The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Calimer

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

As a guy who broke his MT-82 three times, twice after a clutch upgrade, I don’t think it’s durable enough. Regardless you’re probably not reading this or planning on making upgrades because yours hasn’t broke. I do think a lot of issues are due to the crappy stock clutch. My recommendation is to upgrade the clutch immediately and not wait for issues to arise.
 
Don’t worry, Voodoo, I’m reading!

I’ve considered a clutch upgrade and shifter change before issues arise, actually. Seems the best “fix” for these seems to be preventive modifications. This is why I lurk here quite often; to learn from those that have more experience than I.
 
As a guy who broke his MT-82 three times, twice after a clutch upgrade, I don’t think it’s durable enough. Regardless you’re probably not reading this or planning on making upgrades because yours hasn’t broke. I do think a lot of issues are due to the crappy stock clutch. My recommendation is to upgrade the clutch immediately and not wait for issues to arise.
VoodooBoss will take his cars to the limit..................
 

JDee

Ancient Racer
1,797
2,001
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
5 miles from Mosport
I have to ask; why would you not return a transmission to customer that did not as like new. Sorry guys, that’s jus “BS” in my book. It’s a sign of a poorly run shop and indefensible.

Have to agree with this. I grew up hanging around and working in a race shop and they lived by the old saying "cleanliness is next to godliness", meant in a mechanical way. Nothing they touched was dirty after they touched it and the first thing a car got after it came back from the track was a thorough inspection followed by an equally thorough clean up, top and bottom.
 
173
38
Believe me they were dirty and did not look good at all.I was shocked at the look of the first but the second still was not close to looking new.They paint right over the dirt and grease.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,424
8,349
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Agree with Madhatter it is weird that 5th appears to be the weak link? That was the gear that went in my 2012. I do think, from Dealership experience, the early M-80s were just that --- explosive. Currently we have not seen many of the newer model Mustangs in the Dealership with tranny issues.
 
Last edited:
173
38
I just got back from the Mustang 55th and everyone I showed the damaged input shaft video to said the same thing, this is damaged beyond being usable!
 
173
38
That looks a lot more like a reman should!
I’m installing the original transmission but it definitely
has a lot more play in the input shaft than the calimer.
 

Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
5,237
4,227
Santiago, Chile
Oh well, I have two mt82 trannies that we rebuild regularly. It costs about US$1000 a rebuild as we change anything that looks to worn. Am hoping that proper cooling will have an effect.... Hoping they will last longer now!!
 
I got a second Calimer tranny for a friend last year. It too arrived pretty dirty with the magnetic plug full of metal bits etc.. Did not feel very smooth when turned over by hand.... Showed Ben the pics and he was a bit grumpy that we had opened the box up to see inside... My buddy was not happy, but the tranny has been going for about a year now with out any problems..

My Calimer box died long time ago after two hard seasons, but it died before adding a oilcooler.

Do you remember if it was a Stage 1 or Stage 2 Built? and if it was a stage 2 can you confirm that it had been through a REM polishing when you looked inside? The gears should be shiny and bare metal.
 

Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
5,237
4,227
Santiago, Chile
I gave up on rebuilding the MT82s.... Once I got to 450rwhp they would last long at the track.. On the street they would have been fine. Ended up with a Stage three. When a clutch decided to exit the bell housing we swapped the the stage three internals to another tranny case. Yes the gears were noticeably different. I think there are some pics in my build thread.

I see that you now can get better mt82 parts as mentioned above, that would be great for street and occasional trackdays. But W2W will kill them in no time. for track it has to be at least a stage 3 or tremec tranny. In my battered and humble opinion!!
 

JDee

Ancient Racer
1,797
2,001
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
5 miles from Mosport
Do you use OEM parts, or do you “church em up” with tougher aftermarket bits?

I had this kit installed when mine was rebuilt last year:

Also needed new 2nd and 3rd gear sets.

That made a big difference, but really, the biggest difference was using a proper racing clutch instead of the OEM POS. Exedy HyperSingle FTW!
It's a dedicated track day car, but it's not W2W and as MH said, that's a whole 'nother level of abuse!
 
Last edited:

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top