T18 To 304 Help.

OK, so I've seen a few threads about adapting a T18 transmission to an AMC 304 engine but from all the treads that I read through, it looked like everyone was saying that it was a direct bolt on. I have a ford T18 and when I bolted it all up to measure for the new cross member location I found a big problem....



As you can hopefully see from this photo, the input shaft of the trans does not even touch the pilot bushing. ( Don't mind the grease on the end of the shaft... wanted to test how far the input shaft was going into the bushing not knowing that I was going to be able to see it. ) Anyways... I'm not quite sure why mine isn't a straight bolt up like most people say. I was hoping someone on here might know what I'm missing or what I can do to make it work. Thanks in advance!

 

What did your T18 come out of? Are you using the CJ5 bell housing? I picked up a T18 out of a 78CJ and dropped it into by 73 with the 304. It had the T15 so it was a direct fit except for moving the transmission cross member.If your tyranny has the proper stick out and you have the proper bell housing it is a drop in.

The Novak Guide to the Borg-Warner T18 & T19 Transmissions
C. Jeep T18 | Tech Vault | Advance Adapters

 

I'm not quite sure what it came out of. I got it from a guy who was probably at least the second owner of it since it had been removed from the original vehicle.

What exactly do you mean by CJ5 bell housing? Because the one that I have bolts up just fine and its actually 2 inches shorter than the bell housing that is on my t15 that I took out.

The only thing that I noticed before I bolted up the T18 was that on my original T15 that came out of the jeep the input shaft stuck out about a half inch from the edge of the bell housing. That is not the case with the T18, even with the T18's bell housing being 2 inches shorter than the T15. I was wondering if maybe someone changed the input shaft at some point?

 

Stick out length from the base of the trans.

 

716156 : Pilot Bushing .670 ID X 1.818 OD | Advance Adapters

 

This is the part you need, it's what I used when I put a NP435 behind the 258 in my CJ7.

 

What did your T18 come out of. My old T15 has a 8" stick out. My brother put a Ford T19 in his 3A he had to replace the input shaft.
Hope this helped.

 

As said above you need the different pilot bushing. It will have a larger OD and fit in the outer/ larger step in the crankshaft with the correct ID for the Ford pilot.

 

Gotcha. Yeah I figured I needed either a longer shaft or a different pilot bushing but just want sure what was the best way. So thank you guys very much!

 

I believe you need to change the mainshaft. No pilot bushing is going to make up that gap.

read here:

The Novak Guide to the Borg-Warner T18 & T19 Transmissions

 

Looks to me like the larger OD pilot bushing will work. I recall this problem discussed previously with regard to the Ford transmissions.

If this bell bolts up now to the Ford T-18 case without modification, it's the T-150/T-176 bell. This should be the right depth for the Ford T-18 main drive gear, with the right combo of parts.

 

No new input shaft needed. His current pilot bushing is in the deepest step in the crankshaft. The correct one for the Ford input moves it out to outermost larger opening in the crankshaft. Works perfect. Been doing it for pushing 26 years with zero issues. We were having them made before Novak, Partsmike, etc. were selling them.

Mainshaft is the rear output shaft.

 

Are there any AMC applications that need that outer step? Maybe the convertor for an automatic. Seems awfully forward-thinking of the AMC engineers to provide for Ford transmissions.

 

You're referring to this one correct?

716156 : Pilot Bushing .670 ID X 1.818 OD | Advance Adapters

 

I used the Novak one on my 304/T19. Should be here:
Pilot Bushing AMC Engine to Ford Transmissions (novak-adapt.com)

 

The outer step was indeed for the torque converter and other applications. I’m guessing a happy coincidence for the Ford T-18/T-19. We had to take a Ford application pilot busing and machine the outside to make it work.

 

I don’t remember the dimensions off hand but certainly looks like the ones we used to make.