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There are many aftermarket options. In my CJ5 , I used the NP435 which bolts up directly to the original AMC belhousings used on the AMC 304 /AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l engines and T-150 /T-176 trannies. Downside is you need a novak kit for Dana 300 tcase and different driveshaft lengths.
The bottom line is you need to consider your application. A mostly stock jeep used for only mild offroading is what the T-4 , T-5 and SR4 's were designed for. I would stick with that. Save your money for bling, drive it and enjoy!! Ed
Just a quick thought... People on Pirate4x4 always has these adapters for sale... normally for a great price... it doesn't hurt to look around and buy used.
I dont want to make a bunch of waves, but I will reiterate: the T-4 /5 is a ticking timebomb.
I thought the exact same way at one time, that I would just keep the T-5 because it hadn't given me any trouble to date. All it took was a simple missed shift to cause a very exensive rebuild. Ok, I thought, I'll be ok with it now that it is fresh again. It wasn't long before the true nature of it's light duty rating raied it's ugly head again...with mild offroading. Stupidly, I rebuilt it yet again and every time I drove it, I held my breath. I finally couldnt take the thought of being stranded on the road onemore time due to a weak component. At that point I upgraded for way less then a shop charges to rebuild a T-5 .
The bottom line is if you have a bald tire, do you say "well, it's still holding air" and hope it doesnt leave you stranded? Or do you replace it with the peace of mind that you are taking a more reliable step.
Im not advocating that you spend a ton of money, and I know you want to keep it as stock as you can. So here's the deal: I'll bet you can find someone willing to give you a T-176 for nearly nothing. You can have your drivelines lenghtened and shortened for about $100..or pick up some stock drivelines from a T-176 equiped CJ .And That is a good investment against finding yourself stranded on the side of the road with torched synchros and looking at a lot of money to fix it.
This is just my opinion, been around the block a few times on this subect so hindsight to me is 20/20. But its your jeep and you have gotten a lot of valuable opinions and information on this thread. Good luck with what ever you decide
1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
Almost all the Transmission swaps will entail replacing the drive shafts. This is because you won't be able to find a Transmission with the same length as your T-4 .
Here are the only Transmission that won't need the drive shafts replaced (or you could have the length of the shafts changed): T-4 (what you already have) T-5(same as a T-4 but with Overdrive ) T-18 (but this needs an adapter to mate to the Dana 300 TCase)
FCB just my 2 bucks worth you know with inflation and all. All joking aside I've been doing tons of research and shopping for my own build and on my local craigslist have found numerous t176s and even surprisingly more t18s available. I don't know your budget but if you have a T-4 already to make it as bullet proof as possible these appear to be good options. After all a 4 speed is a 4 speed and for an extra 2-300 tops why not eliminate any worries about your tranny holding up no one but you will be none the wiser and the peace of mind IMHO would be worth it.
I still have not picked up a new Transmission yet and don't plan on it untill I'm 100% sure about what I want and also know what I want to do with my engine.......oh an of course safe up some money for all of this.
I have realized that when I finally have this jeep finished, I won't be doing much off roading at all. Due to this, do you all really think the T-18 is still the best bet? I am kind of leaning to the T-176 because it sounds like more of an on-road Transmission .
1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
Does anyone still talk about the WC T-5 ? I haven't heard anything about them in several years now
Used to be "the solution", yet was still questionable by many.
...Not to confuse the OP's decision making any more then it might already be
1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
Does anyone still talk about the WC T-5 ? I haven't heard anything about them in several years now
Used to be "the solution", yet was still questionable by many.
...Not to confuse the OP's decision making any more then it might already be
1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
Check out this link: The Borg-Warner T4 & T5 Jeep Transmissions - Novak Conversions
Here is what Novak says about the World Class T-5 "A strengthened version of the T-5 called the "World Class" was available and parts were formerly available to address some of the Transmission 's weaknesses. However, even with these, splines shear and the cases stretch under torque and no such upgrades could prevent some failures"
Check out this link: The Borg-Warner T4 & T5 Jeep Transmissions - Novak Conversions
Here is what Novak says about the World Class T-5 "A strengthened version of the T-5 called the "World Class" was available and parts were formerly available to address some of the Transmission 's weaknesses. However, even with these, splines shear and the cases stretch under torque and no such upgrades could prevent some failures"
Agreed
The T-176 is a better on-road Transmission
The only issue is you will need the drive-shaft lengths changed but that's no big deal.
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Thanks again for the help BusaDave. I think I might go check out this T-176 and see if its in good shape. 1982 CJ7 Jeep
Any advice on anything I shold be looking for to make sure I wont be buying a POS. This guy stated that he would sell me the T-176 without the Transfer Case for $100. He did mention that the shifter plate would have to be replaced. Thoughts?