Early shifting is related to gas prices

What about the simple approach?

(Is alot to wonder if the product-s is-are "yet" to be seen)

My t5 is still there unmolested, 130k n some 27 years give me a non technological answer to the quiz, the "better' ones get scrapped daily as well

 

Astro Bob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
The most critically
> important difference that I picked up is the
> lubricants used for one or the other. Why is it WC
> to use ATF fluid, and NWC to use 70wt gear oil?
> (plus the different gear bearings and synchros)


The differences ARE the gear bearings, gears and synchros... which relate directly to the amount of torque the transmission can handle.

WC or NWC - it depends more on when the specific transmission was produced, and which internal parts were used for that box at that time.

Either one in good condition will handle all the power a stock 280ZX Turbo will put out. If you have a monster torque maker - then you'd go to something else anyway - like the Tremec or G-Force transmissions.

FWIW,
Carl B.

 

G Force

The point of the different WC/NWC was rendered moot when G-Force offered their $3400 upgrade to the internals of the 280ZX transmission to handle 600 ft-lbs of torque. Drop in, no more external mods required. Now it doesn't matter, so why obsess about the differences? Tremec will require changes to crossmembers, speedo drives, shifter position, and run you about the same cost as the G-Force modified unit. And you still have to mate it to the BW Bellhousing (see JeffP's website for details...been there, done that!)

I'm with Carl on this one, you can see the torque handling capabilities of you look at what GM/Ford used them in, and they limit it aroudn 250 ft-lbs for the cheaper tranny. That's fine for stock cars.

The stock T5 will start screaming at 450HP/400+ torque. I mean literally! It makes BAD noises and you can see things flexing and moving around under full power. They just aren't set up for handling that kind of power transmission.

 

Re: G Force

I'm not planning any tranny changes or upgrades, and if this one blows out, my plan is to get another from the junk yard. I guess I was not clear enough about my question. I tend to be cynical when companies put fancy names on their products to hype them, and that is what this feels like. I have no doubt that the WC T5 is a better and stronger machine than the NWC. My cynicism is about the "World Class" name itself. I tend to treat labels such as WC and NWC, at first glance, as if they chrome plated the exterior of the WC, and left the aluminum box bare on the NWC. I know the internal differences are real, but they feel more like advertising gimmicks and crap from the Borg Warner marketing office, not from the Borg Warner engineers.

Maybe I've missed something over the years. Do all trannys, regardless of manufacturer or application, come in two versions: WC and NWC? Or was this just a Borg Warner schtick that was only applied to the T5 variants?

For instance, did the Mopar TorqFlite 727 3 speed automatic transmission come in WC and NWC models? I know it has been improved on over the years, but did the upgrades qualify the latest version to wear a World Class badge?

Maybe I am too focused on useless trivia in this case, but I really am curious.

 

The T5's

Ok, the WC T5 was came out in the 93 mustang cobra's - camaro's went to the T56. The WC T5 is a T5 with strengthening upgrades, mostly internal. They could have called it a T6 I guess. I don't know why they chose WC.

This upgraded tranny mainly came about due to mildly modified mustangs being able to kill 2nd gear then wanting warranty repairs.

So the trannies got stronger - marginally and Ford decided to limit those hard gear shifts by pulling timing between shifts. On the 94-95 5.0 mustangs the ECU is programmed to pull 5 to 10 degrees of timing. This is one reason people think they are slow and will barely catch 2nd. However with a few key strokes as Tony would say you delete that 5 or 10 and replace it with a 0 and your back to spinning 2nd easy but they're still slow! Actually I really enjoy mine, I can make it faster when the time is right.

Borg-Warner sold the T5 rights to Tremec and now there are T45' T56's etc. And they are not the same trannies. The Tremec's are quite a bit stronger but most find them to be notchy. I like to feel that "click" as it slides into gear though.

"Or was this just a Borg Warner schtick that was only applied to the T5 variants?"

As far as I know this is the only case of that naming convention.