Hi, i want to put a strong trans behind my Flathead. 3 or 4-speed . No Overdrive. Top Shifter !!! The only one i know of is a ford toploader with a Jeep shifter top., but that is out of my price range. Any Ideas? TIA Michael
That's the very first thing that came to my mind when I saw the ***le of this thread. If you want bullet-proof - that's the only way to go. I believe you can do the same with the '60s Ford toploader 3-spds & the Jeep 3-spd shifters too...might be a cheaper way, but could be harder to find parts for... Of course, you can use any of the GM trans adapters to put a GM-spec Muncie, Saginaw, or T-10, but you won't have a top-shifter unless you fabricate one (someone might be making a sheet-metal shifter that sits on top for these).
SM420 or SM465 should do the trick. Kinda low gearing but you wanted strong and top load so that fills both requests.
None of the solutions are cheap. I bought a rebuilt top loader locally then got a Jeep trans off of the 'bay. I emptied out my top loader and made the mods to the case for the Jeep shifter. Later, I sold the Jeep case and gears without it's top on the 'bay to recoup a little. That's one project. The other project is a Muncie with the T&F shifter on top. It is kind of pricey, too, and not sure if they are still being offered. Go with either of these, then you start messing with the adapters and finding the discs and pressure plates that will work. I do not have either running yet, but I think I've got all the details done for them. Good luck.
Hi, i adapted T5s before(and have a World Cl*** V8 with S-10 tower laying around), so I'm not afraid of the work. Top shifter, because i hate all the external shift **** stuff. Doesn't has to be bullet proof.Remember Flathead not Hemi That reminds me of BW 4speed , similar to T5s......do they have overdrive? In which cars did they came in?S-10s??
You want T4 if you don't want the overdrive of a T5. The T4 predated the T5. They use the same pattern bellhousing mount. Pinto's, Mustang II's, Fairmont's and maybe some 79-80ish Mustangs had them. Pinto's for sure. Don't know if any other manufacturers used them. A quick Google shows that Jeep's and S10's had them too.
Look's like the Jeep version had... 1st 4.03 2nd 2.37 3rd 1:50 4th 1.00 and Pinto's had... 1st 3.65 2nd 1.97 3rd 1.37 4th 1.00
They put them behind 2.9 Cologne V6's in Mercury Capri's in the 70's and maybe in V6 Pinto's. Why do you not want oberdrive? It would be much easier to fidn and the same ammount of work to install.
Cause i think with a good engine 3 or 4 gears are enough (and a tall R&P) I won a race with my '39 toploader over a T5 just because i had less to shift..... Also the 9" has 3:00 R&P. with 7.50 16s and ovedrive that is tooooo tall. Michael
Ok. Being the devil's advocate consider this.... Take your engine put a 5 speed in it and put 3.50 or 3.70 gears in the 9 inch. You will accelerate much faster and turn the same or less rpm's at speed.
What about a Type 9? Should be all over the place in Europe. Came in the RWD Euro ******s. They are O/D but it's .825:1. Even with 3.00's you 'd be at 2.48 in 5th. It'd cut highway rpm's. Also, just because a ****** has a 5th gear, doesn't mean you have to use that gear. I skip using 4th gear in my daily at least 50% of the time. My Father has a car he never uses 5th in.
I agree with tjm73 - I'd opt for a steeper rear gear & the overdrive 5-spd. If you beat a guy with a 5 spd, he wasn't geared correctly!
9" centersections are not cheap over here....i thought of that.... What about Volvo 4 speeds.... I think they call them M40........ I know that 5-speeds are they way to go... have a V8 with S10 shifter....the combo everybody wants... Michael
Nobody has mentioned the overdrive late model Ford top loader. It is a 3 speed with the 4th gear being an overdrive. My buddy bought one for about a buck and a half at the turkey run. I don't think that there is any law that requires you to shift into overdrive if you are happy with the 1-1 3rd gear. Nobody would confuse it with a racing trans, but it will certainly stand up to a flathead. I don't understand why you are shunning an OD trans. The OD lets you run lower gears in the rear for more fun at the stop lights. You can still drive it like its a 3 spd. Just another option.
Hi Tommy, you are right , but with a flathead ...7.50 on 16s; 3:00 R&P an od is useless.......... Tell me more about the late Toploader....what years and models? Michael
I'm sorry. I can't spit out pt#s and years like a lot of guys. I want to say early 70s? They were mostly in trucks and vans. They were a floor shift 4 spd trans with 3rd being 1-1 and 4th an overdrive gear. Before the T-5 craze, they were highly sought after. You need to **** can that 3.00 rear! Get a 3.50 or 3.70ish. I had never driven a car with OD until I got my Ranch Wagon. They really are fun to drive. You have the low rear gears for fun around town at the stop lights and they make the pipes sound sweet. Then when you do want to drive over 20 miles from home you can drop it down into OD and cruise. Get some gears in that ***** and then the OD to make it fun and practical. I'm just getting my T-5 OD operational in my P/U. I'm going to have to pop for some lower gears too. I can't wait!
He's talkign about the late 70'2-early 80's 4 speeds. NOT the SROD that came in Mustangs, but the top loader looking box that came in Fairmonts (I think), Granada's, F100's and F150's. They are on eBay from time to time. Ratio's are wide and listed below. Soemtimes they are called 3 speed plus overdrive, or 3+1 or, 4 speed overdrive. 1st - 3.29 2nd - 1.84 3rd - 1.00 4th - 0.80
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