Locate Toploader?

[69Early]

My RAT 3 speed just died and would like to stay with a 4 speed mostly for street. Looking at the tech write up this would be the best way for me to go with the least amount of mods.
Nothing listed in the classified any suggestions? Help!

 

[Panama71]

I got mine off e-bay. Decent price, too.

 

[Bronco Ben]

Look up Dan Williams TOPLOADER, he rebuilds Top loaders for a living and is dam good! Price is kinda high but then again its a TOPLOADER too ya know?
Ben

 

[69Early]

What did it set you back? Was it complete? How well did the install go? Did you have to have it rebuilt?

 

[Madgyver]

I'm getting one together for my 77.

rebuilt kit = $125.
main shaft = $260.
Trans from
a 71 Mach 1 = $200.
still need
shifter kit
from Duffs = $200.+
machining to
tailshaft housing = Free

 

[supermottl]

I just but one in over last winter. You'll be happy you went top loader if mostly streetin' it. I mostly do highway, and beaching, where I use low range.
It's a super fast shifting tranny, you can really crank through the gears. I'm using Duff's shifter too. It's a Hurst unit, with Duff stamped into the chrome handle. I had to "fine Tune" the shifting rods to get it to fit perfectly, but that's to be expected. Once I got them down, it was great.
Oh yeah, sorry for blabbin - I got mine from a member of this site for $625 - top loader just rebuilt, intermiate housing, D20 all bolted up.
Mods I had to do was lenthen the front driveshaft, and oval the holes in the cross-member ears as the whole assy is 1/2"-3/4" longer than the 3spd. Cut floor out more to accomodate for the 4spd shifter and linkages
Good luck finding one - they are out there and you'll like it.
One guy on this site has some balls-to-the-walls motor and a top loader, and it's holding up.. they strong

 

[69Early]

[quote author=supermottl link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg165481 date=1062075122]
I just but one in over last winter. You'll be happy you went top loader if mostly streetin' it. I mostly do highway, and beaching, where I use low range.
It's a super fast shifting tranny, you can really crank through the gears. I'm using Duff's shifter too. It's a Hurst unit, with Duff stamped into the chrome handle. I had to "fine Tune" the shifting rods to get it to fit perfectly, but that's to be expected. Once I got them down, it was great.
Oh yeah, sorry for blabbin - I got mine from a member of this site for $625 - top loader just rebuilt, intermiate housing, D20 all bolted up.
Mods I had to do was lenthen the front driveshaft, and oval the holes in the cross-member ears as the whole assy is 1/2"-3/4" longer than the 3spd. Cut floor out more to accomodate for the 4spd shifter and linkages
Good luck finding one - they are out there and you'll like it.
One guy on this site has some balls-to-the-walls motor and a top loader, and it's holding up.. they strong
[/quote]
Supermott!
Thanks for all the info! Can you give me a list of all the parts needed to convert from a 3 speed to the toploader. Is the intermediate housing the same as an adampter ? Also i am running 3.50 gears is there any problems when going to the 4 speed? Thanks Again

 

[Madgyver]

For more info click here.....http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/

 

[69Early]

[quote author=madgyver link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg166229 date=1062283576]
For more info click here.....http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/
[/quote]
Site looks great. What all do I need? Tranny, adapter(output shaft) Intermediate housing(do they have these or will I have to find one somewhere else?) Can you give me a parts list of everything I need to do the conversion. Would Be great. Sounds like the tranny is available just not sure where I get everything else.Thanks Much Have you spoke with thm before?

 

[69Early]

[quote author=madgyver link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg166229 date=1062283576]
For more info click here.....http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/
[/quote]
Forgot to ask you about my gears 350 any problems with the 4 speed? Thanks

 

[Madgyver]

A wide ratio T-loader has a little higher 1st gear than you 3 speed. 2.78 compared to 2.99 So if it worked for your 3 speed it will be fine for the 4 speed. It all depends on you tire size.

 

[El Jefe]

i got one sitting in my garage and since i went with an NP435 i won't be using much the toploader. It came off a car so it has the longer tail shaft and tail housing? let me know what do you hink this is worth..

(ps. I am not looking at retiring by selling this thing.... )

 

[69Early]

[quote author=madgyver link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg166253 date=1062292061]
A wide ratio T-loader has a little higher 1st gear than you 3 speed. 2.78 compared to 2.99 So if it worked for your 3 speed it will be fine for the 4 speed. It all depends on you tire size.
[/quote]
Thanks for the info, any chance you can give me a complete list of parts needed to do this conversion. I need the tranny and the adapter (output shaft how many spline?) Any ideas on where I can purchase the adapter?
What is the intermediate housing? Is that the housing that bolts up the trans to the D 20. Where could I have that machined would that be a transmisson shop? Then a shifter & linkage anything thing else.
Sorry about all the questions I am mechanicly incompetent. Can 4 speed top loaders build the whloe thing for me?, I doubt they would have all the parts needed? Thanks!!

 

[Madgyver]

Someone on this site is thinking of swapping a C-4 auto for his existing top loader set up. Maybe you could buy it from him. Search for thread title "swapping top loader for c-4". It said something about it jumping out of gear.

