Not being critical Bill just asking for guidance. Or better, putting the right numbers with the right transmissions.

I understand your statement about the overdrive transmission not being in a Mercury - trivia education - ok. My books is simply titled Ford and Mercurywhich is why I said that.



But, the picture of the mid 60 overdrive transmission, shown above again, clearly has a top plate. Now I know for a fact that the overdrive transmission I had in my 55 (which was out of a 63 F-100 and according to your earlier post should be a T-86) had a side plate with the shifters and was configured exactly the same at the 3 speed transmission I posted the second picture of above but with the overdrive unit on the back (and I remember you stating that they didn't just install overdrive units on the back of the 3 speed light duty transmissions earlier). The cover plates were NOT the same on those two overdrive transmissions.

Here are two pictures of overdrive transmissions that are used in our trucks neither of which has a top cover - not at all close to being the same design.





So, if the transmission I pictured from the 66 manual is the T-85N, and you say the T-86 has a top cover as well and is supposed to be installed in the 50s F-Series, then what are the transmissions I have pictured above - One is stock and installed in a 1955 F-100 the other a stock 63 F-100 truck? T-10s maybe? TILT!

The original question I asked was, I guess, what defines a top loader. Is it where the transmission has a top cover plate, or is it called a top loader because the shift mechanism is located on top of the transmission and goes through the floor vs on the column?