Hot Rods T5 Adapter Questions.

Before I get the do a search crowd on me, I have looked quite extensively and have not seen this issue on any of the t5 threads so I figured I would ask. I have a 94 s10 t5 which has been rebuilt and my plan is to put it into my A roadster behind the flatty at some point. I have all the parts needed for the conversion. My adapter plate I picked up here on the HAMB from one of the guys who does them. The problem I am running into is that I cannot get the adapter plate to sit flat against the face of the transmission. The input bearing retainer is a new one and the cast in drain for the oil is interfering with the inner diameter of the adapter. I can grind some off the retainer and a little off the inner ring to get some clearance there if that would be OK? Not sure? Also, with the 4 regular bolts in the bearing retainer the adapter will not sit flush. It sits against the bolt heads. I removed the bolts here in my pictures to see if I could get it flush to the face of the transmission , but you can see it still won't seat. So, has anybody bumped into this when doing their conversion and what did you do about it? The 4 bolt holes inside the registration hole in the adapter are tapped but I see no way to bolt through the adapter and into the bearing retainer unless I drill them out and use longer bolts. Don't know if that will be ok? OR should there be a counter bore where the 4 holes are that will clear the heads of the bolts? Anyway, stuck and looking for suggestions from folks who have been down this road. Thanks. View attachment 6389597 View attachment 6389597

 

Aren't those questions better directed to the gent that made the adapter? I got mine from Wilcap and it doesn't look like that one so I am no help. My T-5 with adapter

Bolted up to 8BA with removable bell

 

You’re gonna need an adapter. Hehe.

 

That adapter is meant to be used with a "Hog's head" adapter found on 4 speed Ford truck trannys. Here's link to one that sold here on HAMB to show you one in the raw.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ruck-hogshead-bellhousing-t5-5-speed.1030923/

The threaded holes on the center index are there to bolt an early ford snout (bearing retainer) on so you can use the early Ford throw-out bearing and fork. The T-5 snout slides inside of the Ford snout. Not sure why your T-5 snout doesn't fit in there...it should.

 

@Kim Strobeck did you use this style adapter with your flatty?

 

Maybe try the plate with an original front bearing retainer. Apparently the release bearing part doesn't have to be prefect just the bearing on the inside.

 

Flthd31 the pictures below show what I have already. The adapter is just not bolting directly onto the trans properly, and if I can make some adjustments that will allow it to? The trans has the Ford bolt pattern. What/which old Ford snout are you talking about? I don't have that but have the old throw out bearing stuff along with the slip on sleeve for the T5 input bearing retainer.

Thanks. I appreciate the help.

 

Here is my throw out bearing stuff. The sleeve is supposed to be pressed onto the T5 bearing retainer, then I am supposed to be able to use the original type throw out bearing set up. I'm new to the t5 set up and don't have any experience with it but was expecting to just bolt the adapter to the t5 and then that whole set up onto the hogshead bell housing stuff.

 

Yes, your questions are best directed at the adapter seller. Seems like they have a different system than others are showing you.

 

Using an adapter plate that looks like yours this si how you should go about the installation and determine if its going to work correctly.

First bolt the adapter plate flat onto the Ford flathead bell housing if its machined correctly it should be held on center into the hole in the Ford bellhousing. Now if the plate sits and centers on the Ford bell housing the next step is to determine if the snout also known as the candle stick from your transmission fits into the center of the adapter plate snugly. If the snout is a larger diameter than the adapter plate opening the outside diameter of the snout must be machined using a lath so it fits snugly into the center opening of the adapter plate. The accuracy of this location is important when installed to be sure its on the crankshaft center line.

Once you have the above determined then any protrusions causing the transmission to not sit flat against the adapter plate can now be addressed by carefully removing material from the adapter plate to get clearance for whatever is causing the transmission to not sit flay against the plate.
Hopefully this will help you to get things figured out.
Ronnieroadster

 

Great! You have the press on adapter. That will take the place of the old ford bearing retainer which you will not need. That press on adapter will be the same diameter as the early Ford bearing retainer. The early fork that came with the hogshead will fit that.
Still not sure why the T-5 doesn't fit flush. Might want to check with the guy who sold it to you.

 

Thanks to all. I really do appreciate the info. The adapter plate is machined for a snug fit to the hogs head so that should be good. The transmission side is machined for a tight fit of the bearing retainer, which is snug. The trans just doesn't go all the way into the adapter because the 4 bearing retainer bolt heads bottom in the recessed area that is milled out for it. I think what I will do is see if I can counter bore the area where the bolt heads hit and make some clearance so they can seat all the way in.

