OK so I have a 74 maverick that previously had a top loader 4 speed in it. Cross member and driveshaft and upper half of the z bar remain. If I stick with the manual I have to get a clutch....lower half of the aftermarket z bar....and a 4 speed top loader. Found a srod 4 speed top loader out of a 79 that I can get for 225. Total invested would be around 400 for everything including the 100 for the lower half of the aftermarket z bar. I could on the other hand put in a c4. Not sure if my current t drive shaft would work?? Can anyone answer that? Of course I would need the trans...flex plate.....converter....floor shifter....cross member and driveshaft. Big questions are the srod top loaders worth a crap? Potentially hold 350hp Or I could possibly throw a t5 in it. Not sure what that would run me though. Clutch....trans....driveshaft???....cross member???? Can anyone help me out. Thanks.
i have way more fun driving a stick than an auto. the t5 will be the best option. it will give you the most versatility but they are easy to brake with over 300hp. you can use the top loader bell housing and clutch linkage on a t5 with an adapter plate. also i believe you can use a tremic tko with the top loader bell housing with out any adapters. im not 100% on that but it may just need the adapter plate. the tko will easily handle 350hp.
in another thread the op posted a pic that was id as the top half of an autokrafters z bar. he shouldnt need to goto hydraulic or cable. just complete the stock set up.
So I could use the z bar with a top loader bell housing? I have a 3 speed in my f100 could I use that bell housing and clutch throwout piece on the 5 speed with an adapter plate?
The other question I have is with the t5 would I still be able to use my 164 tooth flywheel? Any special clutch I would need?
the flywheel only needs to match the bell housing. i dont know about the truck 3 speed parts. yes the z bar stuff should work with the top loader bellhousing you will need to have a clutch disk with the correct spline for whatever transmission you use. i know you just need an adaptor plate to bolt the t5 to the top loader bell housing. for the tremic you need to find out what he lenght of the end of the input shaft to the mounting face is then see what it was for the top loader. if its the same then you just need to make sure the round part of the input bearing retainer slip fits into the bell housing. this is what centers the trans. then just get the right clutch disk splines and your done. im sure most of these questions are answered on the internet and some diligent searching will get you the answers. one member on this board does have a tremic installed in his maverick. i think he did a post on his install in the tech article section or the transmission section
Thanks for all the info. I've been looking around and if I do the manual I'm settled on the t5. The cost between the adapter plate....tranny....and cutting my driveshaft down is gonna be out of my budget. Guess I'm gonna look for a good deal on a c4 setup and hopefully I can trade out my manual parts for some auto ones
you dont have to shorten your drive shaft for the t5 it should work as is. the only costs will be the t5 it self, its hard to get a genuinely good used one but not imposible, the adaptor plate, and a clutch disk. you will need to make a trans crossmember or buy the one offered by frank on this board. i would estimate that it would cost around $700 to do it this way. if you go with a c4. you will need a good c4. broader performance builds really good c4s for a decent price. you will need a bell housing, the plate between the bell housing and motor, a flexplate, a shifter, and the kick down linkage.
The t5 seems like the best option by far. its just a little out of my budget. I can get the srod for 125 but from what I read they aren't even worth bothering with. Wish I knew exactly what kind of top loader was in it before. I'm also starting to realize I might just be unrealistic about my budget and have to put off putting the maverick on the road for a while.
Bryant gives good advice and both manual or auto will run you similar in final costs. Especially if you need either option to live a decent life to compensate you for all the hard work involved. The thing to keep in mind is that a good used stock T5 will very likely handle a bit more power and take light abuse associated with a mild performance motor for much longer than a stock used C4 ever would. Unfortunately, stock slushboxs just aren't designed for decent amounts of power and used ones can go down hill fast without proper additional cooling and valvebody recalibration to help make the clutchs live longer. I'm guessing either way.. you'll be into the project between $500-700 depending on the deals you come by and how much you can do all yourself. Rebuilding an automatic could be considerably higher depending on how strong you want to build it. And you're one step ahead of many others out there to realize right up front that lifes extra costs can easily get in the way and push you over budget. Make a plan for what you can expect for your expenditure.. and ultimately accept a level of sufficency for your specific needs.. for all the time and expense involved in a more advanced installation like this. In the end.. you'll be much happier with a completed project vs one that sits around in boxes because you underestimated cost and completion dates.
