ford t18 swap

[PecosCJ7]

i have the chance to buy a craigslist find, never installed novak rebuilt ford T-18 tranny with Dana 300 adapter kit.
what else would i need to complete install on a 1986 CJ7 with AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , T-5 and dana 300.

 

[LASTCJ786]

T-18 /T-176 bellhousing.

 

[PecosCJ7]

can the T-5 bellhousing be drilled and tapped?

if i find a t176or T-18 bell housing will i need a new clutch kit. and flywheel.

 

[Johnboy]

Im not sure about the T-5 bellhousing to ford T-18 but i know a ford t18 will bolt to a T-150 bellhousing took mine from my 360 amc and it bolted right up to a ford t18 and np435 as far as clutch goes if the t5 has a 10 spline inputshaft at a 1 1/16 diameter you should be able to use same clutch but pay close attention to the pilot shaft there may need to be modifications maybe not for sure on that go to novak adapters .com they have useful info and insight your swap questions they can accurately tell you what you need on site.

 

[BusaDave9]

can the t5 bellhousing be drilled and tapped?

if i find a t176or t18 bell housing will i need a new clutch kit. and flywheel.

Yes a T-5 bellhousing can be drilled and tapped.

I had a '82 CJ7 with a T5, a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l and a Dana 300 . I put in a Ford T-18 . I got the adapter from Advanced Adapters but Novak has a similar kit. The T18 with an adapter is just as long as the T5 so the driveshafts can be reused without modifications.
The 258 flywheel can be reused but you may want to have it resurfaced. I used a clutch pressure plate for the 258. I used a clutch friction plate intended for a ford.
When I put the T18 up to the bellhousing it almost looked like it was meant to fit together. but there was not holes where you'd expect them to be. It was easy to drill and tap the holes.
To make the Ford T18 mate to the Dana 300 I had to replace the main (output) shaft in the T18. The kit included the shaft that allowed the tranny to mate to the D300.

EDIT: Oh, I should read better. The tranny you are thinking of getting already has the adapter kit.

 

[1986cj7]

Boy what an upgrade from the T-5 to the super tought T-18 with the adapter kit, what a find I'm jealous. Being nosey what's the price of the set up. I've heard the adapter kit is very expensive.

 

[BusaDave9]

Being nosey what's the price of the set up. I've heard the adapter kit is very expensive.

It's $500 now. Adapting the T18 & T19 Transmissions to the Jeep Dana 300 Transfer Case

 

[PecosCJ7]

so far i gathered that the T-5 can be drilled and tapped. but i have found a source for a T-150 bellhousing. novak states my clutch and linkages are compatible. but not the clutch disc or pressure plate? becuse of shaft size. and recommend a 76-79 disc and pressure plate kit. im confused, is that a ford 76-79 kit or cj76-79kit? also, where would i find this kit.

 

[CJim7]

I used my T-5 bell housing...had to drill out 2 holes but it worked perfectly. I used all the stock clutch components.

You will need to change the pilot bushing also...

As Dave stated, your drivelines will need no modification as the T-18 /Dana 300 with the adapter is almost the exact same length as the T5/D300.

You can also use your original crossmember but you will need to cut a relief at the front part of it. The T18 is big and there is a slight fitment issue, but nothing a grinder wont fix.

Edit: You may need to modify the tunnel cover also for the shifter sticks.

 

[PecosCJ7]

What size drill and tap is used for two holes needed on T-5 Bellhousing?

 

[BusaDave9]

What size drill and tap is used for two holes needed on T5 Bellhousing?

9/16-12 thread size. Use a 31/64 drill.
The head of the bolt will be 13/16.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

This might help on some of the details:
http://www.jeeptech.com/convtrans/fordt18/index.html

 

[PecosCJ7]

thanks for info and links fellas. very helpful. does anyone who has done this swap have pics of the shifter pattern you had to bend.

 

[BusaDave9]

Here's my T-18 shift lever. When it's in 1st or reverse it would hit my gauges. It takes a couple tries to get it shaped just right.

 

[PecosCJ7]

ok picked up the T-18 today. on the novak Dana 300 adapter, does it bolt directly to crossmember/skidplate mounts? or is there a adapter needed. i see on novaks website they sell their own mount kit. is this necessary?

 

[IOPort51]

I think they are 3/8 16 but I will have to look to be sure. I will suggest that if you are going to go to the trouble to drill the aluminum bell housing that you tap it for Helicoils rather than just tapping the aluminum. I am sure it goes with out saying that you need to drill these on a drill press to get them in square. I had to fill and re drill a Helicoil in a bell that had been drilled,in place, by hand and had no possibility of ever having a bolt line up with it.

 

[BusaDave9]

I did this swap years ago to put a Ford T-18 into a CJ that had a T-5 in it. Since the T18 with adapters is as long as the T5 the drive shafts don't need to be modified or replaced. This puts the T18 where the T5 was. At the bottom of the T18 where the drain plug is the T18 extends down farther than the T5 did. You just have to cut a notch out of the skid plate. The notch has to extend about 2 inches into the skid plate and it should be at least 3 inches wide. If you do this last it's easy to see what has to be cut. Just put the skid plate up under the jeep and you'll see what needs to get cut.
IO is right, it is nice to drill the bellhousing with a drill press. When I did this I had access to a drill press but I couldn't get the bellhousing under the press. I did it by hand and didn't have a problem. I laid the bellhousing on the ground. I put the T18 on top of the bellhousing so the output shaft of the T18 was facing up.

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Then it's easy to see where you have to drill. I marked the bellhousing and removed the T18. I drilled and tapped the bellhousing. I didn't use helicoils but that's a very good idea whenever you tap aluminum. But the OEM bellhousings don't have helicoils. Just tapped aluminum.

I found a of link regarding this swap. This guy also tried to drill the bellhousing with a hand drill. He messed up one of the holes and had to buy another used bellhousing.
Ford T-18 swap into a CJ
The T18 is HEAVY!
The T5 I took out was 65 pounds. The T18 I put in was AMC 150 pounds. Almost 100 pounds more.
First bolt up the T18 and then bolt up the TCase separately.

 

[PecosCJ7]

ok so im gonna skip the trouble of drill and tappin. n find a direct bolt in T-176 /AMC 150 bellhousing.

so on the the next question..will my T-5 bolts be ok or do i need the T-18 bolts for the bellhousing

 

[BusaDave9]

When I did this I used new bolts to hold up the T-18 . They were bigger than what were in the T-5 .
If you're going to get a direct bolt in bellhousing wait and see what size holes you have.

 

[CJ007]

Heres my shifter, it came from a 67' F250 with the tranny and I didn't have to bend at all. I also did the Novak conversion. As for the shift handle I just welded a nut to a spider gear I had laying around after I locked and regeared. Oh and a 20 ga shot shell fit perfect in the center.

If you need a new floor plate I have a couple spare stainless ones for the T-18 and you can have one. Also 4wd has the boot for $3.99 and Rockauto has the clutch plate for an older CJ for $40.