Howdy, Pops and I are in the process of tearing the 289/T10 out of my 65 ranchero. It sat in a field for some time before I acquired it, so both are unproven and need going over before I take it out on the street. So, it’s coming down to decision time for me - do I stick with the T10 or step up and get a toploader? The goal for the motor is to pep it up with some compression, cam, and a decent set of heads - backed up with 3.55’s out back...then drive the hell out of it. My concern is that the T10 will be the weak link in the system. Do you think it would hold up (long term) to ‘spirited’ driving using OE/OE-grade internals? If not, do any of you guys/gals know of anyone making beefed-up guts for T10’s? I see plenty of stuff for the later GM super T10’s but I’m having a hard time coming up with anyone making aftermarket stuff for the old Ford T10’s. I appreciate all input, thanks in advance!
Yes, the toploader is the better transmission. No, in a 289" Falcoon you won't hurt the T10 with anything less than pure dumbshit. They came behind big blocks in big sedans and mostly lived. jack vines
Just get used to the fact it'll jump out of 2nd gear no matter what you do to it. They came new that way ...
Rear end is the "fuse" in that little combo. (8"-right?) But then.....the tires will be melting before the rear gets strained! Have fun. You know a SBF can use more cam (cu. in. wise) than the SBC/Shivel-lay. Most cam grinders seem to use Chevy as the example. 289+30 over.......10:1 CR......semi decent heads.... rework the rod bolts(fomoco weak link)....long tube headers.......224-ish intake duration 230-ish exhaust duration @ 050.tight LSA 108* or a dab less.....good valve springs....RPM manifold......600CFM carb(I like Eddy's).You'll be well over 300 HP 6sally6 Hey!....I'm bored!
The early T10 has two flaws... it won't take big-block power, and the syncro design is why it pops out of gear when decelerating when they get a bit worn (usually 2nd). I had a '64 Comet with a built 302 (in the original 289 5-bolt block) with a T10 and beat the hell out of it with no issues. Just don't side-step the clutch.... One major improvement to the Super T10 was the syncros, and I was told (but didn't verify) that most of the later guts will fit the earlier trans.
The T-10 in my high school 57 BelAir would pop out of second gear, the first time it happened I about crapped my pants from the sound it made, happened when I was decelerating down a hill. I ended up getting a rebuilt one from a local trans shop that had built it for a drag racer that couldn't afford the bill, it actually had a Ford high nickel input shaft so had to use a Ford clutch disc.
Thank you guys for the responses! The popping out of gear/synchro-related issues some of you have mentioned coincides with what I’ve read in other threads and on other sites. Maybe I’ll just have my tranny guy give it a good overhaul and throw some fresh synchros in there (see if he can find some HD synchros?). If I blow it up or it still pops out of gear regularly, then I suppose I’ll bite the bullet and pick up a toploader... Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Stick with the T10, have it freshened up. You will never lose $$ if you want to sell it. Torque is what hurts the drive-train. If you drive it like a 1/2 way normal person it should hold up.
I has a local old timer show me why they jump out of gear and it wasn't the syncros. I will know soon enough ,6 month or so when my model A is running
Thanks guys! I would be lying if I claimed to have the confidence to rebuild the tranny myself, but I’m definitely gonna mention the torque lock sliders to my dude. He did a nice job on my father’s T10 - but to be fair it’s sitting behind a really mild 302 with an open rear end and skinny 195 tires, so it’s not exactly seeing a lot of stress. Car should be on the road in September so I’ll let you guys know how it turns out. Really appreciate all the feedback! And because everyone likes pictures, here’s how she’s currently sitting. Just about ready for paint: Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Had a T-10 behind a warmed over 289 in a '65 Falcon 2 dr wagon when I was in HS/Jr. College. Rebuilt the tranny with just about everything new and it still popped out of 2nd and I think 3rd IIRC on deceleration. Beat the holly hell out of it with no issues other than the popping out of gear. Sold it when I got drafted and came home on leave to find out the dude I sold it to kissed a telephone pole and destroyed the entire left side.
Original Ford shifters contributed to the damage to the T-10 trans, especially the big block cars. My Falcon @ 260,000 has only had bearings and synchros once, back in the 70's. Original shifter, but I treat it good.
I had a 65 Comet Convertible with a 289 4 barrel and a T-10 and I raced it ,drove it every day to work. It had about 10,000 power shifts. I wore out 2 Ford shifters, blew several clutches, blew the pinion out of the top of the 8 inch rear. Switched from a 3.00 gear during the week to a 4.57 on the weekends. That T-10 was the only thing I couldn't tear up in that car. The motor was .030 over with dome pistons , hot solid lift cam from Gratiot Auto. Headers and 2x4's on a cross ram. Traction bars and J.C. Penny cheater slicks.
