digger460

How much trouble is there to bolt a SM465 to a Ford bellhousing?

I just did this today the hole in the lakewood can is about 1/8 inch smaller than the sm 465 candle stick. So you need to have it bored out to the size of the 465s candle stick.Then the trans will be centered, so then you can align the trans with the bellhoushing. Mark the holes and drill the out, the top two holes overlap the old holes halfway so they have to be welded shut. Then I just put grade 8 bolts through from the inside of the bell, bolted the trans down tight then welded the head of the bolts to the bell. So then you have studs sticking out to help align the trans when installing. I'm not shure about the input shaft length. I'm going with a profab 3 speed kit and they can make the input made to any lenght. I can check the shaft length if you need me to. Bob

I would appreciate it if you could measure it. Thanks Bob

be shure to bore the can on a lath it has to be perfict
i have also seen the candle stick base turned down witch isnt a bad idea
than if you ever wanna switch back to a npor bw tranny you dont have to buy a new bellhousing
why ya going with a gm tranny? for the pro fab kit?
there are other ways to to the same and still use a ford tranny

What are the other ways and still use the Ford Transmission?

How well does a 3 speed hold up? Heard alot of different opinions on this.

I tryed turning down the candle stick ,it will work but your close to the bolt holes. And you have to grind the sides off the bolts or use allen head bolts. And yes it has to be turn out on a mill,it has to be perfect. Give me a couple days and I'll get the lenght's on the shafts for you.

My T-18 ford trans is 1-3/8 10 spline 6-7/8 long
The SM 465 GM trans is 6-1/2 long
This is form the front of the trans to the end of the input shaft.

So how is a 465 gonna work in a Ford with the input shaft being too short?

I'm going to use a profab 3 gear set, with it you can get any lenght input. Does any body else have a length on a T-18? Mine has a input out of a f-500 that is 1-3/8 ten spline so i'm not shure it is the stock lenght, when I took it apart there was a 1/2 inch spacer between the block and bell.

Yea but Bob That Pro-Fab kit is 2 grand I can find better things to spend 2 g's on. I was thinking if I went with a 465 and then I could mount a right hand side transfer case I would have a lot more options on a d60 front axle. I'm thinking now that I might be able to keep my Np435 and bolt a right hand side x-fer case to that. Just remove the alignment dowel and maybe a chevy or dodge transfer case will bolt up?????

Digger,

Nowe you are getting into the area of why we said to stay with a divorced t-case.

Travis

HaHa I'm about ready to go back. Weather I have a divorced or married x-fer case I still want a d60 front axle just because everyone else does.

Lakewood is making a larger hole bell for the truck SM 465 now.....


A........
http://www.myspace.com/chevypullin

many dont know but the pro fab kit will also work in a ford tranny
dont ask me how but the guy that told me dose this stuff for a living so he would know
you can also save a few bucks buy just buying the cut 3rd gear but why
since the b/t tranny has a 3.08 2nd gear
or you can do what i am planning
run a ford tranny and than buy a pro fab drop box
and have many gears to chose from

digger if you chose to run a gm or dodge d60 front let me know i can send ya a few pics of mine
all i did was put a b/t tranny and a np205 from an old dodge
and a gm d-60 front it bolted right up but i had to make my own t-case mounts witch was good anyhow so i could get good drive shaft angles after i put the low pinion in i will never go back to a hight pinion
so now do you see why a few months ago when i was talking to you about a few marryed tranny-cases i have for sale and i told you to stay with a devorced set up
i call it the poor mans pro fab

Pro-fabs are only allowed in the modified class where I am at. And I will still have a problem with breaking the middle drive shaft if I go back to a divorced x-fer.

you will not break the center shaft if you get a strong one made
i have yokes from school busses and the drive shafts also
that combined with a good drive shaft angle and you shouldnt have any trouble

Jesse
; What did you use for motor mounts?

