Hi guys I recently bought a really nice builder/driver 61 Fairlane. It has the factory 292 that runs nice and 3 on the tree with factory overdrive that’s currently not working. I’ve been searching around about putting a T5 behind the motor to make it more fun and highway friendly. My big question is- Is this a fairly easy swap??? I’m not much of a fabricator. Is this something that will add or detract from the cool factor??? Yes I dig the 3 on the tree!!! Is it really worth the $$$$ for the conversion??? My 3 speed has a habit of jumping out of first if pushing on the motor a little bit, and I’m guessing that it’s going to need a good rebuild sooner or later. I’m just seeing if anybody has done this swap and if it’s relatively simple or a Pandora’s box??? As always thanks for the sage like advice!!!! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Putting a T5 in can be done. You'd need the T5, a clutch, an adapter, and a custom driveshaft. That will add up to some coin. Since you have an overdrive, I would just fix that, along with rebuilding the 3-speed. You will be ahead financially, and it won't require any fabrication.
No clutch linkage. MDL makes an adapter that puts a T5 where the 3-speed was. Linkage stays the same. Yes, most likely tunnel work. A T5 is a top-shift transmission. It has a single shift rail, up near the top, in the top cover. The shift forks go down from it. They are quite fat up top. Can you it? Yes. Should you do it, probably not. I had a T5 in my first-year Falcon. It was not easy getting it in there. I had to modify the case, and the tunnel. That T5 is in my buddies Model A now, and the Falcon has a T56. That took entire new tunnel, firewall-to-trunk. Not for the faint-of-heart, or the faint-of-wallet.
If you use a T5 from a S10 you will have a very low 1 st gear.A Camaro is better,but the shifter is placed back farther which will be a problem with a bench seat.You can add the S10 tail shaft housing/shifter,but those parts arent cheap so that adds to the conversion cost.Ford uses a Mustang T5 ,but also has a rear mounted shifter which may be a problem.
My Grandfather had a '61 Fairlane just like that. Blue with a blue interior, he bought it in 1964 for a cross-country trip from Maine to California and back, and only took it out of the garage a couple times a year after that. Absolutely beautiful car; he sold it shortly before he died, and the new owner didn't appreciate it and just hacked it up, and it ended up rotting away in a field.
I did that swap in a 62 Galaxie with a y block. Stock bellhousing with the adapter from Modern driveline Stock pressure plate with new clutch disc(different spline) Use the Ford OD. Mine was.63 OD so 2100 rpm in 5th at 70 mph with 3.9 rear gears. You will have to build a trans crossmember and have a driveshaft built
I rebuilt my first T86/od when I was 17 or so, 53 years ago. Pretty straight forward, anything you run into (like the roller bearings in the o/d) any number of people can help with. Get the o/d working and you've got a 5 speed. A lot of guys drive them that way, 1st, 2nd, 2nd over, in light traffic or back roads. The main thing a T-5 buys you is synchro in 1st. That's important to me because I have a lot of bumper to bumper traffic crawling up steep hill out here. Maybe not for you. There's a long post here about T-5's showing ratio and torque ratings. You need to look closely at that or you'll wind up with a bad combination or a trans that's not much if any stronger than the T-86. Ford did a pretty good job of figuring out gear ratios and rear end ratios in those cars if you're just cruising them. You've got the items mentioned above, and then getting the speedo working. All that's avoided by rebuilding what you've got and learning how to use it. That's what I'd do if you want the column shift and can live with the non sycro 1st gear.
All the above post have valid reasoning, But I am the guy that would take that car and a 390/4 speed,9 inch with 3:55 gears and 28 inch tall rear tires, white paint, black interior, argent silver bumpers and some frosted mags and cruise all day and still look like I could kick any Mopar or GM of the era's ass ! But that's just me!! lol Larry
I'm the guy that would find a '62 406 or a '63 up 427, Toploader 4 speed, 3:73 or maybe up to 4:11. It needs 28" tires black steel wheels with dog dish caps. Painted black, black as the Ace of Spades with chrome trim, bumpers and grille. Interior red or verimillion like the Galaxies were, trimmed in white and you gotta have the white Hurst shift knob. I would baby grandma's 292 and overdrive while I looked for or built a fire breathing FE with Toploader 4 speed.
Where are you located??? I really could use some help with this trans!! I live about 50 miles south of Chicago Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
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