I picked up a bunch of parts for my truck a while back, including a T-86 with overdrive. The T-86 is a few years newer than my truck, but out of the same make. The guy I bought the parts from says you can replace the top cover with a top-loader shifter and it will work. I wasn't really sure of this, but I found on Novak's site that Jeep made a top-loading T-86, and it looks fairly similar, so maybe it's possible. Has anyone ever tried it? My truck has a T-9 top-loading crashbox, so it's not set up for a column shift, so I'd kind of like to keep it a floor shift. It sounds like the Jeep shifter would be a good way to go, if it would bolt up.
Don't know about the top loader 3 spd. T-86, but I have a project I bought partially completed that has a Ford Toploader 4spd. form a '72 Mustand modified with removal of sidee shift forks and a bit of clearance gringing inside the top edges using a Jeep Tremec 4spd shafter on top. The 4 spd Tremec is a descendant of the "Toploader" Ford 4 spd. and this is because Ford sold the design and tooling to Tremec, I'm told. Tremec then sold various versions to all sorts of OEM makes and models.
Many years ago I remember reading in a magazine that someone took the shifter from a 39 trans and made it fit a Ford toploader 3 speed,can not remember the magazine or who wrote the article but was in the mid 70s and in one of the popular magazines at the time.
I've looked into that. Got the shifter to go on the trans from a T86 without the overdrive. (I actually have the whole trans) The issue I ran into was that the base of the shifter was longer, from bell housing end to the point where the overdrive bolted to the rear of the trans, than would fit. I had no way at that time to do any machine work to it, and was reluctant to risk the trans or overdrive. I'll take a look at it tomorrow and send you a PM. s_f_l
Because this is a forum where we share info, it'd be more fitting if you put that info where we could all see it, right here on this thread,
The top off of a Jeep 3 speed will work on the 85-86 non OD trans with no mods. Just remove the side shift forks and the top will drop right in. Not the case with the OD trans. The reverse fork of the top loader must be modified to actuate the reverse lock out rod. There is a very good thread over on the Studebaker board that covers this topic and has pics. Check it out. They do a better job of explaining the process. Hope this helps. Hud
Okay, here are the pic's and I hope this will answer a few questions. I 'think" it could be done, but as I said earlier, at the time I was reluctant to get into something I know nothing about. My recollection is that I looked at the overdrive housing, where it joins the back of the transmission and there seemed to be too little meat there to machine off to allow the rear of the shifter to clear... Anyway, here are a few pic's to illustrate... This pic (below) shows the overdrive height change at the rear of the trans cover the shifter mechanism...this is the problem, er...opportunity depending on your opinion from the bottom. I'm not sure, but it appears that the shafts that slide into the rear of that housing need most of the length of the casting. It may be possible to shorten the housing at the rear a little but I don't think it'll clear the overdrive casting. s_f_l
Minus the OD the Ford trans converted to top side shifter is a pretty common Jeep mod from what I pick up from the Jeep guys around here. I think that there was one of those behind my flathead in the Jeep Wagon it came out of. Any specific reason that the raised part of the case (s) for the od can't be massaged a bit to clear the shifter? I can't tell how much clearance you need but that might be doable if it's only part of the design of the casting and not there for specific reasons related to the internals of the od setup.
Wow! Thanks for all the great info in the thread. It looks like with some work it's doable. Unfortunately, I think I was mis-informed. I was out looking at the transmission yesterday, and I don't think it's a T-86 after all. The top cover has the same 6 bolts, but it is shaped slightly different. It looks more like a picture I found of a T-90 from a Scout. I can't find any markings on the transmission itself that tells me what it is. The overdrive is stamped R10. The transmission has the IH logo stamped in it. From my factory manuals, I think it might be an IHC "HDS" transmission--but I have yet to find _anything_ on it. I don't know if it's similar to other BW's or what. Damn. I should have just bought a SBC.
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