OK, I am gathering parts and ideas for my FED project: TE-440, mild 48 flathead, early Olds rear (narrowed '50 from an old dragster), actual Anglia forged axle and spindles w/17" wires etc. This is not a restoration, just a fun play racer. I will do my best to meet NHRA specs ( I know, I know...lets don't rehash that here, I am in discussions elsewhere! ) I have searched everything I know, and expect that it is here on the HAMB somewhere, but I can't seem to locate it. Here is where I need help: Tranny selection. First decision: Auto or manual? I will be extending the chassis specs to use a longer trans and driveshaft, and, of course it will have a mid mount plate. I can have enough room to run a glide, C4, or other auto, but can't figure out how to adapt to the early integral bell housing block. Or what auto flywheel could run with the flattie crank? I could run a manual with 2nd and High and a clutch, but need to meet SFI with scattershield and flywheel. I have some early transmissions, a side shift box, and even a '48 truck box. The truck box is heavy, but has the advantage of open driveshaft. Not sure on syncros or if it is straight cur, or spiral gears. One possiblility is to run it with only high gear and run really steep rear gears, since my home track is 1/8 mi. I would like to run a later trans just to get a heavier unit. I have a 68 390 3 speed from a Cyclone, but it is pretty long. I have heard of some using 55-7 brand X 3-speeds using a scattershield as the adapter. Supposedly pretty short. Ideas on shifters? Not really looking to source an in an out box, a Cad/Lasalle, etc ( though I may have access to a 46-48 lincoln trans, if it would be of any value to this situation). Ideas?
There's a 3 speed Borg Warner manual transmission that came in some bigger Chevrolet/GMC trucks in the later 60's to 70's. I has a very short extension housing, just long enough for the speedometer drive bullet, maybe 3 inches, and it has a bolt on yoke. Connect the bolt on yoke directly to the rear end flange with a U-joint. You could probably get away with using 2nd and 3rd making a run, plus you'd have reverse. Or you could use all 3 forward gears. There was one for sale here locally for $50 on Craig's List. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Can the Olds rear end and go with an 8 3/4 Chrysler, Phyiscly the same size and offers a wide gear ratio selection along with spools and decent 30/35 spline axles. Gear selection is gone for that early Olds and nobody currently makes a spool for it. Machine the bell off the back of the block and use the motor plate to adapt the Power Glide to it. There are places that will machine SFI flexplates to match the FH crank flange (this is not a new idea and has been done many times) You will have to use a mini starter with a ford mount flange to bolt it to the motor plate
I used a 56ish Chevy 3 speed in my TE440 style dragster. They are super short and will last if you launch in 2nd. Yes they sucked in big heavy cars but they do good with only 1,200lbs to move out. An automatic will be more consistent but for a vintage style drag car give me a clutch all day. Also there will not be a driveshaft, you couple the Trans direct to the rearend.
I used a 40's Ford side shift 3 speed (with 2nd and high only) in my TE-440 with a SBC and Olds rear end in the early 60's. I put a '49 Ford pickup output shaft and open drive rear mount on it. I had a 32 lb. steel billet flywheel on the little 292 Chevy and the trans. never failed me!
Forgot to say the 40's trans. should bolt up to your flathead with no adapter or clutch linkage fuss.
I have a 985 series 8 3/4 Mopar complete rearend AND a set of aftermarket 30 spline dragster axles. I am not sure if I can use the later axles with the early (pre-65) housing ends or if I'd have to change them? I am taking the early Olds out of my altered (replacing with a 9"). It is locked (welded probably) w 4.11s. I have a short driveshaft in the altered. I thought I'd build the chassis long enough to accept an automatic, but use a manual, at least initially. That might require a short shaft. We'll see. I can't figure a way (short of machining off the bell, or using an 8BA) to run an aftermarket scatter shield as a trans adapter to run my big Ford Toploader 3 speed.
