The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk HAPPINESS IS A T5 transmission in your bolt

So after nearly 20 years driving the '54 with stock 235 and Saginaw 4 speed, I had to do something.

I rejected the small block because it would lead me into an endless upgrade of components and I would result in a streetrod.

So what I finally did was buy a reman 235- but a late 50's model with hydraulic lifters. It bolted right up to my old bell housing and a T5 that came from a late model S10. No blacksmithing required.

It is wonderful - not to have that old Saginaw screaming and the new engine pulls like a 8 cylinder.

And I still have a nearly stock truck. I recommend this solution.

Amen!

congrats, been there done that, good choice. ron

That is on the wish list for my '41 half ton. My biggest dilemma is what to do about the rear end. I want to be as original as possible, but the closed drive shaft set up will need addressed at the same time.
I wonder if a stock rear end can be modified to accept an open type drive shaft. Anyone ever tried it, or know of someone who did?

John

Microbe: Wecome the the club!

That's an easy conversion. Keep the rearend housing/axles and drop in a pumpkin from a '55 half ton. Then weld on some saddles for the leaf springs.

John, another option that works out great is to retire the 65 year old diff entirely, and slide in a later model with lower mileage which already has the ratio you're planning on driving. Depending on what T5 5th ratio you're running (.72 or .86) you'll find a 3.42,3.73 or 3.08 respectively, are some ratios that might work for you.

Being able to cruise your 235 along at 65-70@ 2000rpms is pure music to your ears!

Dave

My only concern about 'Being able to cruise your 235 along at 65-70@ 2000rpms' is STOPPING the thing with the original front drum brakes and single chamber master cylinder.

I thought about a t5 conversion.. but by the time you get a drive shaft cut, replace the rear end, box the frame, splice in the IFS, switch out the master cylinder, re-plumb the brake system, and all that happy stuff.. you can just roll a s10 frame under the AD body and call it a day.

Patricks, in Arizona, has a rear-end gear conversion that allows you to drive at highway speeds while retaining the original rear-end, axles and drive-shaft. Unfortunately, Patricks doesn't have much of a web presence, so you'll have to call them to get the catalog. Patricks

sounds interesting..although I'm good at other aspects of restoration I'm transmission iliterate.

I have a 55 2nd series down to a cab and frame. I don't like the existing 420's 1st gear. Great for pulling heavy loads but useless to me. So this T5 sounds very intersting. Are you saying it will bolt right on to my exing belhousing(I have a 235)? A 5 speed to boot? Tell me more..

Keith

Fumblin46 raises a good point about stopping our new highway cruiser bolts. I'm running a T-5 and 3:08 gears and like to cruise at 60-65 mph. I stayed with stock brakes figuring that they were designed (I know it was a long time ago) to stop a loaded truck adequately. I usually don't have anything in the back and the stock, rebuilt and properly adjusted brakes are plenty good if you use a little common sense, like not following too close. If you were to have a load in it you could simply just adjust the speed down accordingly. That's my .02

I drove my 52 all the time on the hi-way..for the almost 10 yrs that I had it, all the way to Kansas city last yr... never had any problems stopping..you might have to allow yourself a little more room on a busy hiway,, but the truck always stop well with the drum brakes..

when you drive 65-75 make sure the rest of the truck is in good shape too... steering, etc..

Keith, Do a search of "T5's" and you'll find a wealth of reading material. The conversion, as Fumblin 46 points out, brings up the need for improving the marginal braking system, among others, if you intend to cruise on the open road.

I personally enjoy being able to hop in the truck, which for the most part remains a stock appearance, and travel to the different shows to meet folks with similar interests. The upgrades will open up a whole new dimension to your truck.
The necessary mods to the T5 are not that difficult and the rewards are significant.

Dave

Thanks Dave ..will search

My truck has power discs in its future anyway..

Keith

I may have to try this.I have a 54 with a saginaw and a 235. Whats years do I need to look for? I'm in the process of swapping out my rearend and leaf springs. It had a 55 rear with like a 4.10 gear and of course thats not a very cruiser friendly combination. I'm getting ready to put a 96 4wd s10 blazer rearend under it. It's a 3.42 limited slip. I'm gonna make new shackles and hangers and use the s10 leafs. What is the best way get the right wheelbase? How do I compensate for the moving of the rear when the trucks weight is on it?

I went with an OD on my sm420 and love it. 75mph @ 2500rpm in 4th over. Stopping the truck IS a problem even though my drums are in good shape. I almost had an accident driving to Seattle from Portland a few months ago. I thought I had left plenty of room in front of me, but when it came time for a sudden unexpected slowdown, there really wasn't. The truck got sideways and I avoided a collision with a truck and a guardrail by about an inch. Needless to say, there are disc brakes in my near future.

Hey microbe, i am trying to convince myself to complete the same modification on my 58 chevy apache. I have a 235/saginaw combination and an updated rear end using the patrick's ring and pinion . I love the results, but I am also dealing with the original 4 spd. saginaw. I recently picked up a disk brake kit from CPP and will install once it cools off a little ( I live in the southern california desert where the highs hover around 110). So the braking will be addressed shortly. I have been toying with the idea of replacing it with an S-10 T-5 but feel a little uneasy about completing the switch. Did you run into any real problems during the process?

bigmacdaddy, how did you do an OD on your SM-420? Please help as I think that's the way I would like to go with my 50 3604. Thanks!!

I put a T5 in my C20 dually behind the 292 and it made it a new truck! The 292 bellhousing hole was 5/8" larger in diameter then the T5's bearing retainer shoulder, but an aluminum bushing cured that. The rest of the install is covered in several T5 threads that are already posted, but to my way of thinking it's a really worthwhile mod!

Ya BigMac..How do you do that..Is the OD on the rearend..or tranny?

Thanks,

Keith

no- ran into no problems. Be sure you select a T5 made for a pick up truck rather than a car- the shifter will be too far to the rear in the car version.

It is a Gear Vendors 2-speed auxillary tranny that bolts on the back of the SM420. It aint cheap, but it does give you the best of both worlds in my opinion. The only mods I had to do was to shave the torsion bar crossmember, shorten the driveline, and fab a new mount for the O.D. unit which comes w/ provisions for mounting solid.

A T-5 and S10 4x4 rear are going in my 37 over the winter,a dropped axle and disc brakes are going in too. I have a modified bellhousing from Jim Carters and the S10 4X4 rear,I am picking up the 5 speed this weekend so it looks like all I need to do is find a dropped axle and disc brake kit and I will have all the parts needed plus I have a 41-6 steering box too. Jeff

i never had trouble stoping as long as i had pedle

No power take-off on T5 right?
I use the PT for my dump body..
Regular looking long bed that dumps

Thanks,

Keith

The transmission info is nice, but I am curious about where you found a remanufactured 235. What does that cost? I may be in the market for one soon.

comeon guys,some of us are not as bright as you & we have to go to others for help but we have the same problems as you. What in the world is a T5?

It's a light duty 5 speed overdrive manual transmission. Mostly from the S10 trucks and some Camaros,
Scott

Thank you...I may have to go that route too.

I would LOVE to have a T-5 but...........

Is it not true that I would have to "cut" a hole
in my stock floorboard? and make it not look "stock" anymore????

I wanna run highway speeds like the other guy...
but I like that "stock" look.

anybody got any Ideas?


Cliff59

Cliff,
You can buy a repop piece for the floorboard (I think I paid $25.00 for my '54) and cut IT. That way you keep the original intact if you ever want to go back. The hole is about 6" o.c. back from the stock hole.

Get a shifter from a 4 speed with granny and fit it to the 5 speed and it would look factory.