll get some pics up later but it's mostly that it doesn't sit low enough. No way a short C4 mount (the one supplied with the crossmember) much less a later T5 mount (even taller) will fit. I've already got the trans jacked up further than it should be and no joy.

The other stuff - mounting slots for mount don't go back far enough & the front lip hitting the trans body are easy enough to fix. Chop some off the nose, weld a strip back on, & make the mounting slots longer. No relatively easy way to fix the vertical spacing though...there isn't enough room on the "arms" to drill new holes or similar.

Anyone used or know of a crossmember that'll work w/ a standard Fox 'Stang T5 (NOT a front-shift setup)?

Also, the old T10 mounting was wrong (worse than that even) so I don't have a reference for driveline angle. I know the 5-degrees pinion angle, but anyone slap an angle gauge on the back of their trans in a stock setup to see how many degrees off 90 it needs to be?

ETA - I'm also not thrilled with the how it'll wind-up anyway (re: using what's left of the original x-member/ brace stubs). I added about 2-inches of weld bead to the floor pan on both sides front & rear and used bolts with bushings on f & r of both sides as well, but it still seems a little flimsy. I guess I'll deal with that later after I figure out a crossmember & get the subframe connectors in...

[poboyjo65]

My fuzzy memory thinks I put mine on 3 degrees. but you could check your rearend & see what the pinion angle is. should be same but reversed. pinion should be same as front of motor.

[rjones35]

Hmm, don't know about the angle, I just eyeballed it. As for the crossmember, I made mine, and used some sort of short poly mount, I don't remember what it was actually for, then modified that to fit the trans.

[Rocket989]

Pinion angle is between -4 to 5-degrees. Setting the trans at the same +4 to 5-degrees it damn near sits on the crossmember itself. There's just no way...I'd have to have it rammed against the tunnel almost with negative angle on it to get the mount in. And it gets better, err, worse.......the slots aren't offset to accommodate where the mount studs actually come down on a T5. It ain't in the middle.....

There's at least one 'Stang vendor still selling these for Falcons/ Comets...I don't get it................

ETA - I just called FalconParts.com & they measured their C4/AOD crossmember for me...from center of frame mounting bolt hole to top of flat part where mount would sit is 3-inches. On the x-member I've got, it's between 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inches. Big difference. I measured & looks like it'll work about spot-on with the ~4.5-degrees I've got the engine/ trans at now.

I'll be using the old one to test surplus AP ammo at some point...

[rjones35]

Probably doesn't help, since I don't know what the angle is, but my tranny is basically as high as I could get it without sitting against the tunnel. Then had to find a short mount to fit. This is the mount I used - Energy Suspension 3.1158G. Had to add metal to it to make it wide enough to bolt to the trans. My crossmember is just a straight piece of channel.

[Rocket989]

Thanks Rob...yeah, at some point I’m going to do something different - even tacking the stubs, etc. I’m still not thrilled. Just seems a little flimsy.

BTW - I was gonna ping you on a question about the MDL hydro clutch setup but think I got it figured out. Next step is to get it bled...we’ll see how that goes.

[rjones35]

Bleeding it was a big pain in the butt. Follow the directions and be patient, that's what I learned.

[anoNY42]

ETA - I just called FalconParts.com & they measured their C4/AOD crossmember for me...from center of frame mounting bolt hole to top of flat part where mount would sit is 3-inches. On the x-member I've got, it's between 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inches. Big difference. I measured & looks like it'll work about spot-on with the ~4.5-degrees I've got the engine/ trans at now.

Thanks for this thread, I am currently looking into crossmembers since my prior owner tried to do a custom job and it is basically a solid mount. Can't wait to see how the falconparts one works!

[redhotcomet]

I built my own crossmember. I also had my transmission up as high as it would go practically. I don't remember my pinion angle exactly, its somewhere between 2-5 degrees, but it matched the rear end. Is your engine sitting lower than stock height?

[Rocket989]

Nope...stock replacement mounts that I pinned. The FalconParts crossmember worked. I had to drill another set of holes and trim the nose (if it’s ordered for an AOD, they’ll trim it...enough to clear a T5, but I didn’t pay enough attn & ordered for a C4).

With the short C4/T5 mount, angle is right at 5-degrees which matches the pinion angle spot-on. The FleaBay crossmember was actually a nicer piece of engineering & finishing but no idea WTF it’d actually fit!!