Toploader shift rods

[rsk289]

Originally Posted by MAStuart

RSK289 I have a few comments and questions. Some of your answers might help others, myself. and you.

1 Engine and trans angle should equal pinion angle. The angle should be going the same direction (they should be parallel to one another). That would you have to do to get the angles the same. Raise the trans more or lower it?

2 Did they ever put Top loaders in leaf spring cars from the factory?

3 If they did install some top loader trans from the factory what shifter tower and what linkage did they use. (What model car was it taken from?)

4 I think you said that when the Tbird rubber was installed it was about level with the top of the frame rail. This means the rubber mount is about 1 inch thick and the plate that it wraps around is about 1 inch down from the top of the frame rail. Is this correct?


Mark

Hi Mark -

From the research I've done over the past few years, I think parallel is an ideal situation - and give or take 1.5° should be OK in an IRS car with a fixed diff position. My previous build, a Hawk 289, had around 2° difference (pinion 4°, crankshaft 2°) and suffered no ill effects. To get true parallel, I would need to drop the crank line down further which is not practical.
Toploaders were never (to my knowledge) installed by the factory. I think all 289s used the T10. This answers your third point too.
Regards to the T'bird mount - yes, it is all as you describe.
Other, more knowledgeable members of the forum than I have confirmed that in MkII cars (and possibly later) the engine/trans were level, with the propshaft inclined downwards at 3° to the diff. It seems even AC struggled to get it right.