Manual Transmission for FC (was Re: Question for John H.....)

[bubblerboy64]

Mike, You're gonna hafta speak english so we understand that. A
brownie box what? Air shifter who?
John Heckman
central Pa
1973FC




>
> I wuz under the bird measuring today. Looks like it will be pretty
easy to do the change. The manual trans is pretty close to the
Allison dimensionally and there is plenty of room to run the cables
for the shifter. It should be noted the front axle gets in the way
of removing the trans. Looks like 8 bolts and the axle will drop
down to allow access.
> I will have, excess to my needs, a low mile reman 643 with the
drive line brownie box over drive and air shifter and the custom
drive shafts to effect a "bolt in installation" in any FC available.
The effect is an 8 speed Allison. I will be undertaking the project
in the fall of 08.
> MH
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Donald Watson
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 6:08 PM
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Manual Transmission for FC (was Re:
Question for John H.....)
>
>
> This topic has certainly received my attention, especially as I
have not yet
> changed my 5.29 rear and the last gear of a new transmission
would dictate
> the proper rear ratio. The bulk of my over-the-road experience
was with a
> 13 speed. These 12513 Roadrangers are readily available. I wonder
about
> the travel and shape of the gear shift lever Mike has fashioned.
He has
> apparently done some engineering.
>
> My Wanderlodge parts book depicts the clutch pedal assemblies of
FCs with
> manual transmissions. I have a Peterbilt conventional with a
3406B Cat and
> 12515 15 speed (10 speed normal with 5 speed deep reduction). I
could study
> the parts involved and learn more.
>
> Mike once mentioned a problem with resale which might be valid. I
wonder
> how much deterrent a manual transmission would be if it was
dialed in
> correctly and gave the operator more control, more torque when
necessary and
> lots of top-end when the terrain allowed it. Personally, I'd be
willing to
> spend the money and labor to perform the 'upgrade'. I'm just not
sure how
> much work engineering the clutch would entail. I assume a new
bell housing
> would be necessary. With proper selection of the rear end ratio,
the number
> of gears available would insure that the engine could be kept in
the optimum
> rpm range at any road speed.
>
> This is definitely 'food for thought'.
>
> Donn
> '76 FC33
> South Kingstown, RI
>
> ________________________________________
> From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Hohnstein
> Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 3:37 PM
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Question for John H. on his
> Wanderlodge's Extended Gri...
>
> I hear that. I bought my first medium duty truck due to it's
Allison 653.
> Some time later I was brought up to speed with my first 10 speed
rig.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: bubblerboy64
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 2:08 PM
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Question for John H. on his
Wanderlodge's
> Extended Gri...
>
> Mike, Most people do not want anything to do with a manual shift
> anything these days but I have to agree that these old FC BB's
are
> dying to have a better transmission. Keep me in the loop. In
other
> words. You work out the bugs and the details and maybe down the
> road....
> John Heckman
> central Pa
> 1973 FC
> >
> > I had a CVT in my Honda Civic Hybrid. A great concept, worked
well
> in the small car. It seems the OEMs are having problems with CVT
as
> power and weight increase. Probably why you see 6 speed and even
> some 8 speed automatics becoming more common.
> > My experience with the 10/13 spd had led me to the conclusion
that
> nothing else will work for me.
> > A 13 spd with OD is the perfect transmission. Ya can back up at
> walking speed in LL reverse and top over 90 in 13 over. It don't
get
> better than that in my world.
> > As a side light, I can offer this experience we had with the
race
> car early in the season. Car ran 9.0 @ 150 mph with the 5 speed
> manual with air at 1000' corrected. Put a youngster in the car
and
> chose to change to a T-400 with 8" converter. All produced in my
> shop so we know what the set ups are. Way too hard to find a
> youngster that can even drive a stick let alone under stand
> what "power shift" means. I do require he shift the auto matic by
> hand however. At any rate in comparable conditions the car lost 4
> mph and about a tenth of a second, or a little over a car length
at
> the stripe. It's all relative you know.
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>