I become intimate with a Jeep T-18

[IOPort51]

I own a Jeep T-18 close ratio Transmission that is mated to a Dana 20 Transfer Case . The Transmission was what I like to call a target of opportunity. I was buying something else and this was there as well so I gave him a low ball offer ( all the money I had with me) and he said OK.

In the best possible world this would not be my current first choice, It seemed like a great thing at the time and I was duly pleased with myself as I proceeded to wrap it up in several layers of poly tarp and set it next to the barn.

down sides: not a T-18 A, super low granny does not live here.

second , It is a jeep and although it is hard for me to think of this as a down side it may make buying parts a bit difficult.

upside : I own it, and got a good deal on it, I think.

it does make a %25 ratio drop over the T-150 it is replacing

It is a Jeep, double edged sword here, It is kind of cool that everything is pretty much still Jeep.

I am at this moment thinking that I have never worked on any piece of mass produced automotive machinery that have this many variations and this little useful information available.

This should be interesting.

Another interesting item is that the final drive ratio will be just slightly higher than the T-18A if I put the terra-low gear set in the in the Dana 20 .
I have pretty much hat the TC re gear for a while now.

Here are a few pictures I took tonight .

 

[Torxhead]

You can never have a low enough gear there IO, if you do get to that point, change the terrain that you travel on. Hows that sound?

 

[Hedgehog]

Now for the overly pointed question. Is that a CJ Jeep Transmission ? Other Jeep T-81's have the longer bell housing and input shaft.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Jeep used about 18 different versions of the T-18 over time. By the pictures it looks to be right for a 1972 to 1975 CJ T-18 . (Note the iron plate between the bell housing and the tranny.) However the 1977 to 1979 CJ Dana 20s mated to the T-18 had the Transfer Case shifter extended forward to hit the floor plate hole that matches the T-150 /Dana 20 combo. The shifter in the picture does not seem to be extended but I don’t know if the shifter was extended in 1972 to 1975. The FSJ tended to use a 5" to 7” +/- adaptor rather than a narrow plate and 1977 to 1979 CJ T18s had no front plate or adaptor at the bell housing to Transmission .

In any event the question comes down to is the 4:1 low, low enough, and that depends upon the axle and Transfer Case gearing and what you want your jeep to do. For example although great for inching over the slick rock a crawl ratio of a 100 is worth not so much when on the sand dunes. The 4.1 may just be the ticket and other than having to change the driveline length this swap should be an easy bolt in.

 

[caveman]

With the terra low in the Transfer Case you should be plenty low geared.Even without the granny gear.And you will have one of the ruggedest transmissions ever put in a jeep.

 

[hole]

IO, if you dont see a lot of rocks at all the offroad places you frequent, the 4-1 1st will be fine.

 

[Turbogus]

How I wish I had a hoist to lift my T 18 off of my workbench hahhhhhhh

Twice now it's been up and down my workbench and lacking anything to lift it I've been cavemaning it up there.

 

[Hedgehog]

Is it really that heavy? I moved my T-15 , Dana 20 and bell housing around with only a small amount of grunting. The T-18 shouldn't be all that much heavier. But then again I probably hurt myself in the process.

 

[Torxhead]

As I recall, the lowest aftermarket gears for the Dana 20 Transfer Case is a 3:15 to 1 and someone in this forum said the T-18 is around 75 lbs heavier than the T-15 , much grunt needed there. Looking it up it says 145lbs for the T-18 .

 

[hole]

T-18 /19s weigh AMC 150 lbs alone

 

[Hedgehog]

Oh my, I don't remember the Ford T-18 being that heavy when installing in my '80 CJ5 . But I was 23 and made of tougher stuff at the time.

 

[hole]

Torx beat me to it

 

[IOPort51]

How I wish I had a hoist to lift my T 18 off of my workbench hahhhhhhh

Twice now it's been up and down my workbench and lacking anything to lift it I've been cavemaning it up there.

140 lbs is more than this old man needs to be humping for darned sure the hoist seemed like a sound investment.

 

[IOPort51]

the input shaft is pretty close to 9 inches, I do not have the bearing retainer off yet so I have nothing exact. the tip is about 1/2 inch longer than the front edge of the bell housing.

Good eye Saddle Tramp!! I wondered if anybody would catch the TC shifter location. I need to check the measurement of the present shifter and TC shifter to see if the Transmission tunnel cover is going to work. Moving the TC shifter will be easy enough but if the Transmission shifter wont line up with the present cover things get more interesting.

If anybody wants measurements on anything let me know.

As a little side editorial I am going to say that the replacement of the Transmission is by no means a final decision. The replacement of the gear set in the Dana 20 is going to happen but the T-150 staying in place is still on the table. There are a few good things to be said about the 3 speed. Short, cast iron, synchronized 1st gear and I just like a 3 speed (shortest time and distance between 1st and Reverse.
I did a pretty good job in the San Juan s with the T-150 and a Dana 20 with a final drive of 21:1, The Tera Low kit drops this to 33:1 or about 30%. the T-18 Close ratio drops that to 44:1, the ford T-18A with an adapter and no Tera low in the TC is 45:1 and the Full Monty with the TC gears it is 70 :1.

These are the options open to me.

But for the moment I want to pull covers and look at bearings and gears, take some measurements and If you have anything to contribute feel free to.

 

[GARGOYLEJEEPER]

Non of us should be lifting that much, we are not 20 anymore, can not lift a D60 off the floor and put it on the rebuild rack anymore, will not lift my T-18 and stick it in without a jack, like I used to. Will not let some one help me and hurt me either. I have a Transmission fixture that sets in a vice, never put a T-18 in it, to heavy. Every one be care full, do not want to hear some one got hurt by there iron!

 

[gert]

IO we need more T-18 Dana 20 porn

 

[IOPort51]

IO we need more T-18 Dana 20 porn

Do you prefer it setting on the bench or swinging from a chain??

the bell depth is 8 1/2" the bell to Transmission adapter is 1" and the input shaft is 9 1/2" long, the shaft sticks out 3/8" past the face of the bell housing.

 

[gert]

Do you prefer it setting on the bench or swinging from a chain??

LOL now your talking

 

[IOPort51]

I will hook you up

it is full of de greaser at the moment.

It is sealed with blue glue so it has been in pieces sometime within memory, it has a sticker on the side for a gear shop over in Mississippi that does not appear to still be in business. It needs fork pads, I have only found 1 and it was cracked, the rest may well be in the bottom of the case but they will have to keep until I remove the gears.

 

[GARGOYLEJEEPER]

IO,
Is this the picture you PM for? It is from AA Buyers Guide from around `94. Still looking for my master interchange list, and Transmission & Transfer Case weights list, will post when found.