Okay folk, I've had this engine/trans setup around for a few years (Rebuilt Ford 352 with Clark 265 5 speed trans) Now both the engine and trans are from 1966, but from different applications, engine came from a galaxie and trans from a school bus. Now I originally built this setup for a 40's 1 ton truck. And I'm curious if anyone has had a setup like this in a hotrod. The trans is the main thing that worries me. The gear ratio's are what you would expect from a bigger rig 7.58, 4.38, 2.40, 1.48, 1.00 But if I gear the rear end to have good low RPM's at interstate speed, you think I could work with this with first and second being really low and the spacing pretty poor. Now granted I'm not racing with this but just want something that is period parts that I can drive to town and make some noise. Anyway, just looking for thoughts on the matter, or any ideas to make this setup a little more driveable.
Hot rods don't have truck transmissions. But it would probably be ok, the ratio spread isn't as bad as the typical car 3 speed.
Hey if that trans is all you've got, go with it...use a rear axle ratio of around 3.55.....anything with a lower number will cause you to slip the clutch to get rolling, i.e. a 3.31 or 3.25......but then again you've got that stump puller torque monster FE big block to get rolling...transmissions cost $$$....it's more economical to use what you already have on hand...it's easy for others to say buy a new trans, they are not spending their $$$.....Here's a deal for you...I have a 3speed all synchro trans out of an early 70s F150 pickup in great shape...I swapped it from a guy that wanted my 4speed OD trans...It is yours for absolutely nothing (free)....you have to come get it...I can't ship it...it weighs much less than the Clark 5speed.....and yes hotrods do have truck transmissions if that's all the builder has!...my next project is going to be powered by a 1963 Chevy 2 four banger w/ Muncie SM420 granny gear four speed transmission...put that in your pipe and smoke it !!
Did you read the ratios the OP provided? How on earth could you conclude that he would "have to slip the clutch" to get going if he had a lower (numerical) ratio than mid-3's? How's that post coming along? Ray
Your Clark 5speed gearbox will be just fine...you have to drive it like a three speed...the first three gears won't take a full carlength to go through....sorry for not being clear on using only the top three gears....first and second would be useless.
the 352 is in no way a monster but got to have a real weak engine or realy high geared rear to have to slip the clutch with 7.58 first gear
Wouldn't have to slip the clutch even if it was used as a 3 speed either. Most trans have around a 2.50 to 3.00 first gear, even with rearend ratios of 3.08, so with 3rd gear being 2.40:1 it would work just fine with even a 3.08 rearend. And if you wanted a great highway ratio for gas savings like 2.49 or 2.70 you could just use 2nd gear starting off and really have a low "first gear". All this said, I still wouldn't use it in a hotrod.
you are right...i forgot to say that you would have to skip 1st and 2nd to drive it on the street...those two gears are too low to be of any use unless you have a dumptruck,,,the 352 is a very torquey engine due to the physical size of the crankshaft...it will outpull an equal 350 Chevy every time..after all, they are truck based engines.
I think with that first gear you could have the rear gear be just about direct drive if you wanted and you'd still start it off fine.
"7.58, 4.38, 2.40, 1.48, 1.00" You say it's a 5 speed than list four gears? Is the 5th an OD? That Clark has a model number on the back near the top.Be a few number then followed by a V or VO usually.VO is an overdrive.
im assuming this truck being a one ton your not really going for a hotrod and you dont expect to do 80 miles an hour in it? my pops built a 49 f5 work truck similar to this set up with a 352, 4sp 1/2-3/4 ton truck trans and used the 2spd rearend. i would look for a 4spd truck box, youll have a good granny gear and 3 decently spaced gears and it will bolt up to your 352 no problem as they were used with them! then just play around with rear end ratios! that truck has taller tires than a car or hot rod so you should be able to get away with a lower rear gear maybe a 4.11 or 4.56s. just my two cents
NO they are not truck based and no the cranks physical size has nothing to do with the torque and no they are no torque monster and 350 chevy is neither
the 352 crankshaft is much more beefy than a chevy 350 crank...the counterweights are much larger than the chevy's and it weighs more....get all that heavy weight spinning and it comes right down to simple physics.."a body in motion tends to stay in motion"...a heavier weight will take longer to slow down from speed than a lighter one will...everything else being equal a 352 FE engine will drag a 350 Chevy anywhere it wants to...now the chevy with a lighter bottom end revs higher and faster and can be made to make lots of torque at very high rpms...I would much rather have a low rpm torque monster in my truck than one that must be wound up to higher rpms...my old 352 FE in my old Ford F1 would pin you back in the seat...but at 4500rpms it was all done....The 58 332 FEs were installed in cars....the truck engines were the same displacement, but called 330s AND had forged, not cast iron crankshafts,...they were enlarged to 352 both cars and trucks, 360 trucks, 390 cars and light trucks, and 391 for medium and heavy trucks...all trucks were designated as FT and had forged steel crankshafts.
The were popular with off road guys for a while, at least until the aftermarket caught up. The have been used behind many a different car/light truck engine. As you are not rock crawling, you'd have to choose a rear end ratio that might make the other ratios useful. You might have to head towards 2.50:1 to make it drivable. For reference, a here's the comparison of the effective combined ratios a typical T5 setup (mid '80s Mustang 3.97, 2.34, 1.46, 1.00, 0.79) and a 3.08:1 rear, and a Clark-5 (7.58, 4.38, 2.40, 1.48, 1.00) with a 2.50:1 rear. T5: 12.22, 7.21, 4.50, 3.08, 2.43 C5: 18.95, 10.95, 6.00, 3.70, 2.50 Still a little low getting off the line, but not too bad up top. It could work.
Don't forget that the schoolbus/truck had about a 39" tire,,,,,,,you will never need first gear,,,LOL
Thanks for all the advice! I should have stated in my OP that this is likely going in a '31 A. So I'll be on the lookout for a higher geared rear-end (lower numerically).
Some 9" Fords were available with 2.47. I have two sets of R&P from those. I also have a 10 bolt from a '79 Caddy Seville that is 2.28........so low numerical gearsets are out there! Ray
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