That's essentially what BW did when they 'upgraded' the T10 to 'super' status, but BW also backcut the syncro teeth on the gears to match also. So those only represent half of the 'fix'. To get the 'full' fix, you also need the gears. I'll also note that the Falcon/Comet toploaders aren't all that easy to find. They had their own dedicated tailshaft housing because of the shifter location, any other will put the shifter under the seat. They used different linkage from the T10, even more rare these days. The toploader is considerably noisier too if that matters to you.
I was planning on putting a Hurst shifter in at some point. So what I'm getting from you guys is it will be good for more than just 'cool guy points'? Sweet. Do you know who makes those synchros with the back-cut teeth, or is that a custom thing you get a machine shop do for you? Believe me, I know the falcon-specific toploaders are hard to find. I've had my eye out for one for about six months now. Just found a fairly local guy who has one for a reasonable price, it's complete but needs gone over. But I can't say that the toploader being noisier would be much of an issue for me. The exhaust should be pretty loud as is and I can't hear for shit anyway. Appreciate the heads up, though!
AFAIK, the only way to get the 'full' fix is to use later Super T10 guts in the early trans. I was told this is possible, but never verified it. It was an expensive operation too; at the time, I was looking at about $700 worth of parts (1-4 gears, syncro assemblies, and that's not including any rebuild bits needed). Truthfully, the popping out of second isn't that big a deal; I just learned to keep my hand on the lever when decelerating in second, it doesn't take a lot of pressure to keep it in gear unless the trans is very badly worn. One issue with the Falcon/Comet toploaders is there's two; the '64 narrow-pattern case (the more common version) that only fits the five-bolt block, and the '65 wide-pattern. Not many Falcons got the 4-speed in '65 (Sprint production dropped to only 2500 cars due to the new Mustang before being discontinued), there were more Cyclones built but many got automatics. You can install the Falcon/Comet tailshaft housing onto a '65-66 Mustang box, those are fairly common. Ford couldn't keep up with 4-speed orders initially using the toploader, so generally reserved it for big-block cars until late '66 when they finally phased-out the T10 as a regular production trans when they got toploader production fully ramped up. Another issue is Hurst no longer offers linkage kits for these, they've been discontinued for quite a few years. So you have to find good used or NOS linkage kits. There's still some out there, but it may take a serious search. I had one in my Comet, but didn't like it and went back to the factory linkage. The factory shifter, being a mass-produced piece, isn't quite as precise as a Hurst as-built particularly if it's worn some. But that is fairly easily fixed. The main issues are in the shifter box. After disassembling/cleaning the box, first replace the factory shift pin. This is the pin that engages the shift levers. The stock pin wears rather easily and has been known to break, I replace it with a piece of 1/4" hardened drill rod. I've also used a hardened 1/4" shank off a broken carbide burr. It'll be a bit oversize, you'll have to drive it in. Make it extra long to drive in, then trim to length, lightly chamfering the ends. You want it to fill the slots in the levers as much as possible while still working freely. Some file-fitting in the lever slots will probably be needed to get clean operation; sneak up on that. The tighter the pin fit in the levers while still moving freely back-and-forth, the better the shifter will work. Once you get that right, then shim the levers on their shaft to remove as much excess side-to-side play as possible without any binding. Once you get any slop out of the shifter box, reassemble with plenty of white grease. Proper adjustment is critical; use a 1/4" drill rod through the levers as per the factory to establish neutral when adjusting the shift rods to length. Use various thickness washers at the shift rod levers thick enough to get as much slop as possible out of those connections too. Use plenty of grease here too. Get it right and you'll be rewarded with a shifter that's every bit as good as a Hurst, but with smoother operation/less effort.
In the later 60's/early 70's, there was a Borg Warner T-10 known as the "Brute Strength", marketed through Chevrolet dealerships and speed shops, and was before the Super T-10 time. I don't know if they were available with the Ford pattern mounting, but the guts should swap into a Ford T-10 case/extension housing. But seriously, your current BW T-10 should be fine behind a SBF. In high school, a friend had a 64 Ford Falcon Sprint painted competition yellow; really bright for the time. 289 with a cam, intake, carb, a Cobra scattershield, a BW T-10, and a 9 inch rear. Car had been a drag car at some point, and had a fork lift battery in the trunk. He beat on that car, and never broke anything. You should't either. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I also have a BW T-10, but I was told they were call " The rock crusher ".... Was behind a built 289HO, then a 351C.. Never a problem. 1ibandit 1957 Nash Metro
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