T-5 and a Flathead...

[39portlander]

Have an option to get my old winterbeater 93 S-10 back, won't pass inspection any more but was thinking the T-5 tranny may be worth grabbing. Drove it and still shifts and drives great.

Have seen lots of posts on the subject, may grab it for a future project, any input would be great.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Grab it quick. That trans is a great piece. Keep the drive shaft, The rear end could be used in a street rod. Maybe sell the engine. You can get good money for for rest in the scrap yard. Walt

[Flat Ernie]

It will have an electronic speedo and should have the 3.76 gearset. '93 was a transition year for GM, and some of their trannys ended up with the Ford bellhousing pattern, but most 93 S10 seem to have the GM pattern....

[jack orchard]

i also have a 93 t-5 trans (tag #234). an adapter maker told me the input shaft was too long and that i could't use it on a 8ba. have you been told this? it makes no sense to me. there must be a fix for this problem.
maybe it's not a problem. anyone have ideas? thanks to all.

[Krylon32]

Jack: The length of the input shaft is the same from at least 85 up. I have both for patterns and am currently trying to get a handle on making another complete adaptor kit using the 93 up S-10 trans to supplement my standard kit for the earlier S-10 trans.

[ford1933-2008]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Hi,

I am fitting a 1953 Mercury engine to my 1933 ford and my mechanic says I need an early model T5 transmission with the shifter mounted to the front of the drive shaft housing so that the T5 shifter comes in where the old shifter came through the floor. I'm not sure whether this is the case. Can anyone tell me which model transmission I should be getting. Appreciate the help.

David

[jack orchard]

Krylon32: thanks for the info. please keep me informed with your progress.
i am interested. my input shaft is approx. 7.2"

[39portlander]

Thank's Walt, can't say no to my old wheels. on top of that it's free

[Richard in Florida]

Originally Posted by ford1933-2008

Hi,

I am fitting a 1953 Mercury engine to my 1933 ford and my mechanic says I need an early model T5 transmission with the shifter mounted to the front of the drive shaft housing so that the T5 shifter comes in where the old shifter came through the floor.

The T5s up to about '84 or so had mechanical speedometer drives... much easier to adapt. The later T5s had electronic speedo drives.

The position of a T5's shifter is determined by the vehicle it was in. A T5 out of an S10 truck will have the shifter way forward, right behind the main case. A T5 out of a Camaro or Mustang will have the shifter way aft. A T5 out of a Chevy Astro Van will have the shifter about in the middle between those two.

The main thing to consider when buying a T5 is the gear set... the ratios of the five gears. However, a good shop can install just about any gear set into just about any main case.

Also, starting out with a T5 that has a Ford bolt pattern and a Ford input shaft will make your installation a lot easier.

[ford1933-2008]

Thanks very much for the heads up. I'll start the search.

David

[39portlander]

That T-5 Tech section is great, thank's for that post Ernie

[JM 35 Sedan]

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??

[34coupe]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

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??

Try Cornhusker Rod & Custom for more info, Dave

[Ol' Ron]

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.

[Richard in Florida]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

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.

Ol' Ron's right about the adapter. Motor City Flatheads also used to make them, but no more. However, it's a simple one-piece plate that can be machined out of steel or aluminum. There are drawings floating around with all the dimensions.

If you use a T5 with a Ford bolt pattern, the two bottom holes in the T5 exactly match the two bottom holes in the bellhousing. With a Ford input shaft you can use your stock pilot bearing and stock throwout bearing and clutch linkage... starter, too.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Just my 2 cents and speaking of my own personal experience(s)....

I've done several S10 T5 setups on 35-40s and on my 32 - in no way can I see NOT having to modify the frame in some way. Your only recourse is to either use another frame or pieces there of and have the ability to put it back to stock/original. In 35-40s and 41 p-ups, IF you minimally modify your frame's center "X" for the tailshaft to stick into and get things all squared away with speedo cable, etc, should you have to service the tranny, change a clutch, etc, you will have to pull both the engine and trans as a unit to do so. A real big pain in the butt. I built my 32 that way and I have had to pull the engine-trans combo out 6 times already due to issues/problems, and perhaps with the 7th time coming up this winter to solve a bad rear main seal in my new engine.

Now, I do think there's an article on a top-loader Jeep 4/5-speed that you may NOT have to modify the frame and perhaps even keep the torque tube - do a search on the HAMB as I remember the Jeep tranny idea came from there?

Ya gotta know that these 5-speeds really perk up a flatty, giving them a driveability Henry never dreamed of. For the purists I think I would swap out to a 3:54 gearset and put some 30-31" tall tires in the back - that would drop the RPMs and at least make the stock 3-speed do tolerable well at speed with decent gas mileage. No mods to any major car structure and, if you have a complete second rear, a days work to swap back to your original rear and tires. It's up to you ....

