[Silvestris]

I just got home from Lincoln Tech, and of course, I like to hot rod around a bit. Well, about halfway home I noticed a kinda rattle when I hit the gas to the floor and I hit about 4,000 RPM. I did some experimenting and noticed it will do it through every gear. I understand it could be a loose piece of something rattling or the engine, but here's the thing... My center console is getting hot. I'm not talking warm to the touch, but if I'm driving around fairly hard, it gets damn toasty. It's been doing this for a little while but I think it's getting progressively worse. It could also be the fact it's summer time and I got the car just before winter, and it was too cold to get hot enough for me to notice and it's normal, but I doubt it. I did the trans fluid a few months ago and found it unusual that the 5 speed recommended ATF. Would switching to gear oil help keep it cool? Anyone else having or had this problem? I can't have my trans go out on me because this is my only form of transportation. Any form of help is very much appreciated.

[1996 GT]

ATF = Automatic transmission fluid = sluggieness = bad

Gear oil = good.

[97S281]

Have you modified the exhaust at all? I gete alot more heat transfer from my long tubes and off road H pipe than I did with the stock setup or even shorties and an o/r H.

I take it your car is an auto? My wife's old 98 vert made the same noise when you stepped on it. I never figured it out but it never seemed to hurt performance.

[Silvestris]

I know it's automatic transmission fluid, but they recommended it. It confused the hell out of me because it's basically a lubricating hydraulic fluid instead of being dedicated and perfected just for lubrication. I'll have to order some gear oil. What do you recommend? 90w 140? And it is aftermarket exhaust, but only from the muffler back. stock cats and h pipe are still there. I was thinking it could be exhaust too. It's the 5 speed manual.

[1996 GT]

It should say in the owners manual, id check mine but that means i have to walk to my car if i remember ill check while im at work tomorrow

Who told you to use ATF? thats horrible for your transmission and like i said cna cause sludge.

[Silvestris]

Dude, I swear to god it says it in my owners manual. I'd double check, but I to am too lazy to go walk out to my car. I know all the Amsoil website says to use is their ATF for the 5 speed, and they usually go by the books on recommending what to use. That's actually what I have in there now. And when I drained it to change it a few weeks before, it was smelly old red ATF that came out, probably from the factory.

[Silvestris]

"Yikes! Always ATF on all T5s. Tolerances are too close to permit 90weight gear oil. There is a debate about whether to use synthetic ATF or not. Some sellers of T5s recommend redline synthetic ATF. GForce will not warrant their race built T5s unless their in-house brand ATF is used. Hanlon says do not use synthetic as it has too much lubriousity for the synchros to reliable operate.

My experience is that I had trouble getting the car into 1st, when warm, at a stop. Switched off of the redline synthetic and the problem went away. Now I use valvoline ATF - Mercon/Dextron, being careful to read the label to make sure it is not a synthetic blend, as some are (without advertising the product as a synthetic blend)."


T5 - gear lube or ATF? - Vintage Mustang Forums

[Silvestris]

This might help

Center console gets really hot

I'll take a peak at my cats tomorrow. I'd be good news if they were clogged because that means I'd have funding for those bbk long tube headers and catted h pipe.

[1996 GT]

Does your car go in gear okay when its turned off? If not, sounds like a bad syncro, which t45's are famous for, also your '96 GT should have a t45 not a t5.

Mercon/dextron is proper for fords, that are an automatic. I do not see why they say to use ATF in it, are you sure you have an origonal owners manual? mine says 1996 but ALOT of diagrams are from a 1995.

[Silvestris]

When it's off, It'll usually go into gear fine with the clutch disengaged. And my bad, but I just did a quick look up and it still says ATF. I'll have to check my owners manual in the morning. Plus, I am using synthetic ATF... Maybe I need conventional?

[1996 GT]

Yeah im reading the same thing Im checking this out at work today, i want to know when i have to change mine!

[Silvestris]

I know dude. I was scared to order and run ATF in there even though it was recommended. Once I saw ATF comming from my trans when I changed it, I felt a little better, but it was always in the back of my mind that it might mess somethin up. My auto shop teacher was like WTF are you doing? you know you have a manual trans right? lol

[1996 GT]

Yeah dude you are right. I even searched it in the my work computer and even it recommends ATF, and my manager says its possible because hes seen it before.

I kinda want to try that syncromesh stuff, ive heard good and bad things about it though.

[Silvestris]

Isn't that for GM? And on another note, I didn't get the noise or the heat like I did yesterday. It was much cooler out. And although my temp gauge is retarded, it was hanging on the boarder of cold and normal today, as where yesterday it was hanging around the N in normal. I've noticed that I lose power when the engine is normal compared to when it's cold. I'm going to have to try some 91 or 94 octane and see if that helps, it might have a slight case of predetonation, although I don't hear anything. I've come to the conclusion that Mustangs (or at least mine) don't like heat.

[1996 GT]

Dont use 91 or 94, your car is designed stock from the factory to run off 87.

For the syncromesh stuff, the guy at my work with a saab used it and he said it works awesome. Just not sure how well our cars would like it.

[Silvestris]

I know it's designed for 87, but older motors tend to get hot and predetonate. Hence why I want to try 91 octane and see if it helps performance. If it does, I know I have a cooling problem. I read up in a TSB today that if our cars get in a low speed collision, you might not see damage, but the hood can separate from the inner layer and fly into your windshield at highway speeds. The PO got in a low speed collision and you can literally see a crack in the paint from where the hood bends and flexes now, so I'm looking at getting a 3" fiberglass cowl induction hood, and that should help cool things off.

[1996 GT]

Dude! Get a shaker hood, that would be super cool, a 3" cowl is to much imo, makes it look more of a pro street look. Unless thats what your going for.

[Silvestris]

Where the hell can I get a shaker hood for my year? its all 99 and up I see

[1996 GT]

Yeah true, you could try to make one? If you did i would be so impressed and you would probably be forced into doing a write up on how, because that would be wicked awesome.

[Silvestris]

Yeah, I want a shaker, but I don't have the funds to build one, and I really dont feel like cutting a lop sided hole in my hood.