May be coming in to funds to rebuild my T 18

[Turbogus]

Well, time has gone past since my thread of asking how practical it was to rebuild this Ford T18that I got a few years ago. http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/ho...parts-2640026/

I've come into some funds and from what I can see what with the front and rear main bearings removed, I just have to pull out the shaft of the main drive gear to seperate it from the main shaft group. Then I can pull the main shaft group in one piece I'm guessing. Anything to watch out for? I'm trying to get at the Second Synchronizer Assembly as I've got some worn teeth on the gear.

Thanks and a lift of the lynch lid for any responses.

Gus

 

[Turbogus]

At least I found THIS article that addresses the removal of the gear set, which is where I'm at now.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/1703-t18-transmission-rebuild/
Meanwhile I re-read the Moses Ludel rebuild book and he offer's some additional photographs so I thnk I may be on my way. Going to get and overlength dowel to keep the gears, synchronizers, washers and such in order and oriented properly. Also when I first got going on this I found at Hab for Humanity a large shallow plastic tub to keep everything together. First though I have to clear access to that part of the garage and clear the workbench so I have room to manouver.

 

[Turbogus]

Got the mainshaft gear assembly out of the case and the input shaft which was a small PITA on account of the length of the mainshaft and case clearances



The input gear (that matches the length of the AMC 360 input) seem to be in good shape


but the rear end of the countershaft and the reaverse gears look to be compromised. I may have to go all the way with this rebuild.






and I've got to firgure out how to remove these shaft ends, I removed the lockplate and now it's on to the shafts.

 

[Turbogus]

There may be detractors of my building this T18 with the non synchro'd 1st gear, but I figure if I ever need compound low, I'd have to stop, get out and lock the hubs anyway.

 

[Turbogus]

Made a little progress at work, I brought the tub from home and the el cheapo snap ring pliers and had at it. Luckily it all came apart without too much difficulty. Apparently I have to use some sort of angle drift to tap out the reverse idler shaft. Going to see what I can find. Unless I can just grind an angle to a standard flush drift, if that's what they mean.

 

[Turbogus]

The Tremec book mentions an angle drift to remove the reverse idler shaft, but I've never seen one of these;


I did get the gears on a 1" dowell so to keep them and their orientation correct.

 

[Turbogus]

I'm seeing gears from www.ampdistributing.com and their prices seem resonable, has anyone used these guys? I looking at Second (&1st) Synchrozizer gear, reverse idler gear and countershaft aft gear or complete assy.

 

[Turbogus]

Well I stopped by NAPA to see if there was a shorter or longer drift but all they had was 6" or 8". I got a 6" in hopes of having clearance in the case for the drift and mallet but it was too tight. I tried doubling up the two drifts and I did get a few good strong smacks but for lack of calipers I think it only moved 1 or 2mm at most. The countershaft came right out by contrast for lacking a pilot shaft a few roller bearings slipped out but as these come in the rebuild kit I'm not too concerned at this point.
No word from the Craigslist guy in Portland, but I'm in no rush on this.

 

[Turbogus]

What do you guys think of this idea to remove the reverse idler shaft?

 

[flatie46]

What do you guys think of this idea to remove the reverse idler shaft?

View attachment 22977

Wow! I haven't visited this forum in a looong time. I was just going to post a question about a source for a T-18 top cover. As soon as I click on I see Turbogus is going thru what I just went thru. My finished T-18 is sitting on my bench. It was a long road, ran into several issues. I didn't pull the reverse idler shaft on mine, all that looked good. I bought the Novak adapter kit to adapt a Ford truck T-18 to the Jeep Dana 300. My T-18 came from a 79 up Ford ton truck 2wd. When using the Novak kit it doesn't matter whether it's 2wd or 4wd, your not using the tail shaft or housing it came with anyway. I had to end up taking 2 transmissions to make one as the top cover was busted on one. I put a rebuild kit in with syncros and also rebuilt the top cover on the parts trans.
This whole rebuild wasn't bad, just laid it all out, took a lot of pics, put it back like it came apart with the exception of the Novak shaft.
I can't comment on the removal of the reverse shaft cause I didn't pull mine. p0p I'm watching you though! If you need a pic of something in the build let me know, I still have them on my phone. It's always been a challenge for me to post pic but Ill do what I can to help.

 

[Turbogus]

Cool! Thanks so much flattie! This has been a long languishing project for me because I ran out of money. With the sale of my motorcycle though I came in to some funds to get going on this. The disassembly went pretty easily until this point. I have a line on a clean (on the outside) 1968 T18 up in Portland but after I asked if he could take a pic of what shape the gears are in he fell out of contact.

 

[flatie46]

Are you using a Jeep T18? or Ford truck?

 

[Turbogus]

It's a 1980 Ford 2wd flatie

 

[flatie46]

Excellent choice, what transfer case and bellhousing you going with?

 

[flatie46]

Wait, you already had a t18. Sorry, I'll get up to speed soon. Lol.

 

[Turbogus]

Heh, no problem flatie, I've got the Dana 20 transfer case.

The craigslist guy up in Portland sent me some pic of the internals of his '68 T18 and it seems to look a damnsight better than mine with regard to the Reverse Idler Gear and 2nd & Low synchronizer ring gear.

 

[Turbogus]

Okay the CL transmission is mine. I'll compare the gears on the mainshaft when I get it home and choose the best for the conversion.

 

[flatie46]

Cool, glad to hear it. They aren't as common as they once were. There were some minor differences over the years. The biggest were in the 79 and later, they had the same size case bearings front and rear. The one I just built is 79 up. I had to use a top cover from an earlier model. The earlier models don't have the spring and pin that helps center the shifter. They are often worn where the pin goes thru the top cover that guides the shifter. This will get wallowed out and allow the shifter to be really loose. A cheap fix I did, I drilled the pin hole a little bigger then cut the drill bit off on the smooth end and made a pin from it. I had to open the slot in the shifter up to fit the pin. You don't want to go much bigger if you are faced with this modification but it doesn't take much. Made a big difference in feel.

 

[Turbogus]

I saw Youtube video of someone doing that very same shifter cane mod. I like the idea of builing that '80 transmission, but for the expense of purchasing those gears, shifter cane and THEN the conversion shaft and tail.

 

[flatie46]

I saw Youtube video of someone doing that very same shifter cane mod. I like the idea of builing that '80 transmission, but for the expense of purchasing those gears, shifter cane and THEN the conversion shaft and tail.

Yea, that's where I got the idea. Worries me a bit, makes the top cover pretty thin at the top. Pretty much your only choice to save a worn cover though.
I know this swap is expensive, there may be a better, cheaper alternative. I'm wanting to think I gave $550 for the kit and trans mount, forgot to add the special pilot bushing when I ordered, so I still need that, $17bucks. You will need a ford truck clutch to match the splines of the trans. ( I'm going to covert to hydraulic clutch also ) Plus drive shaft mods. I wanted to pair this trans with my dana 300. May be cheaper with the dana 20. I lucked into a T18 that was in great shape, other than the cover issue for $50bucks Got a parts trans with good top cover for free. Then I bought a rebuld kit with syncros and a top cover rebuild kit. Around 165bucks. My goal though was not to have to worry anymore about having a trans issues and gain crawl ratio back. The T18 was offered behind 1 ton trucks equipped with big blocks, it should handle a weak 304 powered Jeep with ease. I think the better shape you buy your T18 (the less you have to spend on it) the cheaper it will be in the long run.