427 shifter location

[LightNFast]

Originally Posted by xb-60

If a bracket wasn't currently available to move the shifter and lever forward by 3", then it would have taken Phil Remington two minutes to sketch up a bracket, and an hour for one of the mechanics to make it up and shorten the rods.
OK, I'm over-thinking it
Cheers,
Glen

Glen,
Perhaps you're over-thinking it as well as underestimating it ... because there's no "bracket" involved. The tail-housing design (casting) is what sets the shifter location. Moving the shifter mechanism (and have it fit and operate correctly) with a custom bracket is not so easy, especially on these old external linkage units. Hence all the tail-housing variations Ford produced.

As a side note, if you're building an accurate replica of a 289, you'll need the Galaxie configuration - T10 or Toploader, either will work as the shifter location is the same.

Hope this helps.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by LightNFast

Glen,
Perhaps you're over-thinking it as well as underestimating it ... because there's no "bracket" involved. The tail-housing design (casting) is what sets the shifter location. Moving the shifter mechanism (and have it fit and operate correctly) with a custom bracket is not so easy, especially on these old external linkage units. Hence all the tail-housing variations Ford produced.

As a side note, if you're building an accurate replica of a 289, you'll need the Galaxie configuration - T10 or Toploader, either will work as the shifter location is the same.

Hope this helps.

Hi Kurt.
My Toploader is a C8AR-7006 housing (so '68 vintage) with a D0ZR-7A040-A tailhousing.
Deciphering the tailshaft casting ID tells me that it's a 14" 28 spline tailhousing, probably originally specc'd for small block fitment in a Cyclone/Fairlane/Torino or Mustang/Cougar/Torino 390

Not sure a Galaxie config. is what I would have wanted as Galaxie tailhousings are 17" and 31 spline so that's too long (IMO) for a very short tailshaft.

My Toploader's most recent duty was in a 351 Falcon (Australian), in which application it would have needed the shifter mechanism further aft. It achieved that with a bracket that moves it back three or four inches.

My David Kee agent, who's doing the rebuild, tells me that brackets were commonly used to position the shifter in the correct place. It's just a very simple bracket.

Digressing - that beautiful 289FIA is keeping you entertained?

Cheers,
Glen

[DanEC]

[quote=LightNFast;1344614]Glen,
Perhaps you're over-thinking it as well as underestimating it ... because there's no "bracket" involved. The tail-housing design (casting) is what sets the shifter location.
QUOTE]

That's the part I wasn't sure about with the factory Ford shifter - did it even use a mounting bracket or did it bolt directly to the tail housing?

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by DanEC

That's the part I wasn't sure about with the factory Ford shifter - did it even use a mounting bracket or did it bolt directly to the tail housing?

Dan, as far as I know, the Ford Toploader shifter fitted to the Toploader gearbox in a 427 Cobra bolted directly onto the gearbox tailhousing, the only mod being to reverse the shift handle.

My logic had me thinking why didn't Shelby just fit a bracket ....etc ....because my Toploader has a bracket to mount the Hurst shifter mechanism to the tailhousing (for previous Falcon-fitment duties). Here's a picture of my Toploader pre-rebuild...



The shifter mechanism, post-rebuild, will be relocated further forward so that it's in the correct position for a 289.

Cheers,
Glen