Adding a third pedal....

So the Snooze-o-matic in my galaxie finally ate itself this past weekend. Well, 2nd and 3rd are all but gone, first is still fine. Weird. Anyway, I've been looking for replacement options, and it suddenly occurred to me that a stick might be a lot of fun.

I'm not very familiar with ford transmissions in general. Is the toploader pretty much my only option? If so, how durable is it? Was it one of those you replaced twice a year if your car made any kind of power at all? I'm assuming it's a 4 speed. And are there any special fitment issues i'll need to know about aside from cutting holes and bolting things up? i.e. new driveshaft or tunnel modifications?

Sorry for the dumb questions, and thanks in advance!

 

A top loader 4 speed is not your only option, but...It is a STRONG mo-fo...Great trans...a little bit O' change, though...

 

I'm in the same boat. My Galaxie came with two non-running engines and an automatic, but the car is setup for a manual and I want a manual, so I'm going to be needing a transmission soon.

The toploader is very durable and has an excellent reputation. Yes, it is a 4 speed, but there is also a 3 speed with overdrive transmission that looks just like it so be careful to check the numbers. A good site with information is:
http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com

Another option is a TKO-500 5 speed or TKO-600 6 speed. They actually cost about the same as a rebuilt toploader, IIRC. The input shaft has to be shortened if you use a stock bellhousing, and you may have to modify the tunnel, though.

 

Good to know. I'm not very keen on sticking a T-5 in there, as I've heard 5.0 transmissions don't like FE torque. And a 4 speed is just cool. Guess I need to start looking. This might be fun!

 

Ive been watching ebay for a few weeks now trying to find a good deal on a ford 4 speed, its kinda tricky and you have to watch the placement of the shifter for different cars.

 

You'll need to find a standard shift car like yours and strip out all the stuff pertaining to the clutch actuation (pedals, brackets, equalizer bar, etc. etc.).

 

Might have to change the rear end gears also. Most auto rear ends are too steep for a stick trans.