TKX shifter location

[CSX2345]

Looking at the picture again, I believe they misplaced the two lower images, the Ford unit should be on the left.

[patrickt]

That's pretty helpful, not just for this thread but for others deciding on their trans. and where it will land. I will note that a lot of us use a GM TKO in our FEs and just use a 26 spline driven disk.

[patrickt]

That's pretty helpful, not just for this thread but for others deciding on their trans. and where it will land. I will note that a lot of us use a GM TKO in our FEs and just use a 26 spline driven disk.

<if this post appears twice it's because the shi**y site's software made my first post invisible>

[eschaider]

I may have a potential explanation for you Glen.

This is a pic of TKO dimensions from Tremec. Very similar to the dimensions CSX2345 shared with us. Tremec’s TKO dimensional data below has some additional image data; sadly, without dimensional specifics, which the Holley dimensions also do not provide.



The “C” dimension represents snout-to-mount dimensions for Tremec’s as delivered TKO tailshaft mount, as described by the “C” dimension in the graphic above. The “D” dimension is simply the OAL of the box. In Tremec’s dimensions table, there is approximately an 8-inch difference between the two.

Towards the rear of Tremec’s TKO drawing above, there is an undimensioned mounting location that most of us chose not to use, in fact, many of us cut it off. Kirkham used this mount in some of their cars and built what looks like a typically nice Kirkham billet aluminum mount to support the TKO tailshaft.

Here is a picture of that Tremec mounting boss being cut off by guys like us;



I have not been able to find dimensions for this mount other than to estimate from the Tremec spec that showed the distance from the frontmost mount to the back of the tailshaft to be 8 inches. That would put the front mounting point for that rear mount about 4 inches back from the front-most mount, which I think you may be using.

If you re-position your transmission engine package to use the rearmost mounting position of the TKO transmission’s tailshaft mount, you are going to move your engine/transmission package forward about 4 inches — essentially what you are looking for. That’s the good news.

The bad news has several components. The first is you will move your center of gravity forward, which will make the rear of the car lighter. The second is you don’t have the corresponding mount on the TKX tailshaft, which means some transmission crossmember fancy footwork to make everything fit the way you want it will be required.

FWIW this is what the Kirkham Mount looked like back in the day;



I would think if you intended to go this route (and had a TKO), Kirkham would be the best solution you could buy — but of course, that is not in the cards.

Because the TKX no longer provides the rear-most mount that the TKO had, you are basically back in the same pickle. One way out would be to position your engine transmission package so as to allow the TKX shifter to exit the transmission tunnel in your current opening the way you would like.

Once you have established the correct engine/transmission package placement in your car, you will want to build an appropriately robust tailshaft mounting pad on the chassis cross member so that the mounting bolt holes line up with the corresponding tailshaft mount bolt holes.

This kind of modification may also require some TLC be given to the chassis engine mounts. I am unfamiliar with your chassis, so I am not really qualified to comment on that or whether it would even be necessary. Again, because of my lack of familiarity with your chassis, you may also discover your headers will need some of that same TLC to exit the car in the proper location and manner.

[eschaider]

Duplicate post for all the same reasons Patrick already tagged.

[PDUB]

...this is a pic of an original, unrestored 427 Cobra toploader posted by Dan "the Man" Case on another forum. As you all know, his knowledge runs deep! Hope you don't mind me bringing it over here, Dan! Notice that there are two sets of shifter mounting bosses on this tail housing, which could locate the shifter in the two different positions for other Ford vehicles. Some toploaders came with the two sets of mounting bosses and some came with only one or the other. Complicating this is the fact that there are other tail housings with other mounting positions.

From your other thread, it looks like your original toploader transmission has the correct location for the 427 car, which seems like the toploader for the mid-sized Ford cars, like the Fairlane. The 289 car needs the longer Galaxie/Torino full-sized toploader tail housing for correct shifter location. Unfortunately, that might mean that your original tunnel hole is too far back...

Perhaps Dan will chime in here and help to clarify the situation.

[xb-60]

Paul,
The hole that I cut in the tunnel some time ago was in the position specified in the assembly manual supplied with my 'kit'. Sitting in the car, that location appeared to be the correct location for a 289 car's gearshift.
Brett's car has the gearshift hole in the same location as my gearshift hole (as specified in the assembly manual) and he uses the middle location of the three available. As far as the Toploader goes, that part of the story is now (unfortunately) history.
So, the story may, in time, unravel further. If so, I will definitely post it here.

All comments appreciated, and if there's a lightbulb moment that explains it for you (or for me), please post it here...

Cheers!
Glen

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by eschaider

.....If you re-position your transmission engine package to use the rearmost mounting position of the TKO transmission’s tailshaft mount, you are going to move your engine/transmission package forward about 4 inches — essentially what you are looking for. That’s the good news.

The bad news has several components. The first is you will move your center of gravity forward, which will make the rear of the car lighter.....

Ed,
No, I won't be repositioning the engine mounts further forward for the "bad news" reasons you mentioned.
At the worst, all I need to do is source the adaptor for the forward position (of the three available) for the shift lever. Problem then solved. Maybe the reasons for the somewhat perplexing issue will eventually become apparent.
It's frustrating when 1+1 doesn't equal 2

Cheers!
Glen