It maybe just need a simple rebuild or adjusting ofthe linkages.

If you want it from scratch,

• Start with finding a wide ratio t-loader
• Order the main shaft conversion kit from Advance Adapter (top-loader to Dana 20)
• rebuild trans while changing out the main shaft
• use your 3 speed adapter and have it machined per instructions to mate to the 4 sp top-loader
• order 4 speed shifter kit from duffs

 

[69Early]

[quote author=madgyver link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg166459 date=1062375473]
Someone on this site is thinking of swapping a C-4 auto for his existing top loader set up. Maybe you could buy it from him. Search for thread title "swapping top loader for c-4". It said something about it jumping out of gear.

It maybe just need a simple rebuild or adjusting ofthe linkages.

If you want it from scratch,

• Start with finding a wide ratio t-loader
• Order the main shaft conversion kit from Advance Adapter (top-loader to Dana 20)
• rebuild trans while changing out the main shaft
• use your 3 speed adapter and have it machined per instructions to mate to the 4 sp top-loader
• order 4 speed shifter kit from duffs

[/quote]

Hey Madgyver does this make any sense?? I called Duffs to ask about the 3 speed adapter and related machining and hole drilled to accept the toploader shift rail. They said I can only use a 3 speed adapter from a RAT transas it is approx. 1 inch shorter that the adapter from a RAN tranny. If i used the RAN adapter, had it machined for the larger output shaft bearing and drilled the main output shaft (due to the RAN's additional 1 inch length) would not have enough reach to properly engage the d-20. I have seen alot of posts on toploader conversions including the tech article on classicbronco's and none have mentioned this. Is this true???????

 

[supermottl]

[quote author=69Early link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg166144 date=1062256370]
[quote author=supermottl link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=0#msg165481 date=1062075122]
I just but one in over last winter. You'll be happy you went top loader if mostly streetin' it. I mostly do highway, and beaching, where I use low range.
It's a super fast shifting tranny, you can really crank through the gears. I'm using Duff's shifter too. It's a Hurst unit, with Duff stamped into the chrome handle. I had to "fine Tune" the shifting rods to get it to fit perfectly, but that's to be expected. Once I got them down, it was great.
Oh yeah, sorry for blabbin - I got mine from a member of this site for $625 - top loader just rebuilt, intermiate housing, D20 all bolted up.
Mods I had to do was lenthen the front driveshaft, and oval the holes in the cross-member ears as the whole assy is 1/2"-3/4" longer than the 3spd. Cut floor out more to accomodate for the 4spd shifter and linkages
Good luck finding one - they are out there and you'll like it.
One guy on this site has some balls-to-the-walls motor and a top loader, and it's holding up.. they strong
[/quote]
Supermott!
Thanks for all the info! Can you give me a list of all the parts needed to convert from a 3 speed to the toploader. Is the intermediate housing the same as an adampter ? Also i am running 3.50 gears is there any problems when going to the 4 speed? Thanks Again
[/quote]

I really can't get too technical with the guts of this swap, I bought it all bolted together, so all I had to do was slap it in, sorry. Oh yeah, one thing I had to do was on one of the shift levers for the tranny, the shift lever was too long and kept hitting the floor stiffener brace - so, keep all your old ones from the 3spd and use a shorter one. The one that came with the shifter kit was too long - now it works great, and I didn't have to cut holes...

 

[broncnaz]

its a good swap and would be really nice with lower transfercase gears I've got a top loader in my shed that was in my bronc before I went to the NP435 which was just what I needed good luck finding a top loader if you can find one under $500 its a good deal I was told by shop that my set up for the bronco would bring over $1000 I was looking for a tailshaft to put it back in a mustang havent found the parts yet seems I'll have to go to ted williams he has a monopoly on this stuff good luck

 

[El Jefe]

hmmm toploader with 9 bolt covers....what are they? are they just a different version of the 10 bolt? they bolt righ on the same?

 

[broncnaz]

if your toploader has 9 bolts are you sure its a 4 speed I usually just look for the 3 shift shafts coming out of the side the 3 speed will only have 2 of course anything is possible it could be a 3speed overdrive tranny I've seen them in some vans but have never counted the cover bolts

 

[69Early]

[quote author=broncnaz link=board=5;threadid=21474;start=15#msg168010 date=1062889933]
if your toploader has 9 bolts are you sure its a 4 speed I usually just look for the 3 shift shafts coming out of the side the 3 speed will only have 2 of course anything is possible it could be a 3speed overdrive tranny I've seen them in some vans but have never counted the cover bolts
[/quote]
Toploader should have 10 bolts. Does anyone know which intermediate housing I can use for the conversion. I was told the RAN 3 speed housing is to long. That I can only use the RAT as it is 3/4'' shorter . If I use the RAN tail housing (after machining for the larger bearing and drilled for the shift rail) I will have insufficient reach of the output shaft to properly engage into the D-20. The shorter RAT housing will be OK????? Any thoguhts on this Theory?