I have 2 T86 OD trans and would like to use one in my '61 F100. Is there any difference between a car and truck transmission? Can it be made to work if they are different?

Durham Missouri

The car trans input shaft is shorter, and smaller in diameter, and the input shaft bearing retainer collar that the throw out bearing rides on is also smaller in diameter.

Is it possible to make it work? Can a car clutch,pressure plate,and throw out bearing be used? How much longer is the input shaft? Can the bellhousing be milled to make up the difference in length?

Durham Missouri

They are not interchangeable



Lawrenceville, GA

Not that I don't believe you Charlie. But I found a couple posts about this on FTE. A couple guys did the same and one changed out the input shaft from a truck trans with no problems and the other had a longer pilot bearing made. Which actually is more appealing to me because the trans won't have to be modified.

Durham Missouri

The units as a whole do not interchange.  That is the easy answer.

The more nuanced answer is with the right amount of money and determination, just about anything can be done.  If you can have a custom pilot bearing made, go for it.  Another problem to solve if you did that is the throwout bearing and clutch fork. Car bearing and forks are different than truck bearings and forks.  With custom parts, it won't take long for the proper transmission to be the cheaper option.  If you can manage to find a truck input shaft and bearing retainer to swap and it is really all that is needed, do that.  Standard 3 speed truck transmissions should be very easy to find, for a donor.



Lawrenceville, GA

I am fairly familiar with car transmissions but do not know much about trucks. From this thread I learned that inputs were different, I did not know that.  I assumed that the tail shafts were different because cars I worked on used a slip joint and trucks had a bolt on flange for the drive shaft. My only data point is a T-85 from a late 70's F-250? and an old Econoline that has a flange on it. Bob

AKA   Bob-93021

Thanks Charlie. A couple good points that I hadn't thought of. I guess I'll have to see if I can find a truck T86 for parts. If that doesn't work I'll probably go the T5 route.

Durham Missouri

Bob, the tailshafts and housings are different, too.  They are shorter.  The bolt on yokes are only on the more heavy duty truck transmissions.  That is yet another consideration, as it affects the drive shaft length - another expense if a car trans is modified to work.



Lawrenceville, GA

62 big, I used a R10 overdrive transmission from a car in my 54 truck. I had to disassemble the car transmission to get the input shaft out and put the 3 speed truck transmission input shaft back in. I don't know if things changed by 1962, but it worked for me.

  Dennis in Lititz PA