New car !

[Reeves1]

This picture is with the 750 DP carb. Replaced with an 850 DP . Also doesn't show the headers.

[Reeves1]

Hate to do it , but it still up for sale...... 20k

Engine alone is worth 18k

[Reeves1]

Piss Poor year.....Covid , lack of work ($) so I didn't get the car out this year.
I started it the other day to check timing etc.
The MSD had the biggest (black) stop in it. It would only advance to about 30 degrees.
Need 36-38.
Put two sizes smaller & still not enough , so put the smallest (red) stop in.
Still have to open the shop & try again.
If that doesn't work.....calling for Pro help ! LOL
Car is still for sale....

[Reeves1]

Awesome! Wish l could go wiyh you! I haven't driven or ridden in a fast car since June 8th......
Last time l bought VP fuel here in Va. it was $8.50 a gallon. Sounds like you found a good deal. Do you run it straight or mixed?

Straight race gas.

200 LTS cost me $799.89 so  $3.999 per LT. = 52.8334 US Gallons

[71pintoracer]

Awesome! Wish l could go wiyh you! I haven't driven or ridden in a fast car since June 8th......
Last time l bought VP fuel here in Va. it was $8.50 a gallon. Sounds like you found a good deal. Do you run it straight or mixed?

[Reeves1]

Got the ladder bars adjusted.
Clutch adjusted.
Cleaned the windows & put Aquapel on the front one.

Found a new fuel.
AFD Fury 108 is the same as VP C12 and is about $300.00 less than VP fuel per drum (45 gal).
Picking it up in the next couple days.
Then to fire it up & go for a "spin" !

[Reeves1]

Figures......cold wind & snow for the next several days. Not going to open up the shop to start it.

I did get a start on the steering shaft. Looks like it will work without having to clearance the rear engine mount.
Should be done today.

Edit: DONE !

Works perfect ! Zero clearance issues !

[Reeves1]

Never did get it out for testing. Weather / work got in the way.

Checked to see if I could do the cable steering shaft change to U-Joints....looks like my back left engine mount will need some small clearance to work.

May fire it up today.....

[Reeves1]

For years I've been meaning to check the pinion angle.
Finally did.
It was 4 degrees up (+).
I changed it to 1.5 degrees down.
This rolled the diff forward & the tires rubbed at the front. I took the ladder bars off & loosened the diff at the spring mounts & moved it back as well.
All adjusted now , as well as pre loaded the right tire , by lowering the left ladder bar.

Now I just need the time off & good weather to get it out.......rain every day for over a month now !

[Reeves1]

The new front tires not good ! 4 out of 5 leaked air. Thought I was OK...checked the air in them several times over a few days & they were holding air.
Was taking the car out last Thursday & checked....the newest one on the right was down to 18.5 lbs from 50 lbs !

New back tires. The old are ET Street 26 x 11.50 x 15 with W5 rubber compound.

New are ET Street P275 / 50R15 with R2 compound : much more sticky. Not liking how the outsides roll up. But they stick much better than the old ones.

[Reeves1]

Didn't change the diff. Had the car out one time , so far.
3k RPM at 60 MPH / 100 KPH.

New shifter works VERY well ! Sits so far to the left I used the small white ball. Just changed it out with a T handle , with the line lock button.
So I'll have to keep my right leg straight up.

New (to me) 15 x 3.5 wheels leak. I have to take the off & water test to see what is leaking....

[Reeves1]

Shifter is still MIA. Will check mail again today.
Shifter install kit was paid for last night & is supposed to be shipped today.

New front tires ordered this morning.

Fronts: Mickey Thompson - Sportsman S/R  24 x 5.00 R15 LT part number 6651
https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/street-tires/sportsman-s-r

Rear: Mickey Thompson - ET Street R 26 x 11.50 R 15 part number 3552
https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/drag-tires/et-street-r

Likely removing the pumpkin this week end & go from 3:91 to a 4:30 gear.

[Reeves1]

Went ahead & bought the shifter. It's on the way.

I (finally) got in touch with the guy. He says he has an install kit & will deal on it when he is back to work.
Soon I hope !


Had the old MT sticky tires pulled off the rims (wheels). Going to clean them up & next week order new ones. They will be 26 x 11.50 x 15.
Old ones were W5 compound. New ones R2 (if I remember right ?) which is more sticky.
Also going to order new fronts. They are about 17 years old (date on tires).

[Reeves1]

The above shifter is the second one I've tried to buy from this guy (Hurstshiftersonline).
He is really bad at communications. Always away for a week or more at a time.
Not sure if I will end up with it, or a new Hurst STREET Super Comp.

Old one above is a better shifter......

[Reeves1]

"New" shifter for the Top Loader

[Reeves1]

They came in & look good !

But in one picture you can make out rubber on the bead area ?

Easy way to clean that off ?

[Reeves1]

Wanted a lower profile tire on the front, but the ones I want will not work on the wide 5 1/2" wheels I have. So I bought a set of 15 x 3 1/2"

[71v8Pinto]

Reeves1, your car rules!


71v8Pinto

[Reeves1]

Had the car out for a very short drive.......more "bugs".
Older Brother suggested using Raid     .......  LOL !

[65ShelbyClone]

There are adapters to fit a T5 onto your narrow Toploader bellhousing. Another middle ground option would be to find a wide ratio gearset and put it in your original narrow case. Just thinking out loud.
Tremec 3550s and TKOs use the wide toploader pattern, but they cost at least as much as Toploaders now.

