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Does anyone have photos of T5's installed in their Locosts? Through shear stupidity or negligence, I've about ruined my Pinto FOG bell housing. Since the tranny badly needed rebuilding anyway, I'm considering going to a more modern, well supported solution. By my measures, I'm close on the tranny tunnel, but the shifter will be several inches farther forward with a T5. Any photos of T5's in tunnels and what the shifter position looks like would be appreciated.

The big long story: I was out driving the Locost and heard a terrible noise from the front somewhere, almost like a massive backfire. The car seemed to stumble a bit, but it may have been my imagination. I pulled over right away, but couldn't see anything wrong. So I started up and continued on my way home. Everything seemed fine. A couple of weeks later, my brother and I were puttering around the car. I had just flushed the radiator and installed a thermostat. I was pointing something out to him and noticed a dimple in the bell housing that had actually broken through, leaving a small hole. I showed it to David and he said "Yeah, but look at that!" A few inches below the dimple, a gaping hole had been blown out of the side of the bell housing. It was roughly rectangular, about 1.5"x3". Through the hole we could see inside the housing and could see a case to bell housing bolt that was partially unthreaded. Now that we have the engine and tranny out, it's clear that the TWO top bolts came out completely. Apparently one or both hit the pressure plate housing and were thrown through the bell housing. Only thing I can think is that I completely forgot to tighten those bolts when I assembled it.

So I took Friday and Monday off this weekend with the expectation that we would get another bell and tranny from the junk yard. We spent two days in junk yards and came up with nothing. It seems the Pinto well has run dry. In the whole two days and several junk yards, we only saw two Pintos and they both had had automatics. Both were very well picked over already. We also saw two Mustang II's. Although one still had the tranny, it's a RAD and not much more popular than the FOG. I would probably fit the easiest though next to a Pinto FOG.

So anyway, my choices are to fix what I have (which would work, but for how long?) or to go with the newer, more popular T5. We did see several 80's era Mustangs and Tbirds with 2.3L motors and usable bell/tranny combos so I know they are out there. I'd just like to see what someone else has put together with a T5 before I go that route.

Thank you for the help,

John

PS - I know if I searched I'd find some, so I'm taking the lazy way out. Maybe it's just the frustration of two worthless days in junk yards and knowing my favorite toy is broken. jsh

Here are a few. I'm using polly engine and tranny mounts, so my tunnel is tighter than if using rubber, and I'm not using the speed sensor, other wise it would be an issue. I wouldn't want the shifter any farther forward, might fab a 1" longer shifter handle. I'll wait till its on the road to see if it is needed.





Hope this helps, more pics in my builders log.

Rod

_________________
Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS

A little off-topic (sort-of), but when using a T-5 the shifter usually ends up somewhere under the dashboard. What I did was to build a shifter extension - works slick, cost about $.50 to make, moves the shifter back 6", and allows the trans to be in its usual position instead of having to be moved way back. Pics on my website if you're interested in doing this (there's a CAD drawing JPG on there as well, with dimensions).

T-5's are plentiful in most places, even up here in the "Great White North", and they're plenty stong.

Both examples look good. My current engine position looks just about like Rod's and I hope to keep that so the engine mounts don't change. Seems like I might be able to get away with just a bent shifter to start with. The measurements between the T5 and my tunnel are close enough so I won't know for sure how far back it will go until I get it in there.

I like the low profile of the Zetec7 shifter extension. Looks like the whole thing fits in the tunnel and only the shifter pops out. Other methods I've considered would almost certainly have to have the linkages above the tunnel top. Quite workable, but not as clean as yours.

Thank you for the help with this. These examples and the difficulty finding a replacement Pinto tranny are building my confidence in using the T5. It should be a better transmission and much more supportable.

John

Locost 5.0, how much wider is your frame? I could barely squeeze the bellhousing in with enough foot room to make the tailshaft come in past the dash.

It is a +442, so it is +4 width. I built the tunnel around the transmission and bellhousing. Its real tight. especially the clutch fork. Its right where the gas pedal would be if it was a floor mount, mine isn't. If you need a hard measurment or a different picture, I can get you one later today. Also, the tube directly under the bell housing is curved down to fit the bell housing. Keeps the footwells tied together and allows the engine to sit farther back. You could do what the Striker does and raise the tube on top of the bell housing....does that make sense? I'll find a picture of what I'm talking about in an hour or two, I'm at work right now.

Rod

_________________
Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS

I have a +4 frame, and I have the same bent connecting tube, I guess my feet are just too big, lol. It's already way tight in the foot well with racing shoes.

I have size 12's and I can wear my work boots. I spent a lot of time to maximize the pedal area because I'm going to dive this thing 5 to 10k a year.
Using the polyurathane mounts and bulding the tunnel real tight gave me quite a bit more room. When I first put the pedals and tranny in I thought it would be impossible for me to drive. Just kept working it untill there was room. On a side note, the entire tunnel will be 16 gauge plate welded in.



When I get home I take a current pic of the pedal area. I wish I had your lift.

Rod

_________________
Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS

I'm wondering if maybe the extra length in your chassis is whats helping to add foot room then.

It might be, but I think it could work. Then again mine is a bit longer.

Rod

_________________
Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS

not really a big deal for me, having the engine slightly forward for me gives me a place to put the turbo anyway.

Rod's engine is also probably offset by at least an inch due to the 8.8.

Rod - I was just looking at the pictures again and just realized that the V8 bell housing you have is different from the ones behind the 4's I saw in the junk yard. The clutch fork on your housing looks conventional and the cable pulls the same on both. But the ones behind the 4 cyl. Mustangs have a lever arrangement mounted to the side of the housing that pulls the fork backward. The fork is a shorty and the fulcrum is between the end of the fork and the throwout bearing instead of being on the far side of the bearing.

I think I could eliminate the whole lever deal by making my own bracket for an after market cable. The bell should fit snuggly in my existing tunnel then.

If it is convenient for you, could you measure the width and height of your tunnel at the front, at 7" back and again at 11" back? I know your tunnel isn't all straight lines, but these measurements should be enough.

Thank you,

John

Some thoughts on clutch activation for the T-5... I have a bellhousing from quad4rods (I'm using a Zetec motor with a T-5), whcih doesn't have any holes in it for clutch levers, etc. Originally we were going to use Howe hydraulic concentric clutch release/throwout bearing units, but they don't make them for T-5's (originally Howe said they'd work...we measured the input shafts, though, and they're too big to fit the Howe). There isn't room for us to use the original clutch release levers, as they'd interfere with exhaust, brake master, etc. What I've been thinkng about is to use the original Ford lever, shortening it way up, and using a hydraulic slave from, say, a Ford truck, probably mounted to the side of the bellhousing. This will allow a really short lever, and will be self-adjusting. Any thoughts on this?

John, I'll get you that measurement tomorrow. I won't be able to get to the car till then.

Zetec7, A hydraulic clutch would be nice, haven't found any that helped much. I would like to see the setup you are thinking about, any pics?

Rod

_________________
Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS