Yes....I know exactly what your saying.....I stumbled across a T-89 overdrive unit.....Bought the first one on e-bay got the drive shaft too for a little extra.....Bought another, same model from a guy in North Jersey.... Money well spent......Just rebuilt a 312 .030 over with a higher lift cam and increased duration. Put factory dual quads with the package.....yes it is pretty cool....Gotta 57 Ranchero.....Strong transmission especially in second gear....Used to used T-86 top loaders....good transmisions.....Just not as strong...obviously....What car are you using the T-85 in?

Jeff                   

I broke a T10 back in 1975.  So I bought a brand new Borg Warner Super T 10 special wide with a 2.64 first gear and a long tail shaft.  I remounted the shifter back 4 inches and over 1 inch.  It comes perfectly through the the old shifter hole for the stock 3 spd shifter in my 57 'Bird.  It has proven to be indistructable behind various heavily worked and abused Y blocks for all of the years since. Now that I'm an old man and have 2.73's in the rear the 2.64 first allows the launch.  Fits like a charm.  MIKE

Mike, still lovin his 57 t'bird after 53 years!

That's what I did and it wasn't easybut I'm glad I did and now not only do I have a 2.95 1st I also have a 80 and 62% overdrives and I would do it again if I had to.

-Gary Burnette-

Wow, look at the price of the Gear Vendors I'd just stick a 6-speed in there for that price.


Lawrenceville, GA

another option  is to keep the three speed top loader and install a www.gearvendors.com

this will split 2nd + 3rd gears  therefore a "over/under drive "

it has been on my '54 Ford Vic w/ a 292 Y for five  consecitive 3000km rally's thru Mexico www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx  without a single issue

giddy up

At least with the T85 you don't have to cut a hole in the floor and keep the original shifter location.

-Gary Burnette-

Jerome:

Take a look at your 1st/rev slider tooth damage.  If the damage is on the low gear side, it is from downshifting or shifting into 1st at a stop with a clutch hanging up a little.  If it is on the reverse side, it is probably due to sloppy linkage allowing the gear to override neutral and hit the reverse idler.  Been a problem with T85s forever.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Daniel,

Great choice. I've had mine over 20 years. As long as you shift rationally, only use OD drive in 3d gear and keep the T85 case and R-11 case full of oil, it's bullet proof. The R-11 planetary is the weakest link and parts are scarcer than hens teeth. Not built for hard 1st or 2nd gear acceleration. Next is 2nd gear synchro tooth loss from power shifting (my only spare gear) followed by first/reverse slider gear tooth carnage from attempting down shifts while rolling (can scrap the cluster as well).     

I plan on putting a 351C ahead of mine eventually. About 500 ft-lbs of torque at 5500 rpm. In that configuration, I plan on using a dash switch to control OD engagement, retire the accelerator kick down switch and relay function and only use OD cruising, not passing.

Jerome

It ended up in the middle of the hump in my 57 Ford but the shifters in a better place compared to the Synchroloc shifter I had in the car. The only problem I ran into was the trans mount I used pushed the trans up into the floorboard. I just cut & re-welded the mount so it didn't raise the trans so high.

Dan      Kingman Az.      86409

With Toploader or BW 4 speed installations, the shifter usually locates to the left side of the hump with Hurst or other brands of aftermarket shifters.  Factory ford shifters will lean the shifter hole closer to the center but some imagination applied to the shifter can relocate it as desired.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)