Just curious as to wich ford transmisson the cut gear will work in. It would be nice to have an option at the track. Instead of swapping between the 435 adn the T-18 all of the time and hoping that you guessed right.

i tihnk it is the 435 that the kit will work in
and i have also heard about a transfer case pro fab kit
that will work in any np205

i made my own mounts from 1/2 inch steel plate and round tubeing
i also run a motor plate in the front
it is mounted solid

could you lower your truck at all
i noticed it is kinda high and that will help you with d-shaft angles
and maybe streach out the wheel base

could you lower your truck at all
i noticed it is kinda high and that will help you with d-shaft angles
and maybe streach out the wheel base


When I had a divorced transfer case I only had issues with the MIDDLE drive shaft, the one that goes between the transfer case and the transmission. It broke every time either the shaft or the u-joints. It was/is almost level. No angle. The other two drive shafts, I almost never had a problem with them.

Now I have a married transfer case and of corse by moving the transfer case forward at least two feet it has increased the front drive shaft angle. The rear drive shaft is better now but I am worried about the front. If I had a high pinion front differential it would help considerably.


If I went back to a divorced transfer case and moved it down to decrease the front and rear drive shaft angles then I would be putting angle in the middle drive shaft. And the middle drive shaft is the one that always breaks.


I don't want to take any rake out of it. We talked a lot last winter about rake and came to the conclusion that having rake is good. I don't think you were with us then. I could probably get a few inches more wheelbase at the back. I think all I need to do is bite the bullit and get a d60high pinion for the front.

Price list below

Profab Machine, Inc. Price List 01/01/08
USD
Quick Change Transfer Case w/1 Set of Gears
1,895.00$
1 1/4" change gears / 1 3/4" final drive gears
Ultimate Quick Change Transfer Case w/1 Set of Gears
2,095.00$
Billet case / 1 3/8" change gears / 1 3/4" final drive gears
Ultimate Quick Change Transfer Case with Reverser
4,500.00$
with 1set of 1 3/8"gears, input shaft and bearing holder
Quick Change Gear Sets 1" Wide
175.00$
Quick Change Gear Sets 1 1/4" Wide
195.00$
Ultimate Quick Change Gear Sets 1 3/8" Wide
215.00$
Hunting Buggy Transfer Case (Helical Gears)
1,995.00$
Hunting Buggy Transfer Case Opposite Rotation 16 5/8"
3,250.00$
Mud Racer Transfer Case
2,500.00$
1 1/4" change gears / billet case
Three Speed Single Countershaft Transmission
2,995.00$
Reverser Transmission
1,895.00$
Throw Out Bearing Snout
115.00$
Muncie 465 3 Speed Kit
2,195.00$
Muncie 465 3rd Gear Set
650.00$
Muncie 465 Head Sets
275.00$
NP 205 Transfer Case Kit - Married
1,395.00$
NP 205 Transfer Case Kit - Divorced
1,495.00$
NP 205 Transfer Case Kit - Married Ford
1,495.00$
Twin Counter Shaft 3 Speed Standard Transmission
4,500.00$
Twin Counter Shaft 3 Speed HD Transmission
4,950.00$
Twin Counter Shaft 4 Speed HD Transmission
5,950.00$
Twin Counter Shaft 5 Speed Standard Transmission
5,950.00$
Twin Counter Shaft 5 Speed IH Transmission in Housing
7,750.00$

The last time I talked to Larry, he was looking into the idea fo a kit for a NP435 but thought he would only be able to get 2 gears to work out.

Digger, If you go to a high pinion front you limit your gear selection!! You will never be able to go below the 5.38 stuff, which is still the problem with running a D80 rear. If you want to take the stress out of your driveline you need to think low gears.

Travis

digger
if your middle shaft is straight and your breaking it than i think the best and cheapist way the fix that is custom shaft and yokes
i did all of my shafts for under 650.00 including ujoints
of course i made my own shafts but i went to a local junk yard that had a bunch of school busses and started collecting d-shafts and rear yokes
and than i had the slines cut out of the big bus yokes and had the splins from my stock yokes insatlled
going to a married set up isnt a bad idea but unless your gonna run a high pinion front i think youi angle is gonna be to much and you will now start breaking front shafts
and i talked to my buddy and he was telling mr that pro fab dosnt offer as gear set of the np435 but they do offer gears for any np205 cases
but you your set on running the marryed set up than you must get a hight pinon front
i do know of a few but the asking price is 1,000

I am running 4.10's now and they seem too low. When I leave I am spinning like a banshee.32" tires I can't imagine anything lower.

Digger you have to think out side the box.

Think 6.20 gears and Third on the NP 435.


The lower the gears are in the rearend the less strain there is on the U Joints.

Dan

OK I understand now.