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tranny question
Posted: April 17, 2007, 8:51 pm
by jeffw
hey guys,, I had a trip recently with my slick, the ol three speed,,with the 223,, the engine was revved up at 60mph,, sooo I was wounderin if there is such thing as a tranny out there with four to five gears that would work on a 223?? you know, make the trip more friendly on the motor,,
Tranny
Posted: April 17, 2007, 9:28 pm
by Truckrat
Sounds like you still have the low rearend gears in your truck. Most all the sixes had 3:89 - 4:11 rear gears or maybe lower than that. I don't honestly know if an old toploader 4 speed would bolt up to your bellhousing, or if the spline on the input shaft would be the same as what you have. You'd still end up with a final drive of 1 to 1. I would try and find a 3.25 or 3.50 rear gear for the rearend, and use a taller rear tire. Going an inch or two taller on your rear tires is a lot easier than changing out all the mechanicals, and a lot cheaper. It will help reduce your rpm at highway speed, and the best part is, it only takes a few minutes. Maybe someone else on here would know if an OD trans will bolt in there. Good luck to you.
Truckrat
Posted: April 18, 2007, 1:10 am
by blackagatha
a tighter gear ratio will help top end, but will be sluggish on takeoff- a large ratio will give effect of more torque on takeoff, but worse at top speed. I imagine you know this...
I wish I had an overdrive for my 390. An overdrive is definitely the way to go if you can find one.
Posted: April 20, 2007, 9:07 pm
by mwilk1
They made and installed on our slicks an o/d trans. bolts to our bell housings and used the same clutch. the catch is finding one. If they wind up on evilbay they go for big bucks. I found one and im waiting on the yard to dry enough to go pull it. When I install it ill replace the clutch for the fun of it but I will need to shorten my drive shaft. Which is okay because it vibrates anyway. By the way mines a 223/3spd on 392's and your right it screams at 60.
Posted: April 20, 2007, 9:49 pm
by adrianspeeder
Is the 223 like a 240/300?
Adrianspeeder
Posted: April 20, 2007, 10:27 pm
by cdherman
No, not much at all, except that it has 6 cylinders and the are in a row.
Pardon the SA response. I don't really know -- the 240/300 use a standard SBF bell housing, which means you can drop pretty much anything behind them. I don't know what can and cannot be done with a 223.
I do know that the 223 did come with t-98 Warner 4 speed, which is a truck tranny (much heavier duty than the 3 speed), but the 4 speed t-98 is really just a 3 speed with a very low "underdrive" as first and 2-4 quite similar to your 3 speed.
There is a similar t-19 tranny that will bolt to any housing that ever had a t-98, so would go behind a 223. The t-19 can be had in a so called "close ratio" -- and that, coupled with some higher rear end gears makes for a good driver.
BUT, it seems close ration t-19 trannies are hard to find.
So back to other options. I wonder if an OD toploader unit could be found that would bolt up to some sort of223 bell (or did toploaders have an integral bell?)
Frankly, a lot of folks would ditch the 223 as well if they didn't like the driving experience. Not to run the 223 down, but its not nearly the engine that the later V8 or even 240/300 engines were.....
Posted: April 20, 2007, 11:25 pm
by Truckfarmer
Friends of mine from Wisconsin adapted a Mustang T-5 to a 223 and also to a 292 Y-block. They documented it on the tech section at the Badgerland F100's website,,
http://www.badgerlandf100s.com/
Truckrat rode in the 61 Uni with the 292 and S-10 T-5.
Posted: April 21, 2007, 6:50 am
by bobenhotep
i have pondered this also. i have a 3 spd from a bumpside that i was going to use, but it is overall about 2 inches longer, and the input is shorter. might still work. the bump tranny has like a 2.99 first gear, and the one in the truck is like a 2.5. if i had a lower first gear, i could go with a higher rear gear and take off the same. the 223 has a fairly wide powerband so it can handle the wide ratios. if not, i can make it handle the wide ratios...
Posted: April 21, 2007, 8:16 am
by Greg D
This place modifies belhousings accept T-5 OD trannys. Use the S-10 tailshaft though. http://www.ford-y-block.com/truckt5.htm
Posted: April 21, 2007, 8:36 am
by 64slick
so, lets see if I can get this right, what is beening said here is that, a 300-6, will not bolt up to the 223-6 bellhousing? will the 223-6 front motor mount bolt to the 300-6? and will the 3-speed tranny from the 223-6, bolt up to the 300-6 bellhousing?

Tranny Info
Posted: April 21, 2007, 10:31 am
by fmartin_gila
I run a T5 in my 62. John Mummert at the y block website in the earlier post can set you up with what you need (PP,Disk,TO,Pilot & adapter), you still would need a tranny from a 94-95 Mustang to do this. Cost was 425 a few years ago when I did mine. You will also need a shorter driveshaft. Let me know if you need more info, I am very well satisfied with mine.
Fred
Posted: April 22, 2007, 10:04 pm
by cdherman
64slick
There is darn little that is interchangeable from a 223 and 240.
Now, in many circumstances, the same tranny can be installed on either egine, but only if you can find a bell housing that is correct.
Thus, I was trying to say that a 223 that had a bell housing for a T-98 would also be able to take a t-18 or a t-19 since the have the same tranny bolt pattern. But as to what other trannies can be made to work with the right bell housing, that I am of no help....
Sorry.....
Posted: April 23, 2007, 9:44 am
by shawns fords
I have a T98 from behind my 223 you can buy it cheap, but shipping would kill ya as well ad the flatbed it needs hauled on
