fmx to 4 speed swap

[kidwithfastback=fast]

For the money and challenges of a four speed, you may as well go to a five or six speed. For the linkage, I would consider changing to a hydraulic clutch with a hydraulic release bearing. That eliminates all of the linkage and header clearance issues. It would be easier to round up the parts needed too.

Yea, I'm sure your right, but I have a good toploader already. I would go hydraulic, but then you have all the hydraulic pedal install stuff to deal with. I considered a cable set up, but it seems no one manufacters for a 1972 bell housing. a lot of my decision to do this was the simultaneous failure of my second Fmx, and running into most of the parts cheap. I think the whole thing may set me back 1400$

A little zap or five

And drill it back. also ground a radius at the front to help clear headers.That saved 245$....well i paid 50$...

Mostly just easy today...tap in a pilot bushing..

Hang the flywheel...billet 90$ at your door from Jegs. I know it's offshore... But....you can't screw up a flywheel!...I hope..

Block plate eBay.. 32$, clutch, pressure plate, throw out, and pilot Bush , O'Reillys. 90$

 

[MeZapU]

I'm concerned my new headers will interfere in some way with the clutch linkage. I will not know until I perform the engine swap in a few weeks.

 

[69 Rustang]

IIRC, the starter nose is different on a manual versus an automatic, just an FYI in case you hadn't prepared for that. I recall having to change my starter.

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

I'm concerned my new headers will interfere in some way with the clutch linkage. I will not know until I perform the engine swap in a few weeks.

Yea, I really couldn't tell until I actually mocked up the bell housing with the z bar. Then it was real obvious. There are two basic designs being manufactured that I could find. Most are almost identical to mine( not good unless you want to mod them like I did. Hedman makes the other pattern I have seen and they clear fine. You can tell by the extended length of the tubes in front of the collector. ( they also claim it in there ad.)

If you post a pic or a link, I can probably tell you whitch ones you have.

K

IIRC, the starter nose is different on a manual versus an automatic, just an FYI in case you hadn't prepared for that. I recall having to change my starter.

Thanks Dave, I did find that out just recently. Got one one the bench waiting. Hopefully going in tomorrow. Took the day off and went the northwest nationals drag races.. my ears are still buzzing.. That! Is horsepower!

K

 

[MeZapU]

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

Yep, those are those pretty stainless ones I was looking at the other day. OBX?

They are virtually the same pattern as mine. see my grubby old ones to compare....I would suspect they won't work with a Z bar. A good exhaust shop could modify them as I did, ( except better of course) you could show them what I did. Really not that hard. Or you could return them and get a set of Hedman 88220's. Not stainless, but only 225$ at jegs.

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

Ok, assembled and mounted the notorious z bar. here are all the pieces...

The felt washer pops over the ball, with grease.

Bedded the nylon shells with lots of grease keeper groove towards the

Once in , place the clip in the two little keeper holes. I had to give it a whack with a mallet to get the clip to seat.

Complete, bolted it to the frame first, then the engine bracket bolts up with the bell housing. I had to get a couple 2-1/2 grade 8 7/16 for the bracket mount / bell housing bolt up.

 

[Hemikiller]

Hooker Comp #6915HKR is the only sub-$500 header for a 351C-4V I'm aware of that will clear the 71-73 Z-bar. They're also one of the best fitting headers I ever installed in a a car.

https://www.holley.com/products/exhaust/headers_and_exhaust_manifolds/long_tube/parts/6915HKR

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

That's what I'm running too. While they do hang a little low, they fit nicely. I drag mine once in a great while, but it is usually my fault.

It does not leave any extra room for the linkage, just enough but there is complete clearance once you get it together.

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

Extra room!?! Custom fab'd , and still barely room. Between the pitman arm, steering box, and bell housing, I'm almost surprised a four speed was an option! Big tip of the hat to Don at Ohio mustang parts, for getting me all those hard to find bits, and getting them to me quick!

Did a little top loader prep just because. Replaced the input shaft bearing, tailshaft bushing, and seal. Also put in a new Speedo drive gear as mine was wasted from a frozen Speedo cable at some point. Added a half gallon of 90 weight, and snugged down the lid. the whole bit took maybe an hour. I put the drive line in before filling with oil, to stop a spill. I cut the gear end of the fmx Speedo off and used it for a temp plug.

