Hot Rods Best manual transmission for a Ford 302 in a Model A

What is the best standard transmission in a Model A with a ford 302 engine?
How do you get the shifter moved forward so a bench seat can be used?
I heard a T5 is a weak transmission.

 

When I got my Model A coupe, it was undriveable....Period. It has a '64 Fairlane 289/3-sp/rear end...It had a floor shift that was impossible to get around. I used a '53 Ford column shift and adapted it to whatever my steering box is.... That's still a mystery. Works perfect !!

 

Normal driving is FORD SROD ,3 Speed with OD . I know they are not strong enough for performance use , but adult driving , they are a good unit .

 

Powerglide

 

T5 weak as compared to what? They were put into a ****load of 5.0 Mustangs behind 302s, in V8 Camaros, and seemed to do all right there unless your planning to boost the HP significantly. Even then they can be rebuilt to handle more serious power without breaking the bank. There are numerous posts here about using a t5 and swapping the S10 tail shaft cover to get the shifter into the correct position for a model A. I have an S10 5 speed and tail shaft cover as a back up should my top loader in my 31 decide to stop working and I wouldn't hesitate to use it.

 

It depends what you want out of it and how you're going to use it. With a bench seat you need a forward shifter (you can use side shifts if you notch the seat), which places you into a few types of transmissions.

-T170rts it's an overdrive 4 spd with the shifter on top of the box and not the tailshaft. Good for normal use not for performance
-T5 with an S10 mechanical speedo tail shaft. Good for normal and low performance (4-6cyl non W/C), higher performance (W/C) with better gear set (aftermarket or V8 factory if running wide tires). Trans can be modified stock or aftermarket bought/built. Tailshaft shifter most forward point.
-TKO (500/600) with mid shifter, it's strong but pricey. Tailshaft shifter.
-TKX with mid shift. Really strong and really pricey. Tailshaft shifter.
-3.03 Ford 3 speed with a T150 jeep shift top. Shifter is on the top of the box, real close to stock model A. strong trans.
-1939 Ford trans, 3 speed or any of the period correct transmissions.

 

World Cl*** T5's are not weak.

I know guys running 10.5" slicks, pulling wheelstands with them.

 

Will a T5 with an S10 mechanical speedo tail shaft allow the use of a bench seat?
How is a top loader with a Jeep T176 top cover?

 

for reference read this
Technical - Jeep shift tower-Ford Toploader | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

How big is your bench seat?

 

I have a top loader 4 speed with the t176 Jeep shift tower on it in my roadster. It is fine now that I found and fixed a couple issues with it and it is more than strong enough for my built flattie. I have a bench seat and it fits fine but you will never be speed shifting this thing!

 

The 3+1 gets called "weak" as it is not as strong as the "regular" toploaders- so probably similar to a Munchie. They were used in pickups and jeeps with good results, so can't be that bad- I haven't actually heard of one breaking?. There are car and pickup shifter setups, and even some Hurst units- I have one

 

How about the S10 5 speed, they are shorter than the Ford 5 speed transmission. HRP

 

Here you can see where the t176 shifter sets in relationship to the dash and so on..

 

Ultimate T5 Reference

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-ultimate-t-5-article.171291/

 

One other option no one has mentioned would be an M5R2 out of a mid 90's F150. Good shifter location (further forward compared to a T5, and fairly sturdy. The downside is it is a rather large transmission and may not fit into a Model A without some surgery.

 

The TKX has replaced the now-discontinued TKO. It's basically the same trans internally with the previously optional upgrades now included and a redesigned case which reduces its 'bulk' considerably, making it an easier fit in tight places. No longer a top-load, it's now a front-load design. Big bux, but for a nearly unbreakable trans you'll only buy it once...

 

I don't know where this narrative started about T5s being weak. I had one in an SN95 and (like most people in their early 20s) beat the absolute **** out of that car with bolt on mods and 305s everyday. Every stop light I was pounding gears. At 145K miles I drove the car through the side of an Impala that left turned me but the trans was still functioning flawlessly. That was a 3300 lb car with 300 hp on slicks and that trans took daily abuse for 145K miles without so much as synchros arguing on a hard 1-2 shift. A model A is not going to have that weight or traction.

 

I have observed two trains of thought on the T5, and both of them are incorrect:

1. There exists a significant number of people that do not know that there are Non-World Cl*** and World Cl*** T5's, what the difference is, and have no idea that they might as well be considered two completely different transmissions, similar in silhouette only.

2. There exists a significant number of people that do not understand Borg Warner torque ratings. They believe that the rating is for maximum shock load. They no idea that it is actually the CONSTANT LOAD capacity of the transmission, over the hundreds-of-hours of the test, and that the maximum shock load is substantially higher.

It would seem that there are plenty of people content to repeat these myths and others, with no actual direct knowledge. After all, we have all heard that 010 blocks have high-Nickel content and are stronger (except they don't and aren't), 100mpg carburetors are possible (they aren't), high-octane gasoline makes more power (it doesn't).

From GM records I know directly that a significant number of T5's had to be replaced in the field, due to premature failure. With scant exception, this was due to the incorrect lubricant being used.

As soon as the the World Cl*** T5 emerged, with its Dexron II lubrication requirement, a whole lot of people, and even dealerships decided that was the standard for everything. That mistake cost GM a whole bunch of money, and pissed off a ton of customers.

So did using heavy gear oil in WC T5's.

API-GL5 gear oil did in a whole lot of NWC T5', too (GL5 eats br***). Heavy gear oil, of any kind, in an NWC T5 will lead to balky shifting, even if it is GL4.

It is amazing (in a bad way) just how many people will blame a product for their own failing to adhere to published specifications, and not just unsubstantiated hearsay from the internet.

 

Not to mention that a Model A is about 50% less weight, and with skinny traditional tires there is less shock loading of the trans.

Hahaha! Same thing happens in every engine oil thread, people repeating myths with no actual direct knowledge. Called a guy out on it yesterday and he cried that I was picking a fight.

 

That "high nickle" thing is a myth that dies hard about FE blocks, from the I think I heard I read crowd- thankfully there are still some folks still around, including major engineering folks, who have disproved it- but it still pops up. One thing that was a little amusing was that they kept cast parts like cranks that failed inspection near the ovens, and if a load was too hot per spec to pour, they would toss a couple cranks in the pot and called them "Ice Cubes"

 

The TKX is the replacement but I added the TKO because I thought there might be some stock still left. I also wasn't aware until a few months ago that there was a mid shifter made for the TKX. Both really good options if he decides to go that route.