Need advice T5 adapter to Flathead

I know there's converters that I can mount to make it mechanical if I want, not sure if I want that though. Rather have a old looking but new speedo in electronic or GPS.
I really appreciate the info guys, thank you all.
 
Cornhusker will have a choice as to the throw out bearing arm - when I got mine for my new 32 5-window project, the shaft was a 39 style which is a push as he also sells a deluxe kit using a hydraulic slave cylinder to activate the throw out bearing. Some use the 40 style (which is a pain to adjust and get right IMHO), others use a hydraulic throw out bearing, others use the 39 arm setup and either push it mechanically using a 39 pedal or similar setup or a hydraulic slave cylinder as mentioned before. There is one guy on the HAMB and here, Flaternie, that has a whole bunch of articles from the HAMB and here regarding the T5 setup.

As for the electronic tailshaft, there are several guys who will convert your tailshaft to a mechanical speedo. For my money, I would just use the electronic tailshaft and run a cheap GPS. I do it in my avatar and also my 40 coupe I recently sold. Makes life easy IMHO ...

Your big thing is to find the 5th gear ratio and set your rear gear and tire combination to all work well together. Optimum is to be at 72-75 mph at 24-2600 RPM for a flathead. My avatar is set that way and though it it a light car, there is less shifting required going up hills - .8 5th gear, 30-31" rear tires, 3:54 gears.
 
The set up depends on where you want to drive it, gearing for 70-75 mph is fine for a lot of highway driving. I'm more interested in city in town low end performance, I run a 4:11 rear end gear. But, I also have a .62 5th gear.
 
The rear end I'm ordering has 3:48, but it's a quick change so I can easily buy other gears for it if I need another gear ratio. 5 gear in this transmission is .76 so I feel it's where I need it to be. I like the ideas of mechanical clutch though, trying to keep it simple. This is going into a 32 Roadster
 
Yep, I run a quick-change as well. Not sure what the flip side is for a 3:48 if you reverse them. If it's a 4:11 ring/pinion then 3:48 would flip to 4:86. That's a little on the low side! Might be interesting.

Edit: I'm running a Halibrand V8 center section and just looked in the gear chart. For a 3.78 ring/pinion (which is what I'm using) gear set 3 is 4:11 & 3:48, so we might be running the same gear set. What make of QC are you using?
 
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JSeery said:
The set up depends on where you want to drive it, gearing for 70-75 mph is fine for a lot of highway driving. I'm more interested in city in town low end performance, I run a 4:11 rear end gear. But, I also have a .62 5th gear.
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Very true - I am always thinking long distance driving ...
 
Rear end is being made right now by Hot Rod Works. They recommended the 3:48 cause of the ring and pinion gears, I guess it's supposedly more "common". When I was asking about having it a 3:50 or 3:55 like my GTO, it made the ring and pinion gears less common? They were the ones that recommend me to find a over drive in the .8 range, reason why I got this transmission which is at .76. If the 3:48 doesn't have enough revs for me, I'll look into the 3:70 range, but won't know until it's done and I'm driving it.
 
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gtopillado said:
Rear end is being made right now by Hot Rod Works. They recommended the 3:48 cause of the ring and pinion gears, I guess it's supposedly more "common". When I was asking about having it a 3:50 or 3:55 like my GTO, it made the ring and pinion gears less common? They were the ones that recommend me to find a over drive in the .8 range, reason why I got this transmission which is at .76. If the 3:48 doesn't have enough revs for me, I'll look into the 3:70 range, but won't know until it's done and I'm driving it.
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I'm sure they are making good recommendations for your application. The great thing about a QC is it is fairly easy to change the gearing! You do know that each gear set can be used for two ratios correct? If the change gears give you 3:48 gearing then most likely they are installing a 3:78 ring and pinion gear. With the Halibrand change gear numbering that is a number #3 change gear set. Installed one way it gives you 3:48 gearing, reversing the gears gives you 4:11. It was common with some early Hot Rodders to select a set of change gears that would allow them to drive to the track with the gears set one way (their daily driver street combo) and then change the gears around to race. Anyway sounds like you will end up with a great setup!
 
