I am looking for a way to use a 4 speed in my 53 v8 flathead to give me some better gearing with a new 9" I am dropping in. Finding a 4 speed that is of the smae year have proven to be hard I was wondering how about using a t170? Has anyone done it and is there much involved?

 

You shouldn't have any problem finding the 170 since ford used them from 1978-85 in lightduty trucks. I went with the T-19 behind my FH and I'm still happy with the choice.

 

The t-170 should give you an overdrive 4th gear to make the road run a little better,
You'll need a Hogshead adaptor for the tranny they are available used off the F-2 and bigger trucks and some parts houses sell them.

 

I would like to use an originial t-98 but cant find one for under 800. For the t170 is it just the hogs head for a f2 and thats it? Is it a longer transmission or anything?

 

So what's the point of the T-98, why that tranny?

 

Just looking for a 4 speed really

 

well crap wish t-98s where worth that much in wyoming i used to have three or four of them. think they are still scattered in storage somewhere.

 

FWIW the gearing on these isn't great. 2nd to 3rd is a big gap. Depending on your gears and tires, it will either be a nuisance or a real pita.

If I was doing all the work, I'd go T5. The 4 speed ODs aren't strong transmissions, so anything they take, a T5 will take. Especially the aluminum case units.

jmo, good luck with it.

 

Its just a stock flathead butbut means I could get decent speed from a stop and could use the 3.00 gear for my 9" and get a nice cruiser. I know I can do a t5 but seems like a lot of work and to use the stock clutch/brake pedal assembly with one.

 

First off if you plan on using anything other than the stock tranny your going to have to modify the tranny crossmember. If you want to stay with ford parts then in the family of the T98 is the T-19 with all forward syncro gears and come both wide and close ratio gears. The close ratio gear set has the same gearing as the T-5 minus the overdrive 5th. I've seen t-19's on craigs list for $100 bucks. You don't say were you live but I don't think your going to be happy with that 3.00 gearing unless your living at sea level and no hills. I'm running 3.50 and wish I had gone with 3.70. I may correct that this winter. In my build I re-used all the stock pedels assemblies and clutch parts.