 

Cornhusker Rod And Custom. Complete kit $650. Have a bell housing for the late T5. Guaranteed to work. Manufacturing and selling them since the mid 90's. Kit includes Bellhousing, Machined throwout bearing assembly, Pilot bushing, Fork,Correct lower shaft, Lever if needed, Return spring and bolts. Tech help as long as I'm alive.

 

Some history. These plates were all the rage back when we started using the T5 trannies from Chevy S10 pickups and can still be an economical way to go.
Fellow Hamber Dwight Bond made and sold hundreds. They were used with a hogshead adapter and an early Ford bearing retainer to accommodate the early ford throwout bearing. Back then hogsheads were dirt cheap. I paid 10 buck for most of mine and the early Ford bearing retainers were and still are dime a dozen. All 3 speed Ford trannies had them from 37-52.
A few years later, company's started making cast aluminum adapters that were one piece and took the place of the hogshead. This system needed the press on adapter for the early throw out bearing. These newer systems have a return spring hook inside which you won't have with the press on adapter. You'll figure it out.
Or you can spend 650.00!

 

Thanks Krylon32. I appreciate it but I am already too deep into this to start over at this point.

After doing some more checking with my verniers I think I have a solution. The bolt heads have a .070" lip around them. I think this is what is keeping the bearing retainer from seating all the way. I think I can grind that off to get the amount I need to get the adapter to seat properly. I will give this a whirl tomorrow and see what I get. Stay tuned.

 

You could try some button head bolts.

 

Thanks Marty. I thought about that but did a quick search of my area and didn't find what I wanted.

 

I've had one of Dwight Bond's adapters for years

The photo bucket album is dated 2017 and I had to call Dwight and order it and then send him a post office money order and the adapter, pilot bushing and cross shaft came back in return mail.
I don't remember anything about using the Ford bearing retainer but the locked up tighter than Dick's hat band granny 4 speed that came with a 52 F-1 chassis I bought, snagged parts off and sold has that along with another hogshead.

 

Success! As mentioned above I took the 4 bolts from the input bearing retainer and ground the lip off them to see if that would give me enough for the adapter to seat properly. It almost did, but not quite. There was still some interference with the bearing retainer in the area for the oil drain back and the inner ring of the adapter.. I took a grinder to the bearing retainer and removed some material in that area. Checked it a number of times and it still wasn't quite sitting flat. I finally removed just a couple small areas on the inside dia. of the adapter where the casting was hitting. Finally it sat all the way on and nice and flat to the face of the transmission. I'd like to say I think I'm over the hump with this t5 but that won't be true until it's in the car and functioning properly. So thanks for now guys!

 

I should go check my book, but is the drain back hump supposed to be on the top?

 

Alchemy there are actually 2 of them on this retainer. The larger one goes at the bottom according to the Paul Cangialosi youtube stuff on t5's. I have his manual as well but it doesn't show it in that. I will check it again though. It was just mocked up for the pics. Thanks tho.

 

That's correct the drain goes on the bottom. Great to see the issue has been figured out.

 

OK guys here is the end result. The trans, adapter, bell housing, and TO sleeve, are all put together and seem to fit well. I fabbed up a return spring retainer and installed it. I then took a Mustang Hurst t5 short throw shifter and adapted it to the trans. Had to shorten the mounting plate as it was too long, drill a couple holes, and make a spacer for underneath it, but it works well on the bench. Need to fab up a longer shift handle. Also need to figure out the vent? Not sure what it even looks like? Last thing will be to figure out how much I'll need to take off the shaft for the pilot bushing.

 

Gordon, I see you have this issue resolved now and I am just seeing this post for the first time. when I done these adapters I done them off of Dwights original design from 30 years ago. The only thing I changed was I made the adapter so that it could be used with the old GM muncie style trans pattern or the More common 93 and up GM and ford pattern. This way you can use any T5 that you want too. With the T5's over the years came a lot of small changes one of them being those front bearing retainer bolts like your trans had having that small flange around them. Those have to be clearance just as you did. Simple to do just as you did. I need to make up a instruction sheet as I see you used a speedway press on sleeve with this. What you have done will work fine but the adapter was actually designed to use a early ford front bearing retainer that bolts on the front of the adapter and slides over the S10 bearing retainer. when doing it that way you do not have to fab up a bracket for the return spring and do not have to worry about that sleeve ever coming loose on you. If you need further help with this adapter please don't hesitate to give me a call. If i would have seen this thread earlier I might have been able to save you a few headaches here. LOL I will post a couple of pics below on how I do them for customers. You can use the 32-48 car bearing retainer or I like to use the 48-52 truck retainer that comes from the same transmission as the hogshead did.