Technical Drivetrain Adaptation Tribal Knowledge Thread

"Well the transmission was a '53 and the engine was a '73 and when we tried to put in the bolts all the holes were gone. .... So we drilled it out so that it would fit And with a little bit of help with an
A-dapter kit we had that engine runnin' just like a song." - Johnny Cash

I think we need a thread that brings together all the little tips and details of adapting transmissions to engines they never were mated to from the factory. I often see brief descriptions of WHAT was put together, but not HOW. All the gory details like what pilot bushing, was the input shaft trimmed, what clutch disk part number was used, which adapter housing was used and/or modified. In short, this will hopefully become a repository of reference information for trans swaps. Copies of old magazine articles are legit, as long as the detail is there. Links to other HAMB postings are legit too.
Now, this IS NOT to be ANOTHER T5 thread, there is already a great lengthy thread here,plus others. So don't bother with that.
What I would like to see for example is LaSalle to flathead or T-10 to Studebaker or Buick straight 8 to ZF transaxle.
Go.

 

I just listened to that song. Funny thing as a kid I thought he did the "49, 50....ect" thing more times in the song, seems he only did it at the end.

Oh well, back to your favorite programming. George Jones is coming on

 

At one time I planned to use a 500 Caddy in my coupe with a muncie 4 speed. I found a chevy bolt pattern Lakewood ****ter shield had the alignment dowels in the same place as the caddy and all but 2 bolt holes lined up. I welded 2 ears on the ****tershield so I could use the top 2 holes on the block. Cool! Now, all 6 bolt holes lined up. It was about that time I found the caddy block was cracked all the way down one cylinder. Never did address the flywheel problem but I know one is available aftermarket.

 

I have 76 Malibu Cl***ic harness in my 56. When I pulled the light switch it all worked with a little rewiring.

 

I am in the process of putting a 6-71 blown Chrysler 354 Hemi, on an Cadillac Eldorado TH425 front wheel drive transmission, with two chains, all turned around backwards, and running a reverse-rotation quick change rear axle, and set mid-ship in a Model A pickup.

 

I don't expect the ZF transaxle to fair well here!

 

Ya know if you weld the chains up....

 

Here's a Speed Gems adapter catalog page to help identify that strange part you have.

 

Bump to try to archive some actual information, otherwise I'm gonna let this one die. That would be too bad, there is a lot of knowledge out in HAMB land that needs to be saved.

 

Great idea. Common knowledge is a lot like common sense. It isn’t all that common.


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Buick straight 8 with a T5

 

it's done with B-O-P parts.

 

i have an old engine-swap book (#2) from peterson pub. that has a great chapter on this. everything from bolting on a piece of angle iron to making a bellhousing. published in the late '60s...

 

Yes but I really wanted to use the ****tershield's motor mounts like a 55-57 chevy. The ****ter shield was perfect for that...until I found the gigantic crack in the cylinder!

 

I agree, I just read through a thread about Cadillac engine and LaSalle transmission and the bellhousing differences, etc. Good Info. Maybe you can swipe that one and put it here. Maybe someone has an old Trans-Dapt, Wilcap or Offy catalog and they can post some pages.

 

I'm a computer knucklehead but here's the Cad/LaSalle thread I mentioned.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...using-39-lasalle-trans.1190376/#post-13534198​

 

info on T5 adapters, a good condensation of the huge amount of info in the T5 thread:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...tor-to-utilize-chevy-t5-transmission.1192157/

 

And look at how some of these swaps were performed, no precision equipment, eyeball engineering, transfer drilling. You made do with what you had around.... and made it work.

 

T5 with torque tube in a 50's Chevy starting at post #332

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/jeep-t5-conversion-for-50s-chevys.1080608/
Which points to:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...n-the-torquetube.256226/page-12#post-11259109

 

modern SBF to 55 ford 3-spd
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...55-ford-3-manual-trans.1161677/#post-13209021

 

I am a subscriber to Jonathan W’s YouTube channel and this is one of his many backyard engineering successes.

 

3-speed OD in a Model A

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-original-model-a-engine-w-torquetube.728951/

 

T-170 full syncro to Flathead

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/t-170.1195116/

 

Automatics behind flatheads:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/chevy-auto-behind-a-flathead.1195189/

 

Jeep T5 to Ford torque tube:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/jeep-t5-trans-in-the-torquetube.256226/

 

FOMOCO C4 trans information:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/c4-swap-questions.114706/
Plus:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/302-c4-torque-converter-fitament-question.125124/

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/ford-4-speed-od-transmission-smod-help.1196155/

 

TH475 modifications

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/index.php?threads/1200864/

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I am in the beginning stages of putting a GM ****** behind an off topic Datsun inliner out of a Z car.