Apples to Apples, the Nailhead was rated with GROSS figures not NET/SAE like the late model engin Rear wheel figures will be less than engine dyno figures. I would put $100 up saying your engine won't make anywhere near that torque figure, unless you put a custom built converter behind it with a 2 or 2.5 STR. A TPI engine is nothing but torque with its 20 some inch runner length. My engine was still out of HP around 5100 whereas a bone stock tpi peaks at 4800. Stock ratings for it was 245@4400 345@3200 The flywheel numbers are "estimated" with using the 15% parasitic loss figure. It had stock shortblock, vortec heads, zz9 cam, aftermaket base, runners and ported pleum. Most of the ch***is dyno operators started the pulls at 3000 rpm so I dont have an accurate graph and torque figures register at peak almost immediately... but driving the car tells you A LOT. Ripping 1.7x 60 foot times on stock suspension and drag radials tells the tale of the torque. The TPI 350 was the best truck engine GM never built. The T5 will work fine given the proper prep
I have to think if you want to row gear on a budget the Top-Loader is the way to go, I love mine but have it behind a Ford mill, I think the Dynaflow is coming out this winter. The Top-Loader was put behind pretty much every Ford engine in the 60's and 70's so you know it can handle the torque and its the first full syncro trans, I ignore the clutch when I'm feeling randy. With 2.73's out back and a small block I have been past 160 mph. What more do you need? So do I have this right, the best bang for the buck is to swipe the trans from a 64+ and drill out a hole to mate it to a 63 401?
Most of those muscle car 4 speed were aluminum cases, Muncie, T-10... I've seen the ch***is sheets from a very similar engine to mine and it was 415 ft.lbs at 2300rpm at the rear wheels. Hell I still need to put the dual quads on. And why would I need a custom torque converter, standard TH400 stuff. My understanding is this one is just a stock rebuild with dual quads added...
My 1955 nailhead has a B-W T 5 behind it. I used a stock bellhousing and machined the center hole out to fit the T-5 front bearing retainer, transfer punched the bolt holes and drilled and tapped them. Had to shorten the throw out bearing support a 1/2 of an inch and made my own input shaft support bearing by turning down a chevrolet bearing to fit inside the stock nailhead bearing. PM me if you need anymore info. Bryan
The least expensive way out is to use a Saginaw four speed with the 3.50 first gear.Then use a 2.80 ish rear gear.Now you got 2000 rpm at 60 mph and enough first gear for starting off.Not exactly close ratio,but good enough for the bucks spent.
S-10 T-5's are cheep....as long as you don't beat the **** out of it . My car is geared 3.oo in a Ford 8 inch. And the baby nailhead (264) loves the highway speeds in 5th gear.
Damn, with all this talk about m***ive torque, hell, just stick a ZF 5 speed in it out of a Ford F-350. That should be good to about 700# ..
Unless you're going to soft step it, I don't recommend a Saginaw. They're not rated for the sort of torque a built nailhead will put out. -Lee Atomic Radio www.atomicpinup.com
I've had a ton of experience with top loader equipped Fords. I know they are pretty much indestructable for most applications. 160's fast enough for a RPU.
Buyer Beware: If you're going to buy an adaptor kit, be very wary of one particular cat in the Pacific NW who claims to have everything. Hollow claims and empty promises and blaming the shippers for one's own inep***ude is chicken s*^t. Save yourself the drama and go with Bendtsen's. www.transmissionadapters.com
Is he still at it? Finally got mine all put together after much grief. Haven't run it yet. Fingers crossed. If i had to do it over, definitely Bendtsens. Anyhow, FWIW I have a '64 M21 behind my stock 401. Don't know if it's good or bad. Like I said, I haven't run it yet.
Quite right,Most folks have never actually driven a nail head yet they feel thay have to chime in. My younger brother had a 322 (4bbl) in front of a Jag Moss box with over drive, Effectively 8 gears . The moss box is one of the worst ******s ever made with really slow synchros and so on ,but it lived OK with the buick and may be is still going today. If the buick had the torque claimed by the factory it should have spat that Moss horror out on to the road .
After reading all these post about nailheads busting T-5's I wonder why mine is still running after 3 years. You can break anything.. or you can take care of it. I'm not saying T-5 is the best way, but its what I had and it worked for me. I don't beat the **** out of it. I guess thats why.
Same with the saginaws, but if you do put one behind a big Nailhead and hammer on it, it will break. I've ripped through two different rear end mounts before the last one I put in. Torque is king....
I'm using a Tremec 5-speed mated to a Skylark GS bell housing behind my 401 nailhead. This picture shows my clutch linkage to a set of 1948 Ford pickup truck pedals in my deuce hiboy.
Save yourself the drama and go with Bendtsen's. www.transmissionadapters.com[/QUOTE] He may have pleased you. I was quite dasappointed in the quality of his product. It sure didn't look like the unit shown on his web page. Ugly flame cut adapter plate. Needed Locktight to hold in the pilot bearing adapter. Adapter kit includes a mini Chevrolet starter that sure doesn't blend with an early traditional engine. Wish I'd spent a bit more and gone with Wilcap. Regards, Ron
You can't go wrong with Wilcap . . . you may save some money someplace else, but in the end you may just wish you'd spent it with Pat the first time. I tried to save a few $$$ on my Hemi to Chevy setup -- then I went with Pat and I'm super glad I did.
The Jalopy Journal
