This is our first post on the HAMB! Working on a trad. '32 roadster project-have a rolling chasis now. Wide whites, flathead, etc. Using a T5 trany (from a sad '88 S10 Chevy) against a '49 truck motor. Finally figured out how to do this using the original truck flywheel, bell housing, and Astro Van clutch disc. This thing really may work! Any body out there interested in this sort of thing? We read all the tech posts on the HAMB and this was great stuff. Thinking now about doing a post of our own with photos that may be helpful for others out there.......................... Any comments?............... Ruff Dawg
yeah- what parts did you end up using? What sort of adaptor does it take....I just got and T 5 and want to do the same. I have a late model flathead 8BA. thanks, Agata
Hey welcome from NW Oklahoma. sounds like you have a cool project going. Be sure and post some pics when you get a chance. What part of OK are you from?
Any okie who's proud to be an okie is okie dokie in my book. welcome. talk to me about that '32 roadster. You got the real deal body & frame rails? Post up some pics. -scott noteboom
I'm gettin the fixin's to do the same swap. Rod & Custom had a story on this in the Oct. 2006 issue. Go to their web page and check the arcihves it may be there. Speedway motors sells an adapter that lets you use the same fork and throw-out bearing from the ford trans. From the age of your gear box it sounds like you got a cable driven speedo, good choice. Gear ratios on this trans are not the same. There are plenty of ID charts on the web try this one http://www.inliners.org/Jack/t5_page.html Good Luck
Thanks for the warm welcome all! I'll try to get some pics up soon of our progress; as well as the adapter we used to mate the T-5 with the flatty. We're runnin' a glass body with a new frame
If you are using a later model flathead the bell housing is seperate and top loader fords will work. I have seen guys drill for other patterns and re-enforce them. Early flatties had a bell housing intergrated to the block and you use an adaptor. Shoebox Fords in MidWest City OK has flatty parts and is a great source. Talk to Chris or Ray
Regarding the flathead to T5 trany in our '32 Ford roadster project................ We were lucky enough to get a "running" '49 Ford truck engine, two piece bellhousing and old stye 4 speed "hay truck" trany. To use our T5 on this set up we kept the two piece bellhousing and bolted up a "Dwight Bond" (out of Nebraska) adapter which is simply a machined aluminum plate that fits between the bell housing and the T5. Simple.............Other people make a similar unit. Used the stock Ford rear trany bearing holder (the "snout") from the old truck 4 speed. This way we use the stock Ford throwout bearing and fork. We slightly elongated the four bolt holes in the retainer and it bolted right up to the adapter. Used the stock flywheel, throw bearing, fork, etc. Added a Chevy Astro van clutch disc (same diameter as the Ford truck dic) which is larger than the T5 disc we have. We had some interference with the rivits on the Astro disc against the flywheel. Hold the disc against the bare flywheel and you can see where it rubs. Took the flywheel to our local machine shop and widened the existing center depression in the flywheel about 1/2 inch. Also, replaced the four Ford flywheel bolts with NAPA "low profile" flywheel bolts (a thinner bolt head) and stabbed it all togeather. The Astro disc rivits seem to clear so we are off and running. Will be using the stock external Ford clutch linkage. Got the thing all bolted in place and opened up the inspection plate on the top of the bell housing. Gave it a good squirt of gray rattlecan primer down on the input shaft splines and face of the Astro disc. When we take this apart for final welding on the frame, etc. we will be able to see just how much the disc "grabes" the input shaft splines. This seems to be one of the several ways to do the T5-Flathead tango................
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