If you were to choose....

[65notch]

is the block plate the same as a bell housing adapter?

like this... http://www.mustangsplus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MPFMP&Product_Code=03797&Category_Code=t5_adapters

 

[LMan]

block plate:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8018408811&category=33613

that one is for an automatic, but you get the general idea.

You need one to properly space/index the starter snout to the ring gear.

 

[danewers]

i would definitely go with a hydraulic clutch setup. i have a king cobra clutch with the hydraulic setup and the clutch pedal is just as light as a honda accord. its real nice. just be prepared to spend some serious time bleeding it the first time. what a pain!

 

[Rusty67]

i would definitely go with a hydraulic clutch setup. i have a king cobra clutch with the hydraulic setup and the clutch pedal is just as light as a honda accord. its real nice. just be prepared to spend some serious time bleeding it the first time. what a pain!

Don't ever race your car or you will blow up your trans. Hydrolic is expensive and in the end, kills tranny's.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Don't ever race your car or you will blow up your trans. Hydrolic is expensive and in the end, kills tranny's.

The racing part has more to do with breaking gearboxes than a hydraulic TOB.

I would always choose a 5 spd. I feel like i have more control and more "one with the car" with a stick.

Me too. I've only driven three automatic cars in my life so far; two were in driver training and one was a friend's '65 Olds Cutlass. My '68 started life as a C4, but a Toploader took its place in a hurry.

If I had a wad of dough to spend on a transmission, I think it would be a G-Force T5. Its probably at least as durable as a 3550 and no trans tunnel mods. I hear about breakage occasionally, but what are those people doing with the the trans? Racing. Not just any racing, but drag racing.

If the car wasnt going to be a driver at all, I would consider the dogring setup. No clutch needed!

 

[Rusty67]

What happens with a hydrolic system is that if you are in a hurry and you clutch in and shift some times you will shift too fast for the hydrolic system to release the clutch completely and that puts a load on the shift fork and eats up yer synchros prematurely. Eventually you brake a shift fork or you bust a tooth on a gear or wear out a synchro prematurely.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Is it just me, or do no modern cars have that problem?

 

[Rusty67]

I've got a friend who runs his Datsun 240z with a late model 280 turbo setup. Its hydrolic. He has gone through several trans, 3 I think. He keeps braking them and junkyarding another one. Of course those ARE junkyard transmissions and I'm not saying driver doesn't have anything to do with it, of course it does. The point is that the technology is not what you see is what you get and unless you are driving the car easy then you are puting extra wear on your trans that you wouldn't if you had a cable setup. You don't notice it with a new car because the transmissions are brand new and this is a wear over time issue.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Last I heard, shifting hard wears out all transmissions, regardless of the clutch release mechanism.

 

[mdjay]

I have the tremec 600 in mine. Technically you should do the tunnel work. I also have the JMC hydraulic unit in my car. It's awesome. I have the CF dual friction and the JMC feels more like a power assist. As fast as I can release it I have pure tire spin If anything I would think it's more of a burn out the clutch issue. That's why I went for a beefy clutch. IMO the cable units are a little sitely.

 

[LMan]

I've got a friend who runs his Datsun 240z with a late model 280 turbo setup. Its hydrolic. He has gone through several trans, 3 I think. He keeps braking them and junkyarding another one. Of course those ARE junkyard transmissions and I'm not saying driver doesn't have anything to do with it, of course it does. The point is that the technology is not what you see is what you get and unless you are driving the car easy then you are puting extra wear on your trans that you wouldn't if you had a cable setup. You don't notice it with a new car because the transmissions are brand new and this is a wear over time issue.

I'd have to see some tech on this one, no offense to your 'buddy with a Datsun'

 

[Rusty67]

Last I heard, shifting hard wears out all transmissions, regardless of the clutch release mechanism.

Yes. That is exactly my point. Think about it. Would you rather get hit in the face with a wooden stick or a metal pole ? Simply driving your car wears out the moving parts. Its called friction. Its going to happen no matter what. What I'm talking about is the inevitable premature wear on your parts.

Edit:
Thik about it like this, a hyrdolic clutch setup is a hydrolic system just like your hydrolic brakes. Aren't there problems with brake systems that are evident all the time in some way or another ? Brakes drag, don't engage as soon as you step on the pedal or maybe engage unevenly. There is a slight delay between the time you step on the pedal and the time stuff moves on the other end because of the motion of the fluid through the hydrolic lines.

 

[danewers]

rusty67: there is no delay. fluid is uncompressable. if there is a "delay" there's air in the system.

 

[Rusty67]

Hydrolic systems have lag from when the force is starting to be aplied and then again when the force stops being applied, its not instant engagement/disengagement.

 

[mdjay]

Mine doesn't...

 

[Rusty67]

Yes it does, they all do. Its physics.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

You're right from a theoretical standpoint because all liquids can be compressed in some nearly immeasurable amount. However, you're describing a situation where there is so much moment of inertia that a human can shift gears faster than the clutch parts can accelerate. Also that this hydraulic chain-reaction delay is somehow ovecome by cables that stretch and linkages that flex.

Perhaps someone can point out the part that should make sense to me, but doesn't.

 

[65notch]

so back to the parts for the swap...
this is the list of parts ive gathered that you guys have told me i need. i have a couple of questions about some of them. and if there is anything else, please let me know. im going to do this swap with some buddies and we have never done a swap before. hince why i ask all the questions.

T5
Bellhousing
Blocking plate
Shift fork
Shift fork ball stud
Flywheel
Clutch/press plate
Thrust bearing
Trans/BH hardware kit
Cross member
Trans mount
Slip yoke
Fork dust boot
Hydraulic Clutch Kit
Clutch Pedal
Shift handle and knob
Shortened Driveshaft

ive been lookin at all the parts online and ive found different things...
like the bellhousing. my block is 5 bolt but i see something about early 5 bolt and late 5 bolt. and also differnt bellhousings. how do i know which one to get? i cant seem to find a blocking plate anywere. for the flywheel and clutch...do i just get one for a new t-5 or is there a certian year, model, ect that i need. i do know i need a 28 oz balance thou.
i think ive decided to go with the hydraulic clutch because from what i have learned, prior to all the arguing here, that fluids will transfer much better than a cable and pivot points. its alot more costly but i think it will be worth it.

does anybody have any parts, kits, ect that could maybe help me out?

thanks everyone for the help!

 

[72grande]

There used to be a guy around here with a richmond 6 setup. That certianly seems like the definitive "wad of money" transmition to me. *Sigh* if wish's were fish's.....

 

[Rusty67]

The blocking plate is also called a scater shield, if you are doing ebay searches try with that name as well. I've got a spare shift fork for a T5 lying around I could part with for next to nothing plus shiping cost. As for the Shift fork ball stud, it should be in the bellhousing you buy, I think even if its a brand new one it should still come with it but I'm not sure on that. The clutch disc splines are the same for a 3/4 speed and a T5. You can use a stock style clutch or a latemodel style clutch. Depending on which clutch you get it may effect your flywheel choice. For the trans mount you can use a poly C4 trans mount, they are like 35 bux. You are going to need a clutch pedal along with a manual transmission brake pedal. I would go with an after market shifter. My Hurst shifter looks kickass in my 67. When it comes to the driveshaft, just get a new one, save the original in case you ever want to revert.

As for the discussion on the hydrolic clutch vs a mechanical/cable style linkage, I am aware that mechanical linkages have slop in them and that cables stretch.