JSeery said:
I'm sure they are making good recommendations for your application. The great thing about a QC is it is fairly easy to change the gearing! You do know that each gear set can be used for two ratios correct? If the change gears give you 3:48 gearing then most likely they are installing a 3:78 ring and pinion gear. With the Halibrand change gear numbering that is a number #3 change gear set. Installed one way it gives you 3:48 gearing, reversing the gears gives you 4:11. It was common with some early Hot Rodders to select a set of change gears that would allow them to drive to the track with the gears set one way (their daily driver street combo) and then change the gears around to race. Anyway sounds like you will end up with a great setup!
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I believe that's the ring and pinion gear I'm getting, would be nice to just reverse them instead of having to buy another set. With a 4:11 gear, how soon do you shift from 1st to 2nd gear or do you need 1st? My first gear is 4:03 which is pretty low
 
I don't think you're gonna like that 4.03. That's the wimpy gearset. Maybe before it's too late, you might consider an earlier trans like out of a Camaro with the 2.95 1st gear. They can be had with something like a .74 OD. You will NEVER use that 4.03 1st gear. DD
 
Agree with Coopman on that, I like the 2.95 gear set, but even something in the 3.35 range wouldn't be bad. A 4.03 is like the low gear in the truck. Here are some gear combs.

Mustang ’85 -’95: 3.35 / 1.99 / 1.33 / 1.00 / 0.68
Ford T5Z: 2.95 / 1.94 / 1.34 / 1.00 / 0.63
The Astrovan: 3.50 / 2.14 / 1.39 / 1.00 / 0.78
S10: 4.03 / 2.37 / 1.49 / 1.00 / 0.86
3.76 / 2.18 / 1.41 / 1.00 / 0.72
V8 F-bodies: 2.95 / 1.94 / 1.34 / 1.00 / 0.73

You could always change out the gear set in your existing T5 if you decide you don't like the set you have. Not to difficult.
 
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The Astro Van looks good. I've done the speed calculator with tire size, rpm at 2800(normal shift), 1st gear at 4.03 and a rear end ration of 3.48 and I'd be shifting at 17mph for 1st to second, 29mph from 2nd to 3rd, 46mph from 3rd to 4th and 68 mph from 4th to 5th. I think I'll let it be for now and see how it does when it's on the road.
 
This really depends on how you drive the car. What you have is considered a "wide" ratio transmission, I prefer a "close" ratio transmission. If you are looking at maximum acceleration, like drag racing, a close ratio allows you to keep the engine in a lower power width band. That is less RPM change between gear shifts. For street driving I think it is just going to depend on how you like the feel of it. And that is going to happen when you drive it!
 
So you all have me hooked on the idea of going with a t5 in my 36 pickup.

I can get a 83-84 Ford t5 out of a Tbird for $200 .... Is this workable at this price, and would it be a can of worms to try to put a S10 tailhousing on it?
 
S-10 tailhousings aren't exactly easy to come by. You'll likely have to buy a whole trans to get one. Something in the back of my mind says there is something unique about that Turbo TBird trans, have you looked it up?
 
Haven't seen it yet, advertised locally on CL and I figured for $200 it might at least be worth parts. Like what if I find a S10 trans with a cracked case.
The ad only says "Ford Transmission will fit 1983 and 1984 - 5 Speed Trans....From a Ford Thunderbird...Askind $200.00...Contact Rich or Margaret for details"
 
It would be a 1352-018, 83-84 T-Bird 2.3 Turbo transmission. Gearing is 4.03/2.37/1.49/1.00/0.86, non-World Class. Believe it has a different length input shaft as well.

"Torque rating for the 2.95:1 NWC T-5 was 265ft/lbs. Four cylinder ratios are much lower due to the tooth count between gears.
Ford also used the T-5 in 2.3L cars through the years. While the 4 cylinder T-5 may appear to be the same, they are not. Most 4 cylinder T-5s received a 3.97 gear set with a .79 overdrive and smaller input pilot bearing shaft. Four cylinder T-5's should not be used behind a V-8, even when the pilot bearing id is decreased to match. Simply put, they will not hold up to the added torque and provide too low of a first gear ratio. Torque rating ~240ft/lbs."

This is not a big issue with a flathead, but something to keep in mind. Also, remember that a non-World Class transmission can not be upgraded with World Class parts.
 
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Based on the three T5's I've bought over the years, I think you might be money ahead to buy one reconditioned by MacVP. Maybe less of a problem with S-10 trannies, but all the Mustang ones have been beaten on by kids for 20+ years. One I bought had a broken shifter fork, needed three bearings, and was missing some shifter parts.
 
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