Ford Toploader 4 Speed Transmission

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Toploader 4 speed transmissions came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Please use the below navigation bar to find information on history, rebuild kits, and identifying these fantastic gear boxes.

THIS PAGE IS STRICTLY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PASSENGER CAR TRANSMISSIONS. IF YOUR TAG ID IS NOT LISTED IN THE BELOW TAG IDENTIFIER IT IS BECAUSE IT IS AN OVERDRIVE TOPLOADER OR A TRUCK VERSION. WE DO NOT HAVE DATA ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS. PLEASE DO NOT SEND US EMAILS OR PHONE US IN REGARDS TO HELPING YOU IDENTIFY TRANSMISSIONS.

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Ford introduced new style Toploading 3 and 4 speed transmissions in 1964. The Toploader 4 speed was coded HEH and later RUG. It was to replace the Borg Warner T-10 4 speed. The Toploader gets its name from having an access cover on the top of the main case as opposed to the T-10's side cover entry. Most people involved in Toploaders will mention that the Toploader was only used in Ford cars from 1964 to 1973. It was however used in Ford Products as well as Jeeps up until early 1986. It is fully synchronized in all forward gears but not in reverse. If you look on the web and in car magazines you are bound to come across Toploader specialists in every shape and size. I am not one of them. We support just about every domestic 3,4,and 5 speed transmission and I could never figure out how to make a living just doing one transmission! Sometime in 1977 Toploader manufacturing was subcontracted out to Tremac Trading Corp. located in Mexico. Yes they are the people that make the TKO 3550 5 speed for retrofit in late model Mustangs.

In passenger cars from 1964 to 1973 the Toploader was offered in 2 basic gear ratios. They have cast iron cases. Input shafts had 10 splines in both a 1 1/16 inch diameter and 1 3/8 inch diameter base. Output shaft spline count was either 25, 28 and 31 spline. Few cars in 1964 and 1965 had the 25 spline mainshaft which had a tendency to twist and break. The 1964 toploader had a 4 bolt mounting pattern and a smaller diameter bearing retainer than the later cars.Later cars had an 8 bolt mounting pattern. Also the 427, 428, and 429 engines had the big diameter input with the larger 31 spline output shaft. The 1 3/8 inch input was only made for the 2.32 close ratio but today you can purchase modular style inputs that allow for ratios in wide or close configuration. The 1 1/16 inch input was used in all the small blocks and the 390 engine as well.

Wide Ratio:  2.78 1st, 1.93 2nd, 1.36 3rd, 1.00 4th, and 2.78 Rev.
Close Ratio: 2.32 1st, 1.69 2nd, 1.29 3rd, 1.00 4th, and 2.32 Rev.

Tooth counts of close and wide ratio gear sets are listed below. Since tooth counts are the same on every upper gear except 2nd speed, you can count the teeth on 2nd to determine if you have a wide or close ratio transmission.

Wide Ratio Countergear:   30 - 24 - 21 - 15
1st 32T , 2nd 31T, 3rd 25T, Input 23T
      
Close Ratio Countergear:  25 - 21 - 18 - 15
1st 32T , 2nd 28T, 3rd 25T, Input 23T

In passenger cars from 1977 to 1978 the Toploader was offered with an overdrive 4th gear. This was actually 3rd gear. They flipped the shift lever arm upside down so when you shifted into 4th you actually were in third gear place. A typical car that used this box was the Ford Granada. It looks identical to a regular toploader and that is why I mention it. You could actually take the gears from these boxes and retrofit early boxes to make a trick overdrive setup. These had a cast iron case. These were made partially by Tremac Corp. and were the start of the new Tremac coding of 170F series. THE TAG ID PROGRAM DOES NOT HAVE THIS IN THE DATABASE.

Ratio: 3.29 1st, 1.84 2nd, 1.00 3rd, .81 4th, and 3.29 Rev.

In passenger cars such as the Mustang and Capri from 1979 to 1983 the Toploader 4 speed was offered with an aluminum case and a single rail shift mechanism. Coded the SROD for Single Rail Over Drive. Tremac coded this the T170FS. These gears are not interchangable with the iron boxes because they changed the bore of the 3rd gear ID section. You can use the SROD cases and rails with an older style gearset and mainshaft but you cannot get your old speedometer gears to line up in the right place.

Ratio #1: 3.29 1st, 1.84 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.81 4th, and 3.29 Rev. 
Ratio #2: 3.07 1st, 1.72 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.70 4th, and 3.07 Rev. 

It is important to also know that truck versions of these transmissions exist and sometimes cannot be told apart by someone who is not knowledgable. They use larger front and rear bearings and a large front bearing retainer. They came in cast iron, the SROD alloy configuration and as a top cover shifted or tower shift design mainly in 4 wheel drive Broncos. The Jeep ratios were non overdrive and make great choices for custom ratio swaps in Ford Toploader applications requiring a low 1st gear. Jeeps were alloy tower shift style in 4 wheel and 2 wheel drive.

Ratio #1: 3.01 1st, 1.78 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.79 4th and 3.01 Rev. 
Ratio #2: 3.25 1st, 1.92 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.78 4th and 3.25 Rev. 
Jeep Ratio #1:  3.52 1st, 2.27 2nd, 1.46 3rd, 1.00 4th and 3.52 Rev. 
Jeep Ratio #2:  3.82 1st, 2.29 2nd, 1.46 3rd, 1.00 4th and 3.82 Rev.
Jeep Ratio #3:  3.01 1st, 2.08 2nd, 1.47 3rd, 1.00 4th and 3.01 Rev.

Toploader Gears

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Rebuild Kits For Toploader 4 Speeds

The Ford Toploader rebuild kit comes with all the wearable components needed to make a rebuild easy and cost effective. Only OEM approved parts are used.

 Included in the kit are the following items:

  • All gaskets, seals, and O rings.
  • Main front and rear bearings.
  • New Countershaft.
  • All small parts ( needle bearings, snap rings, thrust washers, case plug, set screws).
  • Synchro rings.
  • Case plug and tailshaft bushing.
  • Strut keys and springs.

 


Use this neat little program to find information about what your tag ID number might correspond to. Toploaders had 3 case lengths that were specific to certain models. 25 1/2" case were used in 64-65 Fairlanes and some of the foreign transmissions such as the TVR. The 24 inch case was used in all Mustangs, Falcons, Cobras, Mavericks and 1966-67 Fairlanes. Full size cars such as Galaxies used the 27 inch case. The shifter bolt patterns varied. For example the Falcons had a shifter towards the front of the tail while Mustangs toward the back and middle.
THIS PROGRAM ONLY WORKS FOR PASSENGER CAR TRANSMISSIONS FROM 1964-1972.

Transmission Tag Identifier V1.0 (c) 2000 Medatronics Corp

Select Tag# then press Identify Button

 

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