T-5 Adapter issues to Flathead...

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RodGuyinCO

Active member
Joined
Jun 16, 2007
Messages
28
Location
Fruita (Western CO), CO
Yeah, I know, I should know all the answers by now, but...:eek:
Anyway, yes, I've checked out all the links both on here and Flat Ernie's stuff over on the HAMB. And, no, I can't find what I need (or my eyes just glazed over and I skipped over what I needed to know).
Though I understand a lot more than I did before, the only adapters I seem to be able to find (Wilcap,Flat-O, Cornhusker) are the ones for the 59A style (half bell housing style...). If you have an 8BA from 1952 or 53 with the FULL bell housing (which I do), am I to understand I have to dump my full bell housing and find a "truck" style half bell so I can use the 59A style adapter? Am I making sense, or am I just not looking in the right place?
Thanks a bunch!
Chris
 

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Speedway (and others) have adapters that will connect your early flathead (1948 and older Ford, 1950 and older Merc) engine to a Chevy manual transmission. Then you need to figure out what it takes to go from a regular Chevy transmission to a T5.
 
This adapter is suppose to work both ways. Don't know anythig about it but it gives the bolt hole locations in the specs.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Manual...pters,810.html

Hey, ShortyForty, I didn't read (um, pay attention to) that it works "vice versa" the first time when I was goin' through the Speedway catalog. Guess I'll call 'em and talk to one of the tech guys and see what comes of it. I'll keep y'all posted. There WILL be more questions to come...
Thanks!
 
Time will tell...

This adapter is suppose to work both ways. Don't know anythig about it but it gives the bolt hole locations in the specs.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Manual...pters,810.html

Okey Doke, I called Speedway and talked to one of the techs and it appears that ShortyForty is correct. Apparently, the "easiest way" to do this is to use the adapter (as linked in the quote above) on the later bell housing. Use a stock flattie pressure plate and T/O bearing. Use a clutch disc that matches the T-5 (in this case an early S-10 T-5). The only "issues" are that you have to make a sleeve that will slide over the T-5 front bearing retainer to take up the slack between it and the I.D. of the T/O bearing. The other issue is you also have to machine a new pilot bushing.
Unfortunately, the tech couldn't tell me what tolerances I need for the sleeve and pilot bushing. I can use mics to measure the I.D. and O.D.'s, but does anyone know what the tolerances might be (.003 under or what)? Or, know who might be making these parts? Or...who might have a kit with this style adapter? I'd think there's a kit somewhere, I just haven't found one.
Thanks,
Chris
 
I have found that Flat Ernie is the holder of all wisdom on things T5. But sometimes the variations are dizzying.
I am building my own adapter for my T5. But it's a whole different deal.
 

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