[Blue86hatch]

Hey guys I have just bought a 61 starliner. It runs and drives. It has a 62 tri-power 406 and a column shift 3-speed tranny. As you can guess I want and the car need a four speed. I need ideas: prices, big or little input, what years will work, part numbers. Thanks in advance. BTW I still have my 64 with the four cam mod motor. I've been real busy with my newly started business and have had no time to work on it. I'll get some pics when I get her home.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

ANY 4 speed that fits an FE will fit that 406.

 

[Reman]

Hey guys I have just bought a 61 starliner. It runs and drives. It has a 62 tri-power 406 and a column shift 3-speed tranny. As you can guess I want and the car need a four speed. I need ideas: prices, big or little input, what years will work, part numbers. Thanks in advance. BTW I still have my 64 with the four cam mod motor. I've been real busy with my newly started business and have had no time to work on it. I'll get some pics when I get her home.

Hey Blue, I can help only a little, maybe,lol. In a nutshell you need a mid 60's toploader for a Galaxie FE. The earliest 4 speeds were T-10 BW's with a small bolt pattern. However, your 406 will destroy the T-10 easily with a bit of spirited driving/shifting. You need a toploader with a dual pattern so it will bolt to your bell. A big input would be ideal, but they are not cheap. Expect $1000 to $2000 depending on condition. Small inputs can be had for around $350 and up, ( not Gal FE) craigslist ect. You can find some great information on David Key Toploader website and check at www.fordfe.com . You can search there and find most all the info you need. BTW, I would love to have a 406 liner like that! Very cool cars. Also would love to see more info on the 64 with mod motor. Ron

 

[61Sunliner]

If you want to be a little different and not cut the tunnel I've read a few times about using the colum shifter to shift a 4 speed and they just put a handle under the dash hooked up to the reverse lever on the trans to do reverse. Might be alittle difficult to power shif in a drag race though.
Mike

 

[62XL]

A friend of mine switched his 63 wagon from an auto to a toploader. He said he ran into a lot of issues that he wouldn't have ran into if he had used a T-10. He said that he wishes that he would have just used a T-10 instead of the toploader. With a toploader you also have to get the right version (close ratio vs. wide ratio) for your car). I can't remember which one my friend got, but it with a 3:00 rear end gear ratio, it was extremely hard to get the car moving from a stop. He switched the rear gear to a 4:11 and now the car takes off fine, but is very uncomfortable to drive over 45 mph. His next change is going to be switching the transmission gear ratio and going to a 3:50 rear end. It has been a big hassle and learning experience. I don't know what the installation issues were, or if you would run into those issues if you are not switching from an automatic, but it is something to think about.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

Nobody can actually assist you in your quest until you TELL us what your GOALS are with your car.

As I said before, ANY FE 4 speed will work with your car.

This Close ratio or Wide ratio mush is all FULLY related to HOW you want to drive your car. Race the strip, road race, mountain climbing, mudding, off-roading, bracket racing, or just plain old Street driving.

ANY Transmission made for an FE, be it a 352 360 390 or 427 is PLENTY for you in your car PROVIDED you pick it to do the job you want the car to perform.


Nothing else will make a jib-jab into a bucket of crap UNTIL you know what you want your car to do.

Does that make a lick of sense to you?

It is stupid and a waste of money to put a $4,000 toploader in your car and you only ever drive it to parades and to the store and church. You are NOT going to break a close or wide ratio or a small input or a large input Toploader, NOR a run of the mill T-10 doing nothing more than driving your car to work and occasionally hot-rodding some ricer from one light to the next.

You people have to realize that these tranny's have been pushing 5 and 6000 lbs cars for 50 years with ALL types of trannies in them with LESS issues and breakage than today's Modern technologically advanced trannies have.

To put it even more bluntly, you guy's OVER THINK things when a fella asks an engine or trans or intake or head question anymore. Everyone automatically say's that you nheed This or That mega tranny or super intake and godzilla carb or these super headers, when 99% of the time the guy is simply going to drive to work...

Remember this also, the 406 was a simple 400 ish HP motor in 62, at the flywheel, and even today with a mostly stock 406 he's not pushing much past 400 to the wheels unless he's really really modified it.

So KIS guy's Keep it simple. Wait until he tells us WHAT he intends to do with the car before getting into the finer tuning of the tranny needs for him.

 

[61Sunliner]

Dang FE, that 2nd extra double shot latte gets ya a little tight
Mike

 

[juddp39532]

My 62 406 Galaxie had the original close ratio 4 speed with a 3.70 rear and I still had to slide the clutch to get it rolling and 3,000 rpm on the interstate ( crap to drive ). I have a Mustang t-5 (much lower first gear)and 3.50 rear now and it is a joy to drive 1,800 on the interstate easy to leave the stop signs. Quicktime has a scatershield/adaptor for Mustang t-5 to FE. You'll need bucket seats for the shift handle to clear, or move the shifter forward like I did.

 

[EXracer4speed]

That's just gross.

Anyway, you have to wonder why ford built the toploader? T10 breakage. Why the 1 3/8 input? Twisted 1 1/16 inputs shafts.

But like stated what's your driving style?

 

[KULTULZ]

Anyway, you have to wonder why ford built the toploader? T10 breakage. Why the 1 3/8 input? Twisted 1 1/16 inputs shafts.