[tiquer]

Anyone on here done the swap into a 53 ford 1/2 ton P.U. with the cast iron bell the ears that bolts to a cross member .I was told these bells are deeper than the car 8ba bell??

[Flat Ernie]

Originally Posted by Krylon32

am currently trying to get a handle on making another complete adaptor kit using the 93 up S-10 trans to supplement my standard kit for the earlier S-10 trans.

Doesn't Wilcap already have an adapter for this?

Originally Posted by ford1933-2008

I am fitting a 1953 Mercury engine to my 1933 ford and my mechanic says I need an early model T5 transmission with the shifter mounted to the front of the drive shaft housing so that the T5 shifter comes in where the old shifter came through the floor.

The application, not the year, determines the shifter position. You want an S10 T5 with the most forward shifter location. Early late has more to do with gear ratios (normally) and speedo type (electronic vs cable), but the very last S10 T5 use the Ford front (bolt pattern & input shaft).

Originally Posted by Richard in Florida

The T5s up to about '84 or so had mechanical speedometer drives... much easier to adapt. The later T5s had electronic speedo drives.

Typically, the mechanical speedos were used through '88. '89-90 were transition years - I've seen both electronic & mechanical (mostly electronic).

Originally Posted by Richard in Florida

The position of a T5's shifter is determined by the vehicle it was in. A T5 out of an S10 truck will have the shifter way forward, right behind the main case. A T5 out of a Camaro or Mustang will have the shifter way aft. A T5 out of a Chevy Astro Van will have the shifter about in the middle between those two.

Some T-birds also had a mid-shifter.

Originally Posted by Richard in Florida

Also, starting out with a T5 that has a Ford bolt pattern and a Ford input shaft will make your installation a lot easier.

I think that's in the eye of the beholder. I think if you're looking for off-the-shelf-easy, the Camaro T5 is the easiest to get bolted up, but you need to swap the S10 tailshaft for most hot-rod applications. The S10 uses a slightly longer input shaft than the standard Chevy/GM bellhousing the majority of adapters are made for. This has been addressed in various ways and tolerances being what they are, sometimes it just works. The Ford is challenging.

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

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??

W/O modifying your center X-member? Not likely. But everything else you've asked for is do-able.

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

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.

MAC Speed in Australia or New Zealand are making them. Adapting to the 8BA stamped steel bellhousing is supposedly pretty easy, but I've never done that one. I need to look into it more.

Originally Posted by Richard in Florida

Ol' Ron's right about the adapter. Motor City Flatheads also used to make them, but no more. However, it's a simple one-piece plate that can be machined out of steel or aluminum. There are drawings floating around with all the dimensions.

If you use a T5 with a Ford bolt pattern, the two bottom holes in the T5 exactly match the two bottom holes in the bellhousing. With a Ford input shaft you can use your stock pilot bearing and stock throwout bearing and clutch linkage... starter, too.

This is why I like the stamped steel bellhousing to try this swap - redrill one hole and weld an ear on the bellhousing for the last hole...at least that's what I've been told. Again, I've never done it.

Originally Posted by tiquer

Anyone on here done the swap into a 53 ford 1/2 ton P.U. with the cast iron bell the ears that bolts to a cross member .I was told these bells are deeper than the car 8ba bell??

I wouldn't think they're any deeper - didn't they use all the same basic trans? That would preclude using a different bellhousing...

[tiquer]

Originally Posted by Flat Ernie

Doesn't Wilcap already have an adapter for this?


The application, not the year, determines the shifter position. You want an S10 T5 with the most forward shifter location. Early late has more to do with gear ratios (normally) and speedo type (electronic vs cable), but the very last S10 T5 use the Ford front (bolt pattern & input shaft).


Typically, the mechanical speedos were used through '88. '89-90 were transition years - I've seen both electronic & mechanical (mostly electronic).

Some T-birds also had a mid-shifter.


I think that's in the eye of the beholder. I think if you're looking for off-the-shelf-easy, the Camaro T5 is the easiest to get bolted up, but you need to swap the S10 tailshaft for most hot-rod applications. The S10 uses a slightly longer input shaft than the standard Chevy/GM bellhousing the majority of adapters are made for. This has been addressed in various ways and tolerances being what they are, sometimes it just works. The Ford is challenging.

W/O modifying your center X-member? Not likely. But everything else you've asked for is do-able.


MAC Speed in Australia or New Zealand are making them. Adapting to the 8BA stamped steel bellhousing is supposedly pretty easy, but I've never done that one. I need to look into it more.


This is why I like the stamped steel bellhousing to try this swap - redrill one hole and weld an ear on the bellhousing for the last hole...at least that's what I've been told. Again, I've never done it.


I wouldn't think they're any deeper - didn't they use all the same basic trans? That would preclude using a different bellhousing...

Yes they have an adapter but I was told it only fits the car bell?? Cast or stampt steel

[Junknshit]

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 tranny.

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.