I have been reading tech archives from the last ten years to now. I have read so many threads with so many different opinions and advise that only makes me flip back and forth on what I want to do. I want to try and do this right the first time, here is what I'm dealing with. Cadillac 390 to Ford 49'-55' ( and I'm reading up to 64' ) manual trans Bell Housing. Wilcap 49'-54' alum flywheel I read that the T5 was an easy swap, the two bottom hole are supposed to line up and minor fab to get the top two hole to work. I have picked up two mustang T5's with the same results- bearing retainer too large on the trans and none of the bolts are lining up. Then T5 opinions vary, some love them and some hate them. I'm not 100% sure I even need a 5th gear. I have a 9" with 3:10 gears at the moment. I am putting this in a 36' IH truck and would love the top tower shifter so maybe I'm wasting my time with the T5 search. A 4 speed top loader with a jeep tower sounds pretty cool but I don't really know where to start as far as donor vehicles go and I don't want to begin that search with out first getting some real up to date 2013 opinions. Here are some pics of what I have: [/IMG] [/IMG]
I remember Frank Otto doing a article in street Rodder or Rod & Custom some years ago using the Jeep Shifter and fork. He had used a ford 4 speed transmission but had to do a little relief cutting on the Ford case. As for the 5 speed,I have one in our wagon,,302,5-speed and it works great. HRP
I've chimed in before, but I'll give the full info here for comparative and I'm happy to talk with you about it. this is the exact bellshousing I used in my avatar and ran it for 8 years before swapping to a 5 speed. I'm running a 57 365 stroked to 390 with a 59 crank, mild grind custom cam and factory 4bbl with an edlebrok 750. rear is a 10 bolt chevy with a 2:72 gear. I ran a 66 mustang GT HEH code (2:78 first gear) toploader behind it. it ran great, and had plenty of get-up-and-go event at highway speed. but it always felt like it WANTED another gear so I went for the t-5--but I digress when I installed your setup I orginally used a schafer flyweel (bout from Marcus Edell), but I had real problems with the starters. I couln't find a GOOD unit or even a really good core. after going through 4 starters (I have plenty of parts I'll sell you cheap) I got frustrated and called Pat at Wilcap. He's got the original paperwork on that bellhousing. we talked about it and I had him cut me a new flywheel that used a newer ring gear to allow me to use the much more readily available 12 v starters from the 365/390 as opposed to the 331 starter that bell is designed for. the only downside to this is that (at least at the time) the ring gears are relatively hard to find. I think one's a 153 and one's 176 tooth, but pat can tell you I dont' remember which is which right offhand. as i mentiond this setup worked great for years. Had to do some minor modifications to mounting bolts for the starter, but no issues. I did also build an external bracket to old the hydraulic pusher slave cyl. after 8 years of driving like that and stepping over a t-5 in the basement (leftover from a sold falcon project) I finally decided to make the swap and sold the crager setup--it went to norway to another hamber last spring. I could have stacked the adapters like i mentioned in the previous post, but that seemed too rigged for me so I sold the full assembly and bought the kit from wilcap for the t-5. I'm not advocating for these folks but here's what i'm talking about--several folks make them this was the first one google pulled up http://www.cjponyparts.com/product....gn=shopping&gclid=CNbKlLzAsrUCFQm0nQodhgEAxwI I love the t-5 it makes all the differnce in highway drivability. but if you're just riding around town there's really no need for the 5 speed. the downside to the t-5 is the torque ratings of the t-5 vs the torque ratings on your motor. they're dangerously close even for the v-8 trans let alone a 4 or 6 cyl trans. if you can find it, a TKO or the like is the best option, then a v-8 t-5. I've got a cousin who runs OT 3rd gen camaros and he drove hard and used to change v-6 transmission every few months in his v-8 car. you cannont use the t-5 on this bellhousing without a spacer--that's why they sell them for mustangs and the like. the shaft on the t-5 is longer than the 3/4 speeds and the pilot bushing is a differt diameter too. hope this helps some. PM if you want to talk. I'll shoot you my number.
Falconsprint63 nice write up, I appreciate the time you took. What are everyone's feelings on the Ford 3+OD? It seems like a cool traditional thing to do. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
In a model a that i so light i think a 3 spd+od works fine you dont need 5 gears i bet you end up skipping some of them when you shift if you need 5 gears you got to small engine
forgot to mention that if you go with the 3/4 speeds Wilcap has the pilot bushing readily available. I actually had one made for mine--cost me a touch up paint job on a ranger's roof. it would have been cheaper to order it.
Yeah my truck won't weigh much at all. I just want to be able to drive on the hwy sometimes like LSRU for example. If the 3+OD would work it sure would be easier to swap in. I did find one out of a 49 ford custom sedan column shift. I have never seen one of these transmissions, is it a big deal to get the shifter closer to the engine for a truck application? Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
From long experience, that tranny is weak. It will only last if you don't drive it like a hot rod, and then what is the point of the build? Ford did use the Borg-Warner T85 overdrive in some '50s-early '60s T-birds, Mercury, V8 pickups, various hi-po Fords. Those are hell-for-stout jack vines
Just finished the install of a Jeep T-176 shift tower on a Ford toploader to go behind an 8ba flathead with a one piece Merc bellhousing. Only issue seems to be the front bearing retainer is just a bit too big but nothing the old lathe won't fix. There is an thread here on the HAMB that details what needs to be done (not all that much). PM me if you can't find it - I have the link somewhere. Tim
I do like the top loader with jeep tower conversion idea too. Just what I mean, so many options and opinions. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I have located a 64 ford f100 that I'm being told has a 4 speed which has the shift tower coming out of the top. I6 engine. I'm trying to get him to check the bolt pattern to see if it will bolt up to my bell. Is this a decent trans assuming its the one that came in that truck?
The truck tranny won't be syncro in first and first will be a granny gear if memory serves me correctly.
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