Toploader Rebuilt

digithead · Apr 19, 2019

Pretty pumped to have my 73 Vert outta the garage in Upstate NY where the snow never stops LOL. So I have done most everything to this car but the tranny.

I've never had one apart and dont feel like learning the hard way. One of my customers is a good local Transmission place (over 40+ years). I made appointment for first thing in April so I'd have car for whole short summer. Took about 10 days to pull it. He said it was very gunked up inside and had some hack work done years ago. 3rd and reverse were really hard to shift into and out of. Came back just perfect. Man this guy does nice work. Shifts like a brand new car now! He thought it would run 1100 dollars and it was 1600. He said it was a lot more labor to get apart. Something about set screws that are worn off. He had to cut a shifting fork with plasma cutter then replace it after. In any case, since the whole car is so nice , I had no choice but do the tranny too. LAst year I got the motor professionally built to 460HP so it was shame not to shift it nice. Heres hoping we get a NICE NO RAIN SUNNY summer for our verts!!!!

73pony · Apr 19, 2019

Awesome. $1,600 on a good rebuild of a top loader, especially with what sounds like some additional labor and by someone who knows what they are doing and cares enough to do it right is not that bad. Glad it is running and driving so well.

Pegleg · Apr 19, 2019

::thumb:: Sounds like you made the right choice. You should never have to touch the engine and trans again

I like your thinking. Peace of mind is priceless

Time to enjoy the car

Time to head south if you got a very short summer.

digithead · Apr 19, 2019

Thanks guys. Yes, I'm at that peace of mind point where I want to drive it and summers are short. I cant have it down a month. Kinda stupid to have $30K in the thing and a wonky tranny. I always wanted a good burn out machine. So with wonky third it was tough going to burn in second and get to third. LOL I'd be burning in second then taking 25 seconds to get 3rd it sucked big time! The dude who built runs a class shop. Even has a cool dyno tester for trannys that has big electric motor to drive the inout shaft. Has a PC hooked up. THats where I came in helping him keep this old tester alive. So we trust each other. Man its such a joy to shift now. He moved some parts around and welded something custom not sure what, but the pushing pressure is lighter now and smoother and move even over the stroke of the pedal. Damn clutch pushed pretty hard before him and people didnt like to drive it.

Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs · Apr 22, 2019

I know it is after the fact now but Dan Williams in Franklin, NC is about the best there is on Ford 4 speed. That was all he ever did and was the go to guy for the racers. Pretty sure he could have done much faster and better price, $350 is rebuild cost plus parts. Too late now but just for reference. I have torn down and put back in a few hours myself.

Depending on the tires you have and clutch a top loader does break pretty easy with lots of torque and sticky tires. When they first came out in 64 had a 25 spline output shaft and they snapped like sticks. Went to 28 spline only after 90 days of production it was so bad. I broke third gear in one with stock engine.

If you plan to hit it hard you also need a driveshaft loop in front and maybe rear also. I broke 3 yokes with stock engine on 9" rear. Again tire size is a big question. A rev limiter is also a good investment, one over rev and a bent valve soon breaks and stick into a piston and kills a head.

A toploader is not bullet proof for sure. Here is link to Dan's site. He has built them since first came out and nothing else. Transmission dyno is pretty common we actually ran garden tiller transmissions on dyno at the assembly plant.

Dan also does the conversion of toploader to Hemi input shaft to beef that up. He use to have aluminum cases for the racers but I think he has not cast or machined any lately since NASCAR dropped them. This is the only transmission he builds and has every part even if for a Boss 9.

He is a character if you ever talk to him.

Dan Kee also rebuilds them but Williams has done thousands more.

http://toploadertransmissions.com/dwt-rebuilding-service.php