3 & 4 speed Bells....

Discussion in 'Transmissions' started by Jay Johnson, Jul 27, 2015.

  1. Jay Johnson

    Jay Johnson Member

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    Are the 3 and 4 speed bell housing the same? I mean will a 4 speed out of a Ford bolt up to a 3 speed Ford? Is that a silly question or what? Amy help would be great. ...
     
  2. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    Three & four speed top loaders use same bells, though the ones before '65 have a narrower pattern.. Most if not all the later trans have eight bolt holes....
     
  3. Ronald Hopkins

    Ronald Hopkins Member Supporting Member

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    Small block bellhousings have a smaller hole for the bearing than big block housings. So if you are using a big block transmission you would have to machine out the housing.
     
  4. rthomas771

    rthomas771 Member

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  5. Ronald Hopkins

    Ronald Hopkins Member Supporting Member

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    I have a 67 Mustang A code convertible that came from the factory with a 289 4 barrell, three speed. We installed a big block toploader 4 speed and had to use a die grinder to enlarge the hole in the bell housing. It does have a larger input shaft. which you can use in a small block. They do not like to use a small block transmission in a big block car because of the smaller shaft. I don't know about anyone else but this is what we had to do. This top loader 4 speed came from a 390 mustang.
     
  6. Jay Johnson

    Jay Johnson Member

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    Thanks for all the input guys!!! I am not sure as to what the 4 speed came out of hopefully i can get some numbers off it soon, i have a small block 302 currently with the factory 3 speed, just trying to think ahead as to how had of a "plug an play" this is going to be if it will work at all.... I think the guy said it came out of a 69 Comet, but i guess the numbers on the trans will tell the real story.....
     
  7. Jay Johnson

    Jay Johnson Member

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    Ok so my guy called me to day and this is the numbers that he gave me, can any one help????
    T10-B1
    WG DIVISION
    W-1 H233


    what is it? how good is it? how well will it fit behind my current 302/3 speed w/stock rearend..... ratio would be nice......
     
  8. rthomas771

    rthomas771 Member

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    That's a Borg-Warner T-10 transmission. It fits the early 5-bolt bell housing. Doesn't fit the 6-bolt bell. Bearing retainer is too big/bell housing hole too small.
    H233 = June 23 1963
     
  9. Jay Johnson

    Jay Johnson Member

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    Will the bell housing fit my 302 if it is still with the trans? And how good of a trans was this back in its day?
     
  10. rthomas771

    rthomas771 Member

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  11. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    That's going to put it at approx the '63/'64 year model break, probably late '63...

    BUT there has to be a six bolt bell that can be used, four of my friends had T-10 in '65 Comets(3) and a Falcon... Lots of '65 Mustangs had them as well...

    BTW it's important to know length if it's around 27" long it a full size trans from a big block, input shaft is different... Small block intermediate models & Mustang used a 24" trans with slightly longer input shaft(at least so on Toploaders)...
     
  12. Ronald Hopkins

    Ronald Hopkins Member Supporting Member

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    Is the shift pattern different on the small block T10 than it is on the big block T10's.
     
  13. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    I don't think so, if it were would be in orientation of shift lever(s)...
     
  14. rthomas771

    rthomas771 Member

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    Correction on the date code...A=Jan, B=Feb...ect. H=Aug. - 23=23th day - 3=3rd shift.

    Here is my old T-10 dated F 53 2 which is June (F)- 5th(5), 1963(3) and it was made on 2nd shift(2).

    T-10_date_code.jpg
     
  15. rthomas771

    rthomas771 Member

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    Here's a bell housing link on what, when and why http://mustangtek.com/Bellhousings/Bellhousings.html
     

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