new trans

hiball3985 · 2014-09-12 19:17

Finally got my T85 last week and finished the instal this morning. Had to change the clutch to a 23 spline. Went to the drive shaft shop to have a new one made, I want to get away from the tapered original, but it won't be ready until next Tues. Looks like the speedo cable may be short so I'll look under the dash and see if I can change the routing a little, it's always something

I'll be burning up hiways soon.

RICH MUISE · 2014-09-14 13:01

Enlighten the ignorant please..what's a T-85,...... vintage? # of gears?

hiball3985 · 2014-09-14 13:15

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2014-09-14 13:01
Enlighten the ignorant please..what's a T-85,...... vintage? # of gears?

Rich, the T85 is a Borg Warner trans and it's as vintage as me

. They came in 1961 390/401 hp Galaxies, and also optional behind 406 and 427 in '62 & '63. They are pretty much bullet proof and have R11 overdrive units with a 4 gear planetary. The T85 is what evolved into the T10 4-speed. I used one of these back in the late 1960's in my 57 after blowing several of the standard 3 spds.. I just lucked out that a friend bought a 1961 Starlinerliner and didn't like the overdrive or column shift so I swapped him and old toploader 4 spd for it.

hiball3985 · 2014-09-17 11:23

Picked up the new drive shaft yesterday and put it in this morning. I pulled 70mph in 2nd overdrive with 3.70 rear gears. 1st gear seams like a lower ratio then the stock trans and takes off easier. I couldn't be happier

Can't wait to see what 3rd overdrive is like.

Ecode70D · 2014-09-17 16:59

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2014-09-14 13:01
Enlighten the ignorant please..what's a T-85,...... vintage? # of gears?

Rich....You young guys don't know what a T85 is?

Man...Back in the day those T85s were the best cure for blowing up early Ford transmissions.
My 56 Ford managed to blow up more of the stock light weight transmissions than I want to admit. In those days I had to carry a spare transmission whenever I went to Richards and Adventure car Hop and all those other cool drive ins. I took a T85 out of a 56 Merc, put it in my 56, and that was the end of my blowing up transmissions. From that I graduated to one of those new T10 transmissions that came out of a 62 Ford.
I can't add anything to what Jim said because he summed it up very nicely.
Jim I'm happy for you, and I'm glad that your friend finally got around to doing his swap and that you were did get the T85. It was a long wait. You are going to have a lot of fun playing with that overdrive. Jay

hiball3985 · 2014-09-17 18:19

Thanks Jay,
And I totally forgot they came in the earlier Mercs, I think some Jeeps and Studebaker Golden Hawks had them also at one time. I only discovered them when they came in the 61 Fords..

Jim

Ecode70D · 2014-09-18 06:56

Jim
That's what came in my brother's almost new 57 Ford Mass State Police car that he bought from Hoover Motors in Boston. That was back in 1958. They were and still are great transmissions.
My first old BW T85 is in the clone car to the 50/51 Ford that got blown up in the Thunder Rd. Movie. The clone has a Y block with trips as the original did. Somewhere I have pictures of Jim Mitchum driving the clone car and also drawing off a cup of sipping shine from the faucet at the back bumper.
Have you noticed that you can shift that trans into 2nd and 3rd without using the clutch while in od? Jay

hiball3985 · 2014-09-18 08:01

Jay,
I hope you find those pictures. And yes, I shift clutchless all the time now..

Ecode70D · 2014-09-18 17:00

Jim
Do you know that you can also go back into 1st overdrive also at about 5 mph? For that you have to use the clutch. When I was living in San Francisco in the early 60s, it came in handy when approaching a traffic light. But I wouldn't make a habit of doing it these days since they are getting kinda hard to find.
Sure am glad that your guy came through for you with that transmission. What did he end up putting in his car?

hiball3985 · 2014-09-18 18:31

Jay,
I know you can do that but I don't just to be on the safe side. I traded a 4 spd top loader for the T85 and he put that in the Starliner. I got the top loader for free about 40 years ago and it has just been collecting dust since so I don't miss it

Ecode70D · 2014-09-18 20:13

You did good because I knew that you wanted an overdrive transmission in your car and now you have the top of the line for one that is period correct. If I were driving one today, I wouldn't take any chances with it also.
I'll search my files and see if I can find the pictures.

hiball3985 · 2014-09-18 20:34

The real test will come tomorrow morning. The wife and I will take a 150 mile round trip for breakfast

. I've been getting 17 mpg on the road so I'm hoping to get about 19 now..

Ecode70D · 2014-09-19 15:20

Jim
It's going to be nice to see how much your mileage has improved with the OD trans. Does that transmission have two places to install oil? Jay

hiball3985 · 2014-09-19 23:30

I haven't checked the mileage yet but I'm thinking it may not have improved much because now I'm driving at higher speeds, 75-80 on the freeway just to keep from being run over by the idiots. I hit one empty stretch after we got out of town and ran it up to 95 one time but the wife started getting nervous. Maybe I'll buy her a helmet for her birthday

Yes the OD unit has a separate fill and drain plug and according to an old BW manual I have is suppose to use 30W oil, but I put 85-90 in it..

Ecode70D · 2014-09-20 10:11

Jim
The reason I asked about the two places for oil is because in the 60s, one of my brothers locked up the OD trans in his Jeepster on the highway one night somewhere between NY and Boston. I got one in a junkyard and drove down and installed it on the side of the road at night with a flashlight.
Another time in the 80s I was with a friend in a 52 Merc. on the way to a car cruise /show in RI and his locked up at highway speed also. I can't remember how we got that one home.
As I recall, both times, there was no oil in one of the places in the OD unit.
I'm not saying this to scare you because I know that you would check those things. Jay

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