Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

If you wish to use a Ford T 170 3 + 1 overdrive transmission behind your Flathead V8 or Model A engine and keep your torque tube / closed drive shaft, then we have this adapter plate which bolts on the rear of the transmission. The torque tube and drive shaft will need shortening a small amount depending on application.
The V8 Torque Tube and Drive Shaft need to be shortened by 4 inches in a 35-40 chassis. PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST CHECK EACH APPLICATION. The gearbox main shaft must be cut off 2 inches past the outer edge of the rear main bearing and have a 6 spline re cut in the shaft to suit the u-joint and the end of the shaft tapped 3/8" UNF for the u-joint retainer bolt. These adaptor plates are made in New Zealand and are now in stock and For Sale in the USA. Please view ADVERTISEMENT in the Early V8 For Sale [ 1932 - 53] section.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Nice looking piece of work.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

How much would the torque tube & driveshaft in '35 to '40 passenger car/light commercial vehicle need to be shortened to make this T 170 conversion?

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Now For Sale in the Early V8 1932-53 For Sale thread.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Ttt

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

One thing that might help potential customers, if there is any willingness to answer, is what the dimension from the front flange of the bell adapter to the rear flange of the u-joint housing is after assembly. A person could compare that to a stock transmission dimensions and that may help answer the driveshaft/torque tube question. These units are longer but it would be nice to know by how much.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Nice job. Now, the 64,000 dollar question. What would have to be done to the shaft to make it compatible with an early Ford UJ?? Do you make parts to adapt the front end to a hogshead (for example).

Mart.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

The output shaft has to be cut, resplined and drilled/tapped to take the early u/j.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

To answer some of your questions the V8 Torque Tube and drive shaft need to be shortened by 4 inches in a 35-40 chassis PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST CHECK EACH APPLICATION !! The gearbox main shaft must be cut 2 inches past the outer edge of the main bearing and have the 6 spline re cut in the shaft to suit the U- Joint and the end taped 3/8 " UNF for the U-joint retainer bolt.
The Flathead gearbox is 13" from the front flange to the end of the main shaft spline where the u-joint bolts to. The T170 Transmission set up is approx 17 inches to the same position.
If you have any questions please message.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Found a T170 a few years ago and put it on the shelf for a future project.

Glad to see someone is finally making the adapter at a reasonable price.
Anyone know a machine shop in the SE that can handle the shaft and torque tube mods?
Anywhere close to Atlanta, Greenville, Asheville, Charlotte would work.
Some drawings describing the work would probably be helpful.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

do you have to move the rear motor mount 3" rearward also?

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

I'm just curious.

Could the driveshaft be cut and then one piece make a hole and the other piece turn down to the hole diameter and then weld or pin?

Would that be less machine work then re-splining?

Then the end wouldn't have to be re-splined.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

Someone asked about shortening the drive shaft/torque tube. What we (really Zach Suhr) did for my AV8 project was the following:

Drove the rivet out of the adaptor.
Cut the drive shaft (rear end side) that slips into the pinion adaptor
Re-drill for the rivet and reinstall it.
Cut out the "star" flange that bolts to the banjo housing
Cut torque tube accordingly to length
Welded "star" flange back on.

No need to get the drive shaft re-splined this way.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

The trans output shaft needs to be splined. Not the driveshaft.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

That's what I said in post #8.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

A machine shop with either a horizontal mill or a vertical knee mill with a 90 degree adapter set up can cut splines in a shaft as long as they have a proper cutter and an index set up for six spline spacing.

The measurement from front flange to back flange for overall transmission length would be a good measurement to know since cutting the main shaft is kind of a variable. As long as a person cuts the main shaft to get the same protrusion of the shaft from the rear flange location, then they should be OK to put a u-joint on there & bolt up the cap & clam shells. Cutting splines and drilling/tapping the main shaft for the u-joint should not be too big a deal.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

I have rebuild quite a few early Ford 3 speeds and I would not even think about taking
the main shaft out of a T170 transmission. It is not a cake walk. Unless you are an experienced transmission guy (early Ford 3 speeds do not count), I suggest that you take the T170 for disassembly to the manual transmission expert at your local Ford dealer (if they have one) or to a transmission shop that does manual transmissions. Do not trust the automatic transmission guys unless you see also see manuals in the shop.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

To be perfectly honest, before I'd spend all that money on the trans conversion to the early ford rear. I'd consider converting the rear end to a modern one. A nice Spicer 44 with 3.73 gears and posi, go for a a coupla hundred bucks or less Just bougt one for 150 including drive shaft and wheels. Something to consider. Some even have alun center sections. and they're allot lighter than an8 or 9 inch.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

The first 3+1 I did, I made the adapter and did the shorten and respline myself. The second one I left stock length and fitted a 47 pickup open drive banjo, with a custom made driveshaft. If I had to do it all again (which I won't) I would do the torque tube version, but get a trans specialist to dismantle and remove the output shaft for me.

Re: Ford T 170 Transmission Adaptor Plate
 

From what I've checked out about these transmissions is that they are definitely a more modern and complex unit that the old cog boxes. It takes a few special tools just to get them apart. There are a way lot more little parts in them than the old types used in early Fords. Most of them are going to be salvage yard picks and some abused so a person has to expect to buy some parts over and above just the usual parts needed for repairs or modifications. There are a lot more wear areas that have to be checked and more bearings/bushings to buy. I'm not sure how well they will hold there mud on the aft side of the rear main shaft bearing. The weren't set up for a slinger ring. The U-joint can take some leakage but I don't know if it would be a problem or not.