Borg Warner T10 vs Toploader

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by 1795

How would you compare the T10 to the Toploader regarding performance and longevity? From my understanding there are very few T10's out there and that they are rather expensive.

Ford units are much more robust than the Borg-Warner ones. Ford units that have the same physical installation dimensions as the T10s used in Cobras are not real common anymore. Like most 1960s parts used parts dealers COULD HAVE saved, they are not something desired by 1965 and later Mustang owners so there was no big demand to save them from the scrap heap.

Genuine production aluminum case transmissions as Cobras used are quite expensive as cores that can be rebuilt. Old cases with new old stock internals are insanely costly as the vintage racers have used up most of the available spares since vintage racing started in the mid 1970s. I inquired about a set of M gears in new old stock condition. The place didn’t have an input but all the rest was priced at nearly $6,000 delivered. I didn’t buy what they had because I didn’t have an idea where I would find a new old stock input to complete the set. The spare ex-Cobra transmission I bought cost almost twice as much as the original ex-Cobra engine I bought for a spare also. There are more than a few broken units scattered around in various Cobra owner garages.

Before leaving availability of original Cobra correct aluminum cased T10s, if the original Cobra owner is picky and wants a transmission date correct for their car then their hunt for a ‘correct’ assembly just became enormously harder. Production assemblies had a date of assembly stamped into them.

Ford ‘top loader’ transmissions (not ones somebody cobbled up and you have to get the matching shifter and linkage system also) that ‘bolt in’ to an original Cobra are not cheap as compared to let’s say a Mustang model.

[1795]

Dan and Jon,

Thanks for the information and your thoughts. i had heard that the top loader was more robust than the T10, and that if you found a T10 that was rebuildable it would be very expensive, but wanted to hear the opinions of others as well.

Jim

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by 1795

Dan and Jon,

Thanks for the information and your thoughts. i had heard that the top loader was more robust than the T10, and that if you found a T10 that was rebuildable it would be very expensive, but wanted to hear the opinions of others as well.

Jim

You are welcome.

Original privateer Cobras that were raced hard suffered failures frequently. Aluminum tail shaft cases are somewhat fragile and even street and strip use of a street car could lead to breakage. The torque rating of a T10 as used in a Cobra was right at the torque rating of a stock HP289 (I don’t recall the exact numbers anymore.) In drag racing half shafts were known to fail and twisted or broken differential output shafts were common. In chassis before CSX2165 even differential hangers tended to break in any kind of competition.

Original Cobra street cars and SAI team racers are nearly different subjects by early 1964. SAI developed heavy duty (racing) replacements for clutch systems, transmission assemblies, shifting connecting rods, drive shafts, half shafts, differential gears, differential output shafts, differential hangers, rear axles (a.k.a. hubs), rear vertical link and axle bearing system, road springs and holding them in place, shock absorbers, steering system control, throttle pedals, front wishbones (a.k.a. control arms), and many fasteners.