[Dolphin1]

So i need to rebuild a T5 for my thunderbird. looking at kits the ford m-7000-a kit is most popular but it says you have to buy another bearing for the 87-93 units. i also found a deluxe world class rebuild kit that's supposed to have the stuff for the 87-93 mustang / thunderbird. its about 150 cheaper and looks like it has the same stuff as the ford kit.

anyone here have personal experience or suggestions on this. I'm also going to get the kit with the brass shifter pads, billet shift keys, billet bearing retainer and add the steel front snout.

Thanks

[FLHotRod]

[Mike Croke]

I've relied on Hanlon Motorsports for most transmission items. https://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/

[TurboRay]

.
Before plunking down yer hard-earned money for a $$$ "complete" rebuild kit and potentially discarding a lot of existing parts that are still good......... I suggest tearing it down to find out which parts (bearings, blockers/synchros, seals, etc.) are actually worn enough to warrant replacement, then order 'em individually. My 2¢......  <shrug>

[Dolphin1]

appreciate the link for parts and comment well taken on getting it apart to check things. it has to come apart because its in bad shape. i bought it a long time ago for cheap. we put it in and its pretty bad. wont go into 4th and 2nd and 3rd grind. fluid after filling it with fresh was a metallic visual sight. any way their is such a spread on kit prices i wanted to ask.

Thanks

[TurboRay]

.
The flakes in "metalflake" stick-shift tranny oil are often magnetically-attractable (IOW, "steel") ~ and, if so, almost always indicate a bad bearing(s). Hopefully, it/they are one of the 5 or 6 (? - it's been a while) "self-contained" bearings and NOT the rollers in the input (main-drive) gear "pocket" that pilot the front of the mainshaft. If those rollers go bad, they generally chew into the pocket wall of the input gear &/or the OD of the mainshaft's "nub" - IOW, expensive! 

As for not shifting into 2nd or 4th..... those are both "rear pulls" of the shifter and COULD .be caused by a prob(s) with the shift-shaft "dongle" or the interlock pin(s). It could also be caused by munched "engagement" teeth on the gears or shift collar(s) of the synchronizer(s). Inspection is the only way to determine which, if either of those things, is the prob. OTOH, "grinding" upon engagement is usually the result of a worn brass or "lined" blocker ring (aka, "synchro"). <shrug>