Many NMRA racers, like Dave...
Many NMRA racers, like Dave Ginter in Real Street (shown), rely on Hanlon Motorsports to modify their Tremec transmissions for competition. Those racers push the outer limits of the transmission, and the technology used in racing trickles down to street units.
Each month, the pages of MM&FF are jam-packed with technical information on how to extract more power from under the hood of your Mustang or Ford. We venture into the install and testing of basic bolt-on parts, from mild builds you can do at home to wild 1,000-plus-horsepower engines capable of destroying anything you line up against. The influx of easy horsepower has led to lots of fun, but also some severe drivetrain failures. Even moderate power levels (400-600 rwhp) can be disastrous.
One popular solution for gear-banging enthusiasts has been the lineup of Tremec Transmission five-speed and six-speed gear boxes. The company first released the 3550 five-speed, and subsequently replaced it with the tougher TKO. As time went on, Tremec released the TKO-500 and TKO-600. Each is capable of handling increased power, and Tremec added various features to keep up with the demands. But at some point, even those boxes get abused and destroyed.
Hanlon began with a standard...
Hanlon began with a standard Tremec TKO-600 five-speed transmission and cracked it open to perform a few modifications. Those who want to tackle the rebuild in their garage can purchase how-to-rebuild videos from Hanlon.
Enter Hanlon Motorsports, where owner Bob Hanlon has been at the forefront of repairing and upgrading manual transmission for over two decades. Hanlon Motorsports specializes in street, strip, and road-race five-speed and six-speed Tremec transmissions, as well as anything else that requires a clutch. This month we focus on some modifications available from Hanlon for the popular Tremec 3550, TKO, TKO-500, and TKO-600 units. Through the years, Bob Hanlon has learned a few things about the transmissions, and he modifies each to handle quite a bit of power.
Glancing over at the NMRA heads-up racing ranks shows Hanlon-prepped transmissions in a plethora of championship rides, mostly in Real Street, Pure Street, and Factory Stock. Many class record holders and champions utilize Hanlon-prepped transmissions. The advances and modifications Hanlon has incorporated in those race boxes have trickled down to the street, which benefits the majority of our readers.
The shifter and extension-housing...
The shifter and extension-housing cover are removed, and Hanlon pushes out the shift finger roll pins and removes the six tail-housing bolts.
Here, Hanlon shows us a few key tricks inside the Tremec five-speed, including the company's latest friction-lined blocker rings. During gear changes, the blocker ring's job is to slow down the gear in response to the shifter movement to engage the next gear. "The ring is like a brake shoe-it slows the gear down," said Hanlon. "The ring has a taper that matches the taper on the gear. When the shift fork starts to move the slider, the synchro key puts pressure on the blocker, which slows the gear down through the taper. It slows the gear down so the engagement teeth line up and engage the gear. When you miss a shift, those little teeth are what you hear grinding. They are trying to find a spot to engage," explains Hanlon.
According to Hanlon, the blocker rings are essentially the same basic design from the '60s-era Top Loader transmissions. The Hanlon Motorsport friction-lined rings were designed out of necessity. "As the horsepower and torque has increased dramatically, the transmissions need to be stronger and include heavier gears to withstand the power. The heavier gears have more inertia, so it's harder to slow down those bigger and heavier gears. The lined rings slow the gears down quicker to allow them to engage easier."
The cover is removed, revealing...
The cover is removed, revealing the shift forks.
In addition to the horsepower and torque of today's high-performance engine comes higher rpm-7,000-8,000 rpm is common amongst the nastiest of street or race machines. The higher rpm has the same effect as the gear's greater mass-it needs to be slowed down more effectively.
The Hanlon blocker rings retail for $75 each, and are offered for the do-it-yourselfers or as an upgrade during a rebuild at Hanlon Motorsports. Most often Hanlon will add the friction-lined rings to Second, Third, and Fourth gears because those are hit the hardest in drag racing. He will use the friction-lined ring for Fifth in road-racing-bound Tremecs. "I never add the friction-lined blocker ring to First gear because it's really rare that someone would be downshifting into that gear."
The main shaft is shown here-First...
The main shaft is shown here-First gear is on the right, followed by Second gear, Third gear, Fourth gear, and Fifth gear. The entire assembly spins, and when the shifter is moved to the next gear, the shift fork moves a slider to engage the next gear. The small teeth are what engage the gear and move the car forward (or backward).
The back of the transmission...
The back of the transmission comes apart so the cluster can be removed from the trans housing.
Hanlon unbolts the throwout...
Hanlon unbolts the throwout bearing retainer and pulls out the input shaft. Be careful when pulling the input shaft as there.....
....are 17 roller bearings....
....are 17 roller bearings. Hanlon greases up the bearings to hold them in place when putting the transmission back together.
The output shaft/main shaft...
The output shaft/main shaft comes out of the trans housing easily.
The teeth on the circumference...
The teeth on the circumference of the gears are slowed down by the bronze ring and engage the matching set of teeth. When you miss a gear, that grinding comes from the teeth trying to engage the set on the other side of the blocker ring since all the gears are moving on the output shaft.