[monacho]

OK - my '65 fastback has a 4 speed toploader and I have noticed that when I am coasting downhill but still in 2nd that sometimes it pops out of second into neutral.

Is this a problem? Back in the 80's I had a foreign car that did this with 3rd gear a few times and ended up destroying the synchros for that gear and had to double-clutch for both upshifting and downshifting.

I'm running a somewhat modified 289 with an original style paxton blower and have a 9" rear end with 3.55 gears if that makes a difference...


This only seems to happen when I'm coasting either downhill or on a flat and will likely come to a stop. If I'm going uphill or accelerating it stays in gear with no problems.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ivy66GT]

You sure its a toploader? That is a common problem with the T-10 4-speeds also used in '65.

 

[monacho]

You sure its a toploader? That is a common problem with the T-10 4-speeds also used in '65.

How can I tell? I didn't build the car, I bought it with most of the work done already.

It started out as a straight 6 but a previous owner did a complete frame off restoration, and his information sheet on the car from when he was trying to sell it says it's a toploader...

 

[Port139]

Top loader access a plate is on top of tranny hence the name. If you have a t-10 its on the pass side. Take some pics and google to see which one yours resembles.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[Ivy66GT]

As you face the front of the car the shifter arms connect to a removable plate on the left side of a T-10 which is the drivers side for most, although possibly not all of us. A 6-cylinder car would not have originally had either a toploader or a T-10 but instead a Dagenham 4-speed made in Dagenham, England.

The attached shop manual page shows a T-10 (compliments of our own Ms. Veronica some time ago). The T-10 was still used occasionally in '66, although with detail changes, but the T-10 section was only found in the '65 Mustang shop manual. They were built by the Warner Gear division of Borg-Warner in Muncie, Indiana. (The same Borg-Warner as in the winner's trophy at Indy.)

The problem you describe is very common for a T-10 but I have not heard of it all that much for a toploader. Its usually fairly easy to solve the T-10 problem but it requires an overhaul with some new parts.

 

[monacho]

OK - thanks for the help on that...

I see a linkage on the drivers side of the tranny so apparently I have been living a lie all these years and don't have a toploader... It looks like I have a T-10.

Is this a problem that is likely to cause a catastrophic failure at some point to where I need to be worried about it?

It's a balanced engine with a compcam and other enhancements including a supercharger and I often shift at 5,000-6,000 RPMs when driving aggressively (my shift light is set at 6,000 and the redline on the tac was set at 7,000 when I bought it) and I would rather not have the whole thing blow up on me if I can avoid it...

How worried should I be about this problem?

Thanks!

 

[Ivy66GT]

The shift linkage is on the same side for all of the transmissions, even an automatic. The 4-speed shifter is the same for either transmission, its just a different transmission. So let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. To be a T-10 the 1,2 and 3,4 shift arms have to be attached to a removable plate on that side. The T-10 reverse arm goes through the casting behind the removable plate. All the linkages for a toploader go through the side of the transmission casting and the removable plate is on top - hence the nickname of 'toploader'. Check it again with the picture to make sure what you have.

The attached picture is of my T-10 side plate removed before I did any work on it. At the upper left, just outside the old gasket, you will see a stamped number. That is a date code and will be important if you really have a T-10. The '66 T-10 was a slightly different design that was used for only one year and only by Ford so you need some hints about how to take it apart that are not in any shop manual I know about.

It only jumps out of 2nd on deceleration and what you are concerned about doesn't sound much like deceleration.

 

[monacho]

OK - thanks for the info and the patience LOL.

I couldn't get all the way under the car because I can't seem to find my jackstands and I tried just taking a video with my iPhone... It doesn't look at all like the linkages are running through a removable plate and I don't see or feel the bolts like I would expect based on your picture...

And the linkages with one bolt in front and two in back, and another bolt slightly higher between them (not attached to the linkages) that I see on images of the toploader is what I appear to have...


So let's start over... this problem shouldn't happen with a toploader, and do I need to be worried about it or just put up with it for now? We usually just drive the car around town and to car shows and most years put less than 1,000 miles on it. My 17 year old has started driving it some too though and I can imagine that he will be aggressive with it...

 

[monacho]

Since nobody is telling me that it's dangerous to drive this way I'm going to go along as if everything is "OK".

I'm never more than 50 miles from home in the car and if we destroy the tranny for some reason I can always get it home without too much trouble... I would rather spend the money on better brakes or maybe a new project car...