Ford t-18 to Buick 225

Ford t-18 to Buick/Jeep 225. I have been researching parts and from what I have found Advanced Adapters has a bellhousing for this application. I called an was ready to pony up $300 for one but they are not available until Mid January. Any other options that I am missing? Anyone know a company that stocks Advanced Adapters special order products? Anyone have one sitting around they want to sell?
Thanks for any help-

 

R&P modifies a Ford T-18 case to bolt directly to a GM bellhousing with no adapters. Might give them a call at 503-557-8911.


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Novak has a page about this - I'd guess that what they describe and offer and what R&P offers is basically the same. http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/ford_to_gm.htm

 

I read through the Novak stuff and it seems so easy and much cheaper than going with Advanced Adapters. Thanks for the link.
Excepts from Novak
"The front bearing retainer from the Ford transmission is removed and simply machined down around the large diameter to where it will be a .005" slip-fit into the bearing retainer hole in the back of the GM bellhousing...The small diameter of the Ford bearing retainer is also machined down so it will slip-fit the GM clutch release bearing. Next, the retainer is then shortened by 7/16”...On the front face 1966 and newer Ford four-speed transmissions, the upper two mounting holes are each about 1/4 of a bolt hole off from the upper two holes in a GM bellhousing. If the holes in the Ford transmission ears are filed to be slightly elongated, they will match up with their mountings to the GM bellhousing. On the lower front face of the Ford transmission are two ears that, if stock, are undrilled. The lower left ear can be drilled to easily match the hole in the lower left of the GM bellhousing. The right ear can then be drilled. It will not meet up with any hole in the GM bellhousing, so it is necessary that you drill and tap one to match."

Or I can just buy a machined front bearing retainer for around $50.

Has anyone had success with this method? Is it really as easy as it seems?

 

R&P welds one ear onto the case to match up with the GM bolt pattern. That way that bolt goes into the stock bellhousing bolt hole that is in a thick area of the bellhousing. I know they use a stock GM pilot bushing and machine the inside to match the Ford input. Either way works fine. They also offer the machined bearing retainer.


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I have not done this conversion, but Nick knows the guys at R&P well, and does some work for them building axles and maybe other stuff, IIRC. I would trust his experience.

 

I will call the guys at R&P and see if they can help...thanks for the contact.

 

I just did this,
and all of these kind folks helped me make it work,
Here is the thread with all the clutch info / PNs
http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/showthread.php?99143-225-to-t18-clutch-issues-help!/page7

 

nickmil ,

Don't want to be the odd man out here............ I to have used the most common ways of hanging a Ford T-18 to a GM type patterned Buick or Chevy Bell housing by widening the top two holes Etc.
And I am Not sure where you say those folks are welding a new tab on the T-18 case?..............
But the only thing I never liked about using that style housing was it just seemed that the bottom half of that Large bulky Truck Transmission was hanging there with hardly any support on the bottom half!
Not to say that it doesn't work...........but on this last build on my old 65 I am using the Advance Adapters housing........picks up the full width & tall bolt pattern of the T-18 with plenty of mass in all the right places...............not trying to change anyones mind, just my opinion!

 

The bellhousing still has only so much surface area to support the transmission. Even If you use an adapter plate there still is the same surface mounting area at the bellhousing to transmission mounting surface. This will not change. Thats why I recommend using the factory transmission bolt holes in the bellhousing where the material is thickest (most thread contact) Then You have the added length, cost, and complexity of an additional adapter. Plus the adapter will be aluminum instead of steel. Couple that with the sometimes questionable quality of many AA products, well, you get the picture. The transmission mount supports a large portion of the transmission and transfer case weight anyway.
I've been adapting T-18's to Jeep transfer cases for over 20 years now (yikes!) and have used all the adapting kits at one time or another. The AA units have been by far the most problematic of all I've used over the years (not just T-18 adapters). I will say they make many fine products but I've had to rework or send back so many if their shafts, adapters, bellhousings, etc. they are my last choice when it comes to adapting something. I'm dealing with a problem from them right now. I know plenty of other people in industry who feel the same.
Give you just one example of literally dozens. I bought an expensive conversion bellhousing from them from Chev 90* V engine to an early Chevrolet NV-4500. Center hole was offset just enough where I had to use misalignment dowels to center the transmission (mis-machined hole), then Had to grind the starter pocket to bolt the factory starter up. The transmission had come off that engine from the factory. Only reason I used their bellhousing was to get the clutch release arm to the driver's side so I could use a passenger side driveline. Then the release arm boot they supplied didn't fit the bellhousing.

I could go on and on.


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Just re-read your post and realized you used the bellhousing that has the larger surface area. That is a good thing. However, GM hung the heavier SM-465 on the same size stock style GM bellhousing with no problems up into their 1 ton trucks. Ford didn't have mounting issues with the T-18 or NP-435 with all that hanging down "unsupported" either.


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A quick call to R and P 4wd and I should be all set- New bearing retainer- bushing and a few bolts on it's way cross country to me.
Great guys- thanks for the info nickmil.