T-5 and a Flathead...

[tiquer]

I'm certainly no expert on this, but over the years I have heard of a deeper truck housing also, but was told it was in big trucks with a heavier 4 speed ******.

I do know that they made a stamped steel housing and two different cast housings for 49 to 53 cars. One is a complete surround housing that uses a stamped steel TO bearing arm/fork and the other was open on the bottom with a tin cover for the bottom and used a cross shaft throw out bearing fork.

We ran some 64 & up top loaders behind flatties and the hole in the complete surround housings, both stamped and cast, for the front bearing retainer would only accept top loaders with the 1 1/16th shaft and retainer while the open bottom one would accept the top loaders with the 1 3/8th shaft and retainer. Two different sized retainer holes.

We got some of these housings (open bottom) out of U.S. mfgd cars, and one of them out of Canadian mfgd 1954 flattie powered Meteor. One of them also came out of a 48 F-1 truck, that I thought at the time someone had put a 49 - 53 engine in, but was told that the 48 F-1 came with it from the factory. I don't know if any of the other cars we got these housings out of had been subjected to engine or other changes or not as most of them came from a "wrecking yard" that all of the (to put it nicely, as this is not what most people called us) younger generation of vehicle modifiers used.

I believe the 48-52 light truck with the three speed are alike and in 53 the bell changed to the one with the ears and the trans was a short three speed that had no rear mount. It was bolted to the bell only.

 

[felix37]

If someone ever comes up with a T5 conversion that would drop right in my '35 w/o the need to modify the center of X member and fit up to the closed drive torque tube, I would be over the moon. How about it Krylon32, Flat Ernie, or Richard... is it even technically feasible??

Don't worry about modifying the X member! once you go to a T-5 and rid yourself of the old 3 speed and enclosed drive shaft, the thought of ever putting it back will never come up. just my opinion!

 

[bloodyjack]

You need to modify the x member, shorten the torque tube and get a T5, from a 4x4 here is my drive train. Were the transfer case would have been is a nifty torque tube adapter.

 

[Ol' Ron]

OH! I like that, these T-5's are getting better all the time.

 

[HIGHTOWER611]

The most difficult part of using the Ford case is: no one is making an adapter for it, and I don't know why, it's quit simple for the 49-53 bell housing. Vern Tardel made them back a few years ago.

Hey Ron I found this in Flathead Jacks online catolgue.

 

[Flat Ernie]

You need to modify the x member, shorten the torque tube and get a T5, from a 4x4 here is my drive train. Were the transfer case would have been is a nifty torque tube adapter.

OH! I like that, these T-5's are getting better all the time.

That's the S10 4x4. The Jeep 4x4 T5 is much shorter. It's on the back-burner, but I've collected the parts for a hybrid T5 to torque-tube for my '40. It will consist of an S10 case, Jeep 4x4 tailshaft, and Astrovan gearset with a modified ultra-high 5th gear. With the right length adapter between the T5 and the torque tube, I can use an unmodified (length) '33-34 torque-tube & driveshaft. Initial tape measure engineering looks like I may get away with minimal modification to the crossmember, but we'll see once I actually start...

There is a commercially produced adapter to mate the S10 4x4 to the torque-tube. Dan Bridges makes it and Steve Serr is marketing it.

 

[Ol' Ron]

Hightower611, I've seen that the adapter I made for Richard was an11/16 plate with that bolted to the stock 49-53 Ford bellhousing and then the Y-5 bolted to it. all done.

 

[Richard in Florida]

Ol' Ron's Simple T5 Adapter

Hightower611, the adapter I made for Richard was an 11/16" plate. With that bolted to the stock 49-53 Ford bellhousing and then the T5 bolted to it, all done.

This is all true and I've been enjoying it trouble free for some time now.

I've described here several times how simple and easy this particular adaptation is. Nothing to buy but a clutch disk.

 

[HIGHTOWER611]

Re: Ol' Ron's Simple T5 Adapter

This is all true and I've been enjoying it trouble free for some time now.

I've described here several times how simple and easy this particular adaptation is. Nothing to buy but a clutch disk.

Looks great! I have one of Dwight Bonds adaptors for the S10 T5 units and it is a simple item. Just a different bolt pattern for the different unit. The Mustang T5 does have better gearing than many of the S10 T5's. Ron, you are definitely a man who has been there and done that. I appreciate all your knowledge and feedback.

 

[Richard in Florida]

Re: Ol' Ron's Simple T5 Adapter

Looks great! I have one of Dwight Bonds adaptors for the S10 T5 units and it is a simple item. Just a different bolt pattern for the different unit. The Mustang T5 does have better gearing than many of the S10 T5's. Ron, you are definitely a man who has been there and done that. I appreciate all your knowledge and feedback.

Something to keep in mind about T5s: just about any gear set can be put into just about any T5 case, "World Class" and "Non-world Class." So with a little planning and careful buying you can have just the gears you want AND just the shifter position you want as well.

For example, mine has Astro Van cases with the mid-position shifter. It has the Ford bolt pattern which makes things easy. It has a 2.95 (first gear) gears set installed in it with a Ford input shaft. The output shaft is GM with a mechanical speedometer drive. It's exactly what I wanted, and it works great.