[Wittsend]

It seems that ANY Toploader isn't cheap these day($1,500-$3,000). Well, excluding the 3 speeds and the SROD.  My Tiger has the close ratio, older bolt pattern with a 5 bolt bellhousing (5 bolt 289). I had hoped to find a wide ratio but not at current prices. 2.32 close, 2.78wide are the 1st gear ratios.  Some people had considered the overdrive Granada/truck Toploader for the late 70's - upward. But the 1st gear ratio is 3.29 (too low) in one version and because it reaches an overdrive level the gear spread has some rather large jumps.


For about 15 years now I have searched the self serve yards for an 80-86 Jeep truck that used a Toploader (T-178). Had I found one it would have been about $100. It had a 3.01 first and was non-overdrive. The ratio spread was decent.  It probably falls into the "Hens Teeth" catagory. In all that time I think I found two Jeep truck of that vintage that weren't Automatics. One was 4X4 (and the wrong ratio). the other was a standard Toploader but again the wrong ratio. The T-176 and T-177 seems to be popular with the Jeep crowd because of their low 1st gear. So, I thought the T-178 would be a "get rid of" trans..., but nope. Seems it was rare to begin with and not to be found today.


A T-5 seems a cheaper proposition for the Tiger at this point. But there I need a pricy dual pattern scatter shield or a cast iron dual pattern Ford bellhousing for the 5 bolt 289. The window is pretty narrow when the world class started ('86) and the point where they change ('94). I can't seem to ever find those desireable T-5's at Pick Your Part anymore.  I think time passes quickly as we get older and "WHAT..., the '88 Turbo Coupe arrangement in my Pinto is 30 years old!!!"  That TC was only 6 years old when I got it.

[65ShelbyClone]

Well, that didn't last long.....

First hard shift into 2nd & felt something go wrong. It's stuck in 2nd - but I can still shift into 1st. When I ease the clutch out it acts like it locks up the trans (like brakes on).
I can also shift in / out of 3 & 4.

I'll be inspecting the shifter today - hope I just forgot to tighten a bolt of nut.

I had the same type of problem happen to me with a previous Mustang/Toploader about 20 years ago.
Long story short, the original case got broken and the whole trans was replaced with a used one of unknown history. Shortly thereafter I was in a parking lot and it did what yours did; went into second gear and back into first, but 2nd stayed engaged. IIRC one of the rail detents inside had fallen out. Trans wasn't damaged, but it was a big PITA for such a small part.

The Big Blocks did get a thicker input shaft. Length may be different too.

390GT toploaders did not get close ratios nor the big shaft option; it looks like a smallblock part with a shorter pilot. Big shaft boxes came behind 427/428/Boss engines and as a result are a lot less common and a LOT more expensive.

[Reeves1]

Took a video of the trans problems - but have not found a way to post it.

Ended up taking it back to the place that re-built it. Warranty.

It's done & they have no idea how or why the 2nd gear syncro got jammed into the gear, locking it up.

Picking it up Monday.

Also sent an e-mail to Long Shifters asking for the right shift arms part numbers. No reply yet.

Been looking at the Hurst Street Super Shifter......

[Reeves1]

Something told me to double check measurements on the input shaft.

There is an inch inside the extended pilot bushing. So it's OK.

Going to pull the trans apart today......

[pinto_one]

The shifter I used was a Mr Gasket V-Gate inline shifter , used it for years untel some High as a kite POS ran into it ,Totaled ,  some top loaders had two postions to install the shifter on the tail shaft houing , some only had one , fwd or rearward , I used the rearward holes and the shifter boot covered the huge hole just right and in stock location , I was lucky back then because we had a warehouse next to the speed shop and they were alway borowing our forklift so they would let me try the diffrent shifter set ups to try , and also never heard a top jam up like that ,

[Reeves1]

Found the David Kee site yesterday. The site shows the longer input shafts.

Going to search the tag on trans to see what comes up - today.

Right now I have an extended pilot bushing in place. Going to get the longer input & replace the bushing with a "normal" bearing.

Talked with the trans shop that rebuilt it. He has never seen or heard of a Top Loader doing this & suspects it may have 2nd gear seized on the main shaft. Which is un-likely. It's new.

When it's discovered what is wrong I'll up-date.

I'm also going to order a new mounting plate for the shifter, along with another set of shift arms for the trans. (the ones that bolt to trans). This is the inline shifter by Long Shifters.

[pinto_one]

Yes on the thicker , but also shorter , that is what I came across one time , you may have to use a spacer also ,

[Wittsend]

Could be wrong but I thought the Toploaders were all 2.78 (wide) or 2.32 (close). The Big Blocks did get a thicker input shaft. Length may be different too.

Lots of stuff out there. Try David Kee for info. http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/idchart1.htm or, Dan Williams http://www.toploadertransmissions.com/toploaderinfo.html or, http://www.5speeds.com/toploader.html or,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Toploader_transmission

[pinto_one]

what you have is a trans out of a big block ford , you may have to change the clutch disk because the input spline is smaller , the ratio is diffrent also , but that was almost 45 years ago when I done it , I also had the short shaft and found that over a short time the trans would pop out of high gear , it was the pilot bushing wearing out because the shaft was in it less than half way , at higher rpm when you shift the shaft would be clamped of center rolling the shift colloer of the input shaft , the fix was a spacer and a ball bearing , I think you have the wide ratio trans , 3.32  and the small blocks took the 2.78 first gear ratio , could be wrong , after over 40 years you tend to forget 

[Reeves1]

Called the place that rebuilt it & I have to take it back in.

Likely going to have a new longer input shaft installed as well.

Car will be down for a while. Maybe the rest of the summer......

Shifter is off the trans. Using a wrench I can shift it into first & neutral. Not into second. Still stuck in second. Locks the trans up when shifted into first.
Same for 3 & 4.