T10 Transmission Overview
Back in the 1950s, nearly all cars had three speed transmissions. Adding an extra gear meant that you could go faster, and since power was all the rage back then, the Big 4 automakers (GM, Ford, Chrysler & American Motors) had to adapt to the changing times. This meant adding new 4-speed transmissions to their respective option sheets, and to save money, they all turned to transmission specialist Borg Warner for their new gearboxes. Launched first in the 1957 Corvette, the Borg Warner T 10 transmission featured a 10-spline input shaft, with an aluminum case to save weight. Other GM applications up until 1960 used a cast-iron case. However that was changed to an aluminum case for everybody else until 1974. Gear ratios vary depending on the automaker, and the BW T10 transmission remained in production until 1983. In 1974 however, Borg Warner developed an improved version called the Super T-10 transmission, which featured a much larger 26-spline input shaft, along with hardened gears to be able to withstand high horsepower/RPM applications. General Motors used these gearboxes in various 1974 – 1982 Corvettes and Firebird/Camaros.
What Transmission Do I Have?
OE T-10 4-speed Manual Transmission Applications
1957-1963 Chevrolet Corvette
1957-1963 Chevrolet full-size sedans
1961-1963 Pontiac full-size sedans
1961-1963 Oldsmobile F85
1961-1963 Buick Special
1960-1965 Ford full-size sedans (ex. station wagons)
1960-1965 Ford Fairlane
1960-1965 Ford Falcon
1960-1965 Ford Mustang
1960-1965 Mercury full-size sedans (ex. station wagons)
1960-1965 Mercury Comet
1963 Dodge and Plymouth V-8 (ex. Hemi engines)
1968-1970 AMC Rambler
1968-1970 AMC Rebel
1968-1970 AMC Ambassador
1968-1970 AMC Marlin
1968-1970 AMC American
1968-1974 AMC Javelin
1968-1974 AMC AMX
1971 AMC Hornet
1971 AMC Matador
OE Super T-10 4-speed Manual Transmission Applications
1975-1983 Chevrolet Corvette
1975-1983 Chevrolet Camaro
1975-1983 Pontiac Firebird
T-10 Technical Specs
10-spine input shaft / 1.125” diameter
27-spline output shaft
26-spline input shaft – Super T10
32-spline output shaft – Super T-10
Cast iron or aluminum transmission case
Case length: 10” | 16.5” w/ bellhousing
Weight: 100 lbs
Super T-10 Gear Ratios
T10-U Transmission
1st = 3.44
2nd = 2.28
3rd = 1.46
4th = 1.00
R = 3.33
T10-W Transmission
1st = 2.64
2nd = 1.75
3rd = 1.33
4th = 1.00
R = 2.71
T10-X Transmission
1st = 2.64
2nd = 1.61
3rd = 1.23
4th = 1.00
R = 2.49
T10-Y Transmission
1st = 2.88
2nd = 1.75
3rd = 1.33
4th = 1.00
R = 2.49
What Transmission Do I Have?
Conclusion: T-10 Transmission
With such a long production life and application list, the OE configuration of a T10 transmission depend upon the vehicle that it came out of. If you are unsure, the ID tag will provide plenty of information. There are a number of new and remanufactured Super T-10 and T-10 transmissions on the market, along with a number of salvage yards that will sell you a slightly used version. So do your due diligence before buying one.