 

[tiquer]

Ok now we are talking. I have a 1990 GM s-10 trans but I also have a mustang case with the front input shaft. So I can I stuff the s-10 gears into the ford case and use the ford input shaft Or am I reading this wrong?? If the ford input would work with the Gm gear set in the ford case that would be the equivalent to winning the lottery

 

[Ol' Ron]

The input shaft has to match the cluster, so there could be a problem with gear ratio selection. As for the adapter, I love the credit for the adapter but, Richard designed it. I just made it.

 

[Richard in Florida]

The input shaft has to match the cluster, so there could be a problem with gear ratio selection. As for the adapter, I love the credit for the adapter but, Richard designed it. I just made it.

Ron might be right about the input shaft. My gear set is either a Camaro or Mustang set, non-world class. However, I reviewed the paperwork from the builder (Astro Performance) and it doesn't specify which; it may not matter.

As for the adapter, the original design was by Norm Sherwood who used to haunt the old Fordbarn. Thank you, Norm.

 

[bloodyjack]

I have the Dwight Bond adapter and a 49 F1 hogshead up front its great because as you can see it even has the support for the model A pedals.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t58/peteburrows/******.jpg

 

[tiquer]

The input shaft has to match the cluster, so there could be a problem with gear ratio selection. As for the adapter, I love the credit for the adapter but, Richard designed it. I just made it.

Yes that crossed my mind also . I was just on the Wilcap site and they have a picture of the bell I have and state it is too deep for the s-10 trans but that the ford T5 fits with some slight adapting. Sounds like I should be on the prowel for a ford T5 and save the s10 for my 46 truck.

 

[Ol' Ron]

We learn by doin

 

[Flat Ernie]

I have a 1990 GM s-10 trans but I also have a mustang case with the front input shaft. So I can I stuff the s-10 gears into the ford case and use the ford input shaft Or am I reading this wrong?? If the ford input would work with the Gm gear set in the ford case that would be the equivalent to winning the lottery

The input shaft has to match the cluster, so there could be a problem with gear ratio selection.

Ron might be right about the input shaft. My gear set is either a Camaro or Mustang set, non-world class. However, I reviewed the paperwork from the builder (Astro Performance) and it doesn't specify which; it may not matter.

The input shaft must be the same class (WC or NWC) and same ratio 1st gear to match the cluster. Otherwise, it won't even fit. In Richard's case, it just so happens that the early NWC Mustang used the same gears as the early NWC Camaro, so swapping input shafts is do-able. Later Mustangs had both a different ratio and were all WC units. Even after the Camaro went to WC, the ratios were different. So there can be no swapping of input shafts between the two.

Incidentally, to my knowledge, all the 4x4 T5 use the 4.03 gearset, which is the least desirable, IMO.

 

[tiquer]

The input shaft must be the same class (WC or NWC) and same ratio 1st gear to match the cluster. Otherwise, it won't even fit. In Richard's case, it just so happens that the early NWC Mustang used the same gears as the early NWC Camaro, so swapping input shafts is do-able. Later Mustangs had both a different ratio and were all WC units. Even after the Camaro went to WC, the ratios were different. So there can be no swapping of input shafts between the two.

Incidentally, to my knowledge, all the 4x4 T5 use the 4.03 gearset, which is the least desirable, IMO.

Thanks for the info. I will be looking for a mustang t5 for the 53 f-100 and go with an offy style adapter for the s10 T5

 

[Richard in Florida]

The input shaft must be the same class (WC or NWC) and same ratio 1st gear to match the cluster. Otherwise, it won't even fit. In Richard's case, it just so happens that the early NWC Mustang used the same gears as the early NWC Camaro, so swapping input shafts is do-able.

I just heard back from Tony Sarvis, president of Astro Performance. A MAJOR portion of what they do is build custom and special T5 and similar transmissions for a variety of high performance uses.

My question was: "Does this mean that because I have a Ford input shaft that I also have a Mustang rather than a Camaro 2.95 gear set?"

Tony said: "It could be either of the two. Since all of the 1st-3rd gears were the same part numbers & components on the V8 Camaro & V8 Mustang T5 Non World Class gear boxes. I know Gerry built your unit with a 27 spline output, so I'm thinking he got your exact components for 1st-3rd from a Camaro core."

 

[deuce5wndw]

I know this doesn't pertain to the T5 but I was just wondering why more people don't use the Ford truck top shift overdrive? I just did a F150 overdrive for my 32 by using the stamped steel 49-50 bellhousing, the two bottom holes lined up but the two top ones needed ears welded to the bellhousing because the two inner holes in the top can't be used. I grafted a swan shifter to the truck stub. Used a standard 10 clutch and pressure plate, stock pilot bushing, and stock TO bearing. The front bearing retainer I had to turn down .175 to fit the bellhsg. Overall a easy transplant. It is going behind a 276 CID flathead. I'm using a aftermarket boxed frame with open drive so the K member wasn't an issue. I bought a new 88 truck with that transmission and was impressed with the reliability and the 4th gear OD worked.