1965screamer

How hard would it be to put a TKO-500 or 600 in my 65 mustang? I know some people say you have to raise the tunnel and others say to fix the driveline angle by shimming the spring perches on the rearend. Just curious as if to anyone has done this, which approach they took and how they liked it. I would just go with a T5 but Im afraid my 347 would destroy it out on the strip and I have future plans of a 408w. Im currently running a toploader with 4.11s in the back so highway driving sucks. Any feedback would be great!
Thanks, Cody

fakesnakes

There are some tips in my build log:

https://mustangforums.com/forum/clas...build-log.html

JMD

My son and I put a TKO 600 in his 66, we ended up dropping the rear of the tranny about 1/2" to MAYBE 1" at the most...

Common sense tells me that this won't affect driveline angle enough to make a difference, our REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE confirms this.

I figure his 408 is making somewhere close to 500 HP, there is no sign of vibration or binding whatsoever, NONE, under any condition.

We are running a Currie 9" set up "as stock" with respect to spring perches, on 5 leaf mid leaf grab a tracks with 2" lift shackles...

So, I guess I am saying that for what we have done the TKO 600 in the 66 works great with NO tunnel modifications... Some folks may disagree with this..... but they are wrong... and I can live with that..

1965screamer

fakesnakes: Great thread! The car is looking awesome and I really like the 6 guage cluster. Thats getting me anxious to get my 67 FB project home and started on

JMD: Who did you buy the TKO from? Are you using stock motor mounts or aftermarkets? And what did you use for a transmission crossmember?

Thanks for the great info so far!

JMD

We bought the TKO from either Jegs or Summit, I can't remember which right now. After lots of shopping, at the time it was very, very, close to the best price we could find. When price and the vendor's guaranteed reliability was weighed together, it was hard for me to buy from a lesser known company or ebay.

I bought the mount from Mustangs Unlimited, I thought it was supposed to be a bolt in but,,,, well, it wasn't. On reflection I think I probably bought a crossmember for a 3550 by mistake.

Anyway it was easy enough to make the mount fit the tranny.... At this point I discovered that the square corner of the TKO was in contact with the tranny tunnel, so I extended the "ears" of the crossmember about an inch and a half to drop the tranny for clearance.

Later I spaced the tranny back up about an inch in order to improve the way the shifter fit through the floorboard.

Once spaced back up, total drop was only about 3/4"... give or take a 1/4"... Due to the radius of the tranny tunnel, a little bit of drop goes a long way with regard to how the square edge of the tranny fits in the hole...

Throughout the installation, we did not modify the body of the car at all, even the shifter fit through the stock hole.

Oh yea,,, the motor mounts are aftermarket, similar to Ron Morris mounts, but not "adjustable" ,,, can't think of the brand right now)

Starfury

While JMD hasn't had any problems, that doesn't mean nobody will have problems doing the same thing. It's not the driveline angle that's the problem, it's the combined angle of the transmission output and the pinion shaft in the rear. The two should be within 2* of eachother, preferably closer. Dropping the tranny crossmember alters this geometry, which could potentially create problems. If you drop the engine as well, or fix the pinion angle, problem solved.

JMD

Yea, on second thought, Tad is right it won't work,,, I forgot that we used a magic crossmember that is no longer available.. It allowed me to drop the rear of the tranny as much as I want up to 90* without changing the driveline angle...

Damn,,, sometimes the way we "think" gets in the way.

I know that Tad is not alone in what he believes about this issue,,, but I "think" dropping the rear of the tranny an inch or less ain't going to make a damn bit of difference...

My "I think" is backed up by what "I did".... and supported by "it actually works",,, and "it does not shake", "it does not bind", and "I usually don't make things up"...

Henry Ford said something to the effect that "whether a person thinks they can do something or they can't do something, they are usually right."

In all fairness, Tad is right, just because I made something work, it does not mean that someone else can... Still,,, I just can not IMAGINE how someone could fuch this up....but I guess it is possible...

Damnit Tad, I like you, nothing personal, and we USUALLY pretty much agree, but we just don't see this one issue the same way at all.

I think it sucks that a person might not use the TKO he or she wants because of what I believe to be misinformation...

1965screamer

I think this is the route I am going to try. Do you remember what you used for a bellhousing and clutch? Is the 1" spacer behind the bellhousing standard or just with the stock bellhousing? I have a lakewood blowproof bellhousing now. How did that 408 fit?

Sorry for all the questions but thanks for all your help!
Cody

1965screamer

It should all be good. I plan on dropping the engine 1/2" anyways so that should make up some of it and changing the pinion angle is not a big deal. I have a protractor specially made to check those angles. And I realize just because JMD made it work with no mods doesnt mean I can, but I can sure as hell try!

Starfury

I'm not saying a TKO isn't a great way to go, and I'm not disputing that it worked great for you. I just don't think it's right to tell everyone to do it without explaining the potential dangers. It worked for you, but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone else. Driveline angles are very sensitive. All it takes is for a couple tolerances to stack up to cause a vibration.

Nothing personal I just think people should be fully aware of what they're getting into.