Exactly the reason. The BW did not have the ability to withstand the big engines.

That is why the SUPER T-10 came through. Here we go with another GM thread...

 

[Blue86hatch]

Here is a little back ground on myself. Im 32 years old.I drag raced car as soon as I could drive. I've owned dozens and dozens of cars. I drove a 69 and 70 fastback mustang both with 351C. Also a 72 f-100 with a 429. I build and raced up until a few years ago a 86 hatch that in good air ran 9.9x. It was powered by a stock block,head,crank,rod 306ci on juice! At this time in my life I drive a unrestored 55 belair ht chevy. and a 57 210 post. I have quit racing my own race and I drive my friends 10.5 tire small block chevy powered 91 camaro to date has ran 5.21 in the 8th mile. My 64 will be a daily driver when done and the liner will have a hard life as a vintage drag/street racer. Don't get me wrong I'm not cutting her up or anything as I still have my 86 for a real race car. I'm a gearhead and for sure understand all the silly question I've been ask. I have ask the same to many people myself. I agree with need a top loader as i will most likely need one!

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

Exactly the reason. The BW did not have the ability to withstand the big engines.

That is why the SUPER T-10 came through. Here we go with another GM thread...

This is BS and you likely know it! They ONLY BREAK WHEN THEY'RE ABUSED and some idiot side steps the clutch! Drive like a REGULAR PERSON and your schitt will last FOREVER.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

Here is a little back ground on myself. Im 32 years old.I drag raced car as soon as I could drive. I've owned dozens and dozens of cars. I drove a 69 and 70 fastback mustang both with 351C. Also a 72 f-100 with a 429. I build and raced up until a few years ago a 86 hatch that in good air ran 9.9x. It was powered by a stock block,head,crank,rod 306ci on juice! At this time in my life I drive a unrestored 55 belair ht chevy. and a 57 210 post. I have quit racing my own race and I drive my friends 10.5 tire small block chevy powered 91 camaro to date has ran 5.21 in the 8th mile. My 64 will be a daily driver when done and the liner will have a hard life as a vintage drag/street racer. Don't get me wrong I'm not cutting her up or anything as I still have my 86 for a real race car. I'm a gearhead and for sure understand all the silly question I've been ask. I have ask the same to many people myself. I agree with need a top loader as i will most likely need one!

Hell with the Toploader if you're going to race it, go TKO. They're supposed to be the toughest modern trannies out there aren't they?

 

[KULTULZ]

This is BS and you likely know it!

I only deal with reality F, not conjecture.

Even GM abandoned them. They were simply too weak for ever the increasing HP/Torque offerings. TECH continually changes with different demands.

Lighten up on the Christmas hootch and let your feet hit reality.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

I only deal with reality F, not conjecture.

Even GM abandoned them. They were simply too weak for ever the increasing HP/Torque offerings. TECH continually changes with different demands.

Lighten up on the Christmas hootch and let your feet hit reality.

But you won't get off your high horse about PCV designs? Come on G man!

If the tranny won't move the car without breaking, then why the hell did they put it in?

It is 100% about the way the person DRIVES.

And this guy is a racer, so the question has already been answered.

 

[KULTULZ]

But you won't get off your high horse about PCV designs? Come on G man!

If the tranny won't move the car without breaking, then why the hell did they put it in?

No. 1) There is no reason to get off my high horse regarding 1958/1964 FE crankcase ventilation design. You need to further read theory.

No. 2) Cars as these are released usually to comply with racing sanction demands. They came through with very limited warranty or no warranty. They were not meant for street usage. HP breaks things. The buyer has to realize that.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

1] blah blah blah I'm tellin' my mom that you won't read into MY theory that the later style is far better! Theory schmeory, the later style has been used for almost 50 years.... so there. harrumph!

2] He was NOT talking about a Light Weight race car, he's talking about a 406 powered 61 Starliner....

3] He will need to use an FE style toploader if he wants to do wheel stands all day long, or at the least a purpose built tranny of his choosing.

4] If he drove like a sane man he could drive it with a T-10 for 100,000 miles no problem.

Disclaimer: These are my expressions of my opinions, and anyone that takes them as gospel is a fool

 

[KULTULZ]

!REALITY CHECK!

If either of us had a 406 (that's 385HP @ the least), do you think either would drive it sanely? Possibly most of the time but there are going to be occasions. Regardless, I would think it easier to find a F/4/S over an original T-10.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

!REALITY CHECK!

If either of us had a 406 (that's 385HP @ the least), do you think either would drive it sanely? Possibly most of the time but there are going to be occasions. Regardless, I would think it easier to find a F/4/S over an original T-10.

BAZINGA, you got me! LOL


P.S. That 385-401 hp was at the flywheel not the wheels, but it's a good number nonetheless, and hell no we wouldn't drive nice, unless we knew we had a crap tranny....

 

[Blue86hatch]

FE it seem like there might be a little to much thought at your key board! You know what you are talking about. But the obvious is the top loader. A good friend of mine drove a supercharged Windsor in a fox for years with a stock t-5. He shifted like grandma and it lived. I'm sure my drag car could drive across the US with a 4cyl A4LD, but my Dynamic mity-might c-4 is for sure one of the better options. A TKO-600 was not asked about in the original question so it's not an option for discussion. I would agree the best option would be the termed if someone of the street asked me the best all around Trans. Anyways I love a good debate.


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