My Stroker's Next Victim is...
 

My stroker's next victim is...my transmission output shaft. It appears that the torque is spiraling the output shaft because:
1. I cannot push the yoke all the way into the transmission like I used to be able to.
2. The yoke is binding and causing a noise and vibration when load is taken off of it like when I shift at high speeds.

I have ordered a brand new, and hopefully bulletproof David Kee Toploader. I am upgrading to 31 spline output shaft, harder gears, and bronze syncros. I am staying with a 24" length tranny and 1 1/16" input shaft for small blocks, so I do not have to go with a new driveshaft or big block clutch.

What else should I ask for to make sure this tranny survives? I asked David to build me a tranny that who hold 500hp with a 200shot in third and forth gear. He said that I need a Jerico if I want to play above 500hp. I though I would give this a try since everything is already set up for a four speed toploader.

Damn....stop breaking things:P What tranny are you running right now? Since you're swapping, why not swap to a TKO600? Not that there's anything wrong with a toploader (especially from David Kees), but I'd think the TKO would be the next step. It's essentially a modified, beefed up toploader.

I am running a rebuilt four speed toploader. Nothing special. I must add that the tranny was great one day I put the new strip clutch and pressure plate in. The next day I realized what the valves were doing. The day I got the whole thing fixed and back on the road I trashed the leaf spring perches. Got that fixed and then trashed the output shaft that night driving home. It must have just been on the edge and once the valves and head gasket were right, it gave up the ghost! Like I said in the spring perch post. I am little proud and a little put out! :)

I was looking at any option that would fit my application but really want to stay with a toploader. I started to call a few guys, when I realized that David Kee was just across town, literally. I would like stay with a four speed for classic car nostalgic reasons, so linkos are out. A Tremec is an option, but I am not crazy about OD transmissions in classics. Do they make a four speed? I honestly do not know much about them. What type of clutch do they use (manual, cable, hydraulic)? What all needs to be changed to switch from a toploader to a tremec?

Hi urban,
i believe you are quite proud of your car-wrecking torque ;-) So you should be. Must be a blast to drive. i do understand if you say that you are not crazy about OD transmissions (for nostalgic reasons) but I think that's more stubborn than effective. You'll have the same four gears as before plus another one which your wallet will very much like when used often. I'm well aware that you know this already. I just cannot understand that someone who changes a gearbox to a new aftermarket one would pick a 4spd

Kalli, good point. As I think things over more. I am more warm to the idea of a Tremec if that is what will survive for a while. I would prefer a four speed, but you are right about the obstinence if you are going aftermarket tranny anyways. I sometimes get fixated on something and then see my error after a few nights sleep. That is where I am now. As for the torque. It is fun and make my heart flutter, but I have not been able to enjoy it much because things keep breaking.

If I had to give advice to someone want to play with 450+hp or torque in a classic, it would be budget twice as much money to fix all the other stuff that you are going to bend break, or twist with the motor you just built. 500ft*lbs is no BS a bunch or force. I thought I was under the line of what this car would handle power and torque wise, but I was wrong. You see modern cars running 450hp with blowers (i.e. new GT500) and you think my car can do that easy. That is not correct! When someone says they are making 500hp in a classic mustang. I say let me see your tranny, rearend, and subframe. If they are not all aftermarket or bent up like a pretzel, they are lying!

Question:
Does anyone know anything about Jerico trannys? I know they are used in many hardcore stick shift drag race cars. I also know they are four speeds. Are they tougher than Tremecs? Easier to fit?

i *think* the jerico's are basicly bulletproof, if i remember correctly, NASCAR uses them in their cup cars. everything in there looks like its straight cut as far as the gears go. heres their site http://www.jericoperformance.com/27.html

i have no idea about transmissions. It only seems that a lot of 500HP cars throw the tremec in for the sake of it. I believe they name them as they rate them. As in Tremec TKO 500=500ftlbs etc. So I believe the box that Tad quotes would be suitable. Don't really know what is involved in swapping. they should be able to help you:
http://www.moderndriveline.com/

as to your comment:
500hp in a classic mustang. I say let me see your tranny, rearend, and subframe. If they are not all aftermarket or bent up like a pretzel, they are lying!
--> very true. I started at back back and am working my way forward. I believe I'm the only one on the planet with a 9" rear and a 200HP mustang. I was just sick of braking my original 6cylinder rear.

Both Tad and Kalli make their typical excellent points. I'll add that with an overdrive you can go with an even lower rear gear and still drive on the highway. I have a TKO600 and a 9" with 3.89 gears and 31 spline axles going into my '66, just in case I hit my 450HP 347 with a taste of nitrous. There is nothing wrong with an OD tranny, but TKOs have a reputation for getting harder to shift at higher rpms. If you are really set in your ways, you could try a Richmond 5 speed (non-overdrive). Try one of these:

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...=KeywordSearch

Check out the directions on page 6 or 7:

http://static.summitracing.com/globa...sionmanual.pdf

BTW, as I said earlier, I'd be proud too! Keep breaking it until it is bulletproof!

Fakesnakes, you make a good point about the rearend gear/OD and shift points. My toploader went into gear with no problem under full power at 6-7k. I wonder how these others will do?

Racin66, I did not know NASCAR used Jericos. The WC4-4 is an oval track tranny that apparently has been in cup cars since 86. They are not cheap. $4100 is twice what my toploader is going to cost. The roadrace version WC4 is only $3100 :). I assume that I would need a bellhousing converter (I am putting a SFI bellhousing on now because I am starting to fear the torque), clutch, pressure plate, etc. It may be a $6000 setup, so for that reason, a Tremec looks better and better.

Kalli, that is good to know about the torque they are rated for TKO600 would be a 600ft*lb tranny, I guess. The T5 looks way too light at 330ft*lbs. Looks like a TKO600 road race tranny would run about $2100 plus parts, which is comparable to the toploaders.

This is going to keep me up at night. If I blow up this new toploader quickly, I will be asking Santa for a bad ars racing tranny!

This has no relation to what we are talking about, but since we are talking trannys...

I have tossed this out there a few time and never gotten a good answer. Toploaders use a "long style" pressure plate. The most clamping force I can get in a long style PP is 2400lbs short of going to a shiftless PP which would not work well when I hit traffic. If I could go to a diaphragm style PP, I could run 2700-2800lbs clamping force which would eliminate my clutch wear issues. Typically newer style trannys use the diaphragm style PP.

Can you run a diaphragm PP in a toploader? If so what is needed to switch over?