Here is the start of my T5 swap. I'm putting in a 280zx turbo T5 5-speed transmission and turbo 2+2 driveshaft into my 1982 280ZX non-turbo. At the same time I'm replacing the flywheel to fix a broken tooth on the stock flywheel. I've got a new clutch kit (stock turbo 240mm) and stock Mustang shifter handle. I'll shorten it (cut down) for a slightly shorter throw.

You can see the difference in length from the 2-seater and 2+2 driveshafts.
For sale: 2-seater T5 driveshaft for a 280ZX

Same bellhousing as the Nissan transmission; just removable.

Nissan 81-83    BorgWarner T5

1st  3.062         3.5
2nd  1.858         2.144
3rd  1.308         1.378
4th  1.0           1.0
5th  0.745         0.78

I have heard other say the T5 is rated for about 350 foot pounds. The guy in Z-Sport mag with the 450hp turbo 280ZX was using the stock T5 up to 400hp with no problems. Then he switch to a different transmission when he upped the boost. I do plan to rebuild a turbo L28 and drop that in some day. did I mention my stock tranny is shot?

As far as the ratios, you can see 1st gear is much lower for more power from a dead stop. The shifts are spaced eveningly from 1st through 4th. 5th gear is tall, but just a tiny bit lower geared than the stock 5-speed. I'll be 50rpm higher on the freeway. The shifting feel is said to be more firm and precise like shifting a newer car. They use T5 shifter parts like Mustang short throw shifters ect. I bought a stock mustang shifter as I got a tip they have a better pivot point than the Nissan one included with the transmission. Plus I can use any of those glowing Neon shifters you get a Shucks!  j/k

No, its not done yet! I haven't really done anything since this post was put up! I'm LAZY!

Originally posted by Bleach

Hopefully it won't be another 3 weeks untill the next time I work on the car!

Well, its been almost three weeks and no work on the car. I'll be working on it this weekend and I have help this time. I should have no problem finishing it.

Also, I got some KYB shocks for the Z so now I can install those too! Got those blue oil filters and some other little goodies from our favorite Importedcarparts.com

The Nissan transmission is out. On the driveshaft I had to remove the little crossmember to swing the shaft down and out of the transmission.

The NA driveshaft (bottom) is just a tiny bit longer than the turbo one. Likewise, the T5 tail is just slightly longer than the Nissan unit.

The major hangup today was my custom 2.5" exhaust. It hung down close to one side of the transmission and just slightly under it. The transmission drops down fine, but there is no room for side movement. After a lot of pulling and twisting of the transmission, the exhaust had to go.

The dirty Nissan transmission next to the replacement. Swapping speedometer cogs was more of a chorse than I thought. When removing the housing for the Nissan cog, I got a few large chunks of metal with it. That old transmission has really shown its age. The old throwout bearing is all together, but the action feels gritty and it makes a swirling noise when spun. The new bearing is smooth and quiet. As I suspected, the rear main seal leaks and the inside of the bellhousing is very oily. The clutch is in good condition as far as the surface goes, but its worn down very far. Its about time to change the clutch anyway!  The flywheel is smooth and not overheated. As I knew, I had two broken teeth on the ring gear. But I've got a replacement flywheel anyway.

Now I'm going to clean up the back of the engine, that plate between the tranny and block, and replace the rear main seal... oh, and pilot bushing. I hope that thing comes out ok.

The bottle jack is there for a little support while I was shoving the tranny around. The engine mounts are very tight and the engine stays put very well. I'm happy about that.
I'll use some band clamps to replace the pipe chunk that was taken out. That should seal ok for a while. When I do my turbo swap I'll need a new exhaust anyway.

The T5 will go in next year.

I have figured out a strange little tidbit during my tranny swap. The speedo cog I pulled out of the stock Nissan transmission was blue. It had 18 teeth. The cog from the T5 was black with 19 teeth. I thought it was strange that a 3.54 (turbo) gear ratio would only be one tooth off from a 3.9 gear ratio... then how many teeth are for the 3.7 ratio????

aaahhh, the blue cog that was in my 280ZX the whole time was for a 3.7 ratio but I should have a 3.9 rear in my Z! What the crapola!?!

With that in mind, who knows what kinda gear ratios are in the Nissan tranny I just pulled. So now I gotta run some tests to verify what transmission I pulled and what the actual gear ratio is of the diff in my car. This could result in me needing to find a different speedo cog. If I do have a 3.9 then I've been driving slower than my speedometer reads for the last 7 years! If I have a 3.7 then I can swap in a 3.9 for even more power! fun stuff...

YELLOW is the 16 tooth for the 3.36
BLACK is the 17 tooth for the 3.54
BLUE is the 18 tooth for the 3.70
WHITE is the 19 tooth for the 3.90
RED is the 20 tooth for the 4.11
PURPLE is the 21 tooth for the 4.375

These numbers are for Z-cars. Datsun trucks have larger stock tires... so the final drive ratio is one step higher than stated. So in a 620 you would have...

WHITE is the 19 tooth for the 4.11
RED is the 20 tooth for the 4.375
PURPLE is the 21 tooth for the 4.625
????? is the 22(?) tooth for the 4.875

As an example, a white cog could be used in a:
280ZX 3.9 rear 205-60-15 tires
[same final drive ratio as]
620truck 4.11 rear 205-70-15 tires

Lower gear ratio, taller tires.  ...am I rambling? No, this is good info.