This guy helped me a great deal in being able to start understanding my transmission. He's helped a lot of people, but I'm the first with a late model WC S10 T5. Everyone else had a NWC. If you watch this video, his 5th gear is a 25/61, my T5 has a 25/51 in it. If you calculate with the CS gears he has in his (37 on the 4th gear), I would have .86 overdrive which would be PERFECT! According to his calcs, my engine would be going about 2150 RPMs going 65mph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcgX8R2l9Ok

And I did learn the rest of the puzzle today. I have the original 1946 bell housing in my truck. I'll need to make a bracket to hold the master cylinder that is in it now, the master cylinder and hard lines were done by the previous owner. I was told some folks let it hang with no added support and they seem to do ok, but I think it's better to make a bracket and secure it. It does have brake fluid in it...

Anyway, the pre-'54 bell housings had a slightly smaller pattern. I'm going to leave the bell housing in it that is in there now. Dave, over at Vintage Metalworks is going to make me a plate that will go from the bell housing pattern I have on my '46 to the Ford bolt pattern on the T5.

This adapter is for the '54-'62 bell housing to the Ford bolt pattern:

http://vintagemetalworks.blogspot.com/p/t5-9495.html

The reason I don't want to change the bell housing is that the older trucks like mine had a pedal mount on the bell housing and if I put the '55 Series 2 bell housing in it, I'll need to fabricate some type of pedal mount. I think it's easier to leave that the way it is.

Dave has a guy that will rebuild my clutch disc, or build me a new one that will work in my bell housing with a 26 spline for the input shaft. In short, the T5 will remain as-is, other than the tail shaft modification that is being done to it, I'll use the adapter plate for my '46 bell housing that Dave will make for me, and the drive shaft from the '55 I have. I probably will need to cut down my drive shaft, Dave thought possible 3" or so, and I'll use the '55 Series 2 axle with the 3.38 r/p.

TT
Keroppi - 1946 Chevy 1/2 Ton Pickup