The rear seal can just be popped out with a big screw driver just levering it out. I split the bushing out with a slim screwdriver. Very soft metal, peeled right out. Drove in the new with a socket. Front bearing comes off carefully with screwdrivers in the keeper groove and another driver for a lever. Bearing, bushing, gasket set and seal were 65$.

Spent a couple extra bucks for a really beefy throw out bearing. Mounted the bellhousing, hung the starter, converted by floor Jack into a red neck tranny Jack with a short chunk of 2x10 and a couple 2x2s, and slid that baby in there.. That was too easy!

Then the shifter and linkage... Another doo over! Whole lot easier if I had mounted it to the tranny first! Slight oversight...was in big hurt to get it in. Oh well got it in eventually .

The tranny mount from the fmx works fine with the toploader. The c4 crossmember also worked perfect. The stock fmx drive shaft also works fine. There is about 3/4" of float at the tail shaft. Of course you do have to use the c4 yoke.

Also got the upper z bar rod today, if you are converting the hole is just to the drivers left of the steering column. So a few springs, a Speedo cable , bolt up some exhaust... Oobabkwy a couple other details...

But I think this particular stang will be going through the gears by tomorrow afternoon!

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

Well guys, I worked a few links out of the trans linkage, fabbed/ faked in a couple bushings, in the clutch link, bolted my seat back in, screwed down a handsome rubber flex around that that classic Hurst shifter....dropped it off the stands, and went for tool around the block..

Wow!!! What a transformation!!! I mean... Seriously, what a different car! Spirited!, even......Nimble!! Ok well for A 72 stang. But actually felt like a muscle car! That was worth the bloody knuckles. I would recommend to anyone. No comparison to an auto.

So, to all or any of you going to do this... You are going to love it.

Kole

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

What you need, .. what I paid. Where I found em

Tranny. 500 Cl

Bearing,bushing, seal 60 O'Reilly auto

Flywheel. 90 Jegs

Flywheel bolts. 15 ebay

Clutch kit. 100 O'Reilly auto

pressure plate bolts 10 ace

Bell housing. 75 CL

Starter 35 O'Reilly auto

Shifter. (Torino) 100. Ebay

Block plate. 32 ebay

Pedals. 150 ebay

Z bar. 50 ebay

Z bar felts, lift rod. 40 Ohio mustang

Block side pivot 35 pivot

Cross member. 35 motor city mustang

Yoke. 35 motor city mustang

U joint. 15 O'Reilly auto

Shifter boot. 20 O'Reilly auto

From the fmx

Drive line,

Speedo cable

Transmission mount

Bell housing bolts

Crossmember bolts

 

[rocket366]

Kole

Thanks for the update!

You really got a great deal on some of those parts!

I will go down the same road one day when I find a cheap T5.

Paul

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

Kole

Thanks for the update!

You really got a great deal on some of those parts!

I will go down the same road one day when I find a cheap T5.

Paul

Thanks Paul, most of the stuff i bought on ebay is for sale all the time for double or triple. I found if i just checked every couple days, it only took a few weeks for those kind of prices to show up. I have seen pedals, crossmembers, and z bars all sell for the same as I paid in the last couple weeks.

If you are going the t5 rout, i think there is a pretty cool aftermarket cable

set up that uses an add on pedal and dosnt need a z bar. It does need a later model bell housing that works with a cable clutch.

 

[69 Rustang]

....dropped it off the stands, and went for tool around the block..

Wow!!! What a transformation!!! I mean... Seriously, what a different car! Spirited!, even......Nimble!! Ok well for A 72 stang. But actually felt like a muscle car! That was worth the bloody knuckles. I would recommend to anyone. No comparison to an auto.

So, to all or any of you going to do this... You are going to love it.

Kole

Yep, did that to my '69 back around 1990. It took a car I already truly loved to a whole new level of "never never never for sale"--until I am dead anyway.

Congrats and enjoy your new ride!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Well done. I have room around the headers because I have manual steering. . . . that's the difference.