You want to use either the 742 or the 489 series cases and convert the housing to Oldsmobile bearing ends to the housing, that way you getaway from the stock adj bearings. If you run on a prepped concrete track with modern slicks, you stand a good chance of tearing up any old stye transmission as others have mentioned. Adapt a late BH to run the toploader without machining the back of the block is easy, all it takes is money and knowledge. Machine an intermediate crank extention with a flange to accept the flywheel from the back of the crank and supported by a bearing bolted to the adapter motor plate. If you do not want to machine the back of the block you will have to do this with any style (auto/manual) trans you wish to use other than stock Racing these days can be fun but also expensive if you want to be different and not the norm
I run a C4 with Flat-O-Matic adapter in mine with short tailshaft...... see http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/flat-fed-build.436556/
I have a late, heavy Ford 3 speed like yours, that I ran in my HA/GR dragster. I used a C4 tail shaft. Very short. I had first and reverse gear removed. I had the gears "pro-shifted" by Liberty Gear. I don't need it. I don't see why you couldn't saw that cast bell off, and mill-drill it.
And there is your answer, But you will still need to have SFI shields around it if your track is a stickler about the rules
Glad to see you're still at it my friend! Didn't see you on here for a while. Sounds like a great project you've got going- don't forget some pictures!! Mike from Mass.
when we built our 8BA rail, we used a '55 chevy 3 spd, 2nd and high only without the tailshaft. We had a bronze plate for the rear of the box that was an adaptor from the days to use a '55 and up 3 speed in a '49-54 Chevy and retain the torque tube. For a scatter shield we used a steel Chevy shield, you can redrill flange (enough width there) to fit late flathead block. Put a crank in a bare block, leveled it on its nose and put scatter shield with chevy trans in it down on rear of block, centered input shaft from trans to the crank centerline and marked the holes. Then just had a pilot bearing made of oilite bronze for the flathead flywheel that had Chevy input shaft ID. Still running after all these years, guy on Cape Cod campaigns it now. This is a pic of him at the helm.
OK, now I am either confused, or very curious! A C4 tailshaft on a toploader? are you talking about just the shaft? the tailhousing? Both? I am just having trouble coming to grips that an automatic tailshaft housing/shaft would bolt up/into a manual 3 speed! School me!
Always a another new project. I am very ADD and very ADD (Another dragster diversion!) In the absence, I got a barn find 66 Galaxie Ranch Wagon with 352/auto, restored another sailboat, and am adding 10,800 watts of solar power to my house.... among a bunch of other projects! Good to hear from you!
I am dying to know more info on the C4 tailshaft/housing stuff. Was that a typo, or is there actually some way to do this?????
OK, in rummaging around in my junk, I found a couple of possibilities for the rail transmission. First, I found a complete fairly short chevy 3 speed, aftermarket shifter, and side mount (55-57) bellhousing that I pulled out of an old dune buggy type rig a few years ago. I assume that I can use the whole setup for mock up and then replace the bellhousing with a scattershield in the future, correct? If I decide on this one, I will use the method described earlier in the thread to adapt it to the 8BA flathead that I also uncovered in my stuff (instead of the 59A I was planning on). I also found a ford 3 speed tranny that is very short. It is an HEF-CJ which shows to be a light-duty full syncro from an early 60-s PU with a 240 or 300 six. Looks pretty stout, and would HAVE to be stronger than a '39 ford box. Any ideas? I am using a motor plate to locate the block, so can I use that as an adapter to the later tranny? I have a stamped steel original trans adapter (and the tranny) from behind the 8BA. What scattershield should I be looking for, as I am sure that this trans would fit several bell housings (IE possibly FE, Y-block, 289, etc. Any chance I can get a usable combo from this hodgepodge of parts? If not, it's back to dig around in the old parts piles again!
Hey, I'm totally sorry I missed your post. It's been 10 years, but it really wasn't a hard swap. I was thinking it was a bolt-deal. It's for sale. I'll try and get more info. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I don't remember any machining. The output shafts are the same diameter and spline on the front end. They both mount with four bolts, of the same size, located in the same pattern. The spline on the driveshaft end is different. No big deal. Just use a C4 yolk. It did confuse the guy that built the short drive shaft, when I said it was for a manual trans. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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