Wilkap MT350 installation

dougson
dougson Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON

I got the assembly together. If anyone is interested I can provide info. on issues/problems. The transmission is a T5 5 speed, S10/Blazer.

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I would be very interested in hearing about the conversion - what aspects of the adapter worked well and what problems you had to solve.
  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    edited June 2011
    I have a T5 also, but guess I waited too long to get the stuff from Wilcap- I understand he's not making them anymore. I would certainly be interested in what you experienced.

    When I talked to the Wilcap guy (Pat?) a couple years ago, he said he hadn't done a T5 adapter yet, and wasn't sure about how the pilot bearing situation was going to work out. He thought that some cranks weren't drilled for a pilot bearing. I since found out that manual tranny equipped Hudsons from 48-50 were not drilled, but automatic-equipped models were. Starting in 1951, they drilled all of them, as it was easier that trying to keep track of which went where.

    I'd still like to go forward with the project, if I can figure out how. . .
  • ivanz62
    ivanz62 Expert Adviser
    What are you using for the flywheel--modified Hudson or?
  • dougson
    dougson Senior Contributor
    edited June 2011
    Well here it goes- Wilkap had not been advertising the manual trans adapter but when I called them (about a 1.5 year ago) they said that they could make one up, and they did even though it took several months. Concerning the GM T5 for the S10/Blazer 2.8 V6 versus the 4 speed T10, the bell housing is the same for T5s that are not integral with the bell housing (separable). The problem with the T5 is the input shaft length. More on this later. Wilkap made up the flywheel and clutch. The clutch is a specially built 10.5" with the T5 S10/Blazer spine dimensions (1", 14 spline). They also supplied the reduction gear starter. I found an aluminum 4 speed Chevy bell housing for the 10.5" clutch. The pressure plate and cover is a light-weight aftermarket diaphram style.






    I'll report further progress later.




    My engine is a '56 and the crankshaft flange in the '56 is drilled for both standard and automatic. It turns out that the Hudson Bronze pilot bearing is axactly the right size for the input shaft on the T5. Wilkap sends a pilot bearing as well, but I didn't need it. The flywheel bolted to the flange perfectly. The sarter engages the flywheel just right. Next was installing the bell housing. The Wilkap adapter fit perfectly on the block and the bell housing the same. The adapter comes with an eccentric in the top right corner because of interference with a bell housing bolt. Make sure it is correctly aligned before mounting the bell. I had to grind some material off the bottom inside of the bell because the flywheel teeth were chaffing the high spots (see pic below).






    Then the biggest problem occurred. The input shaft of the T5 is too long for the set up. The throw-out bearing housing on the trans. had to be shortened 3/4" and I had a 1/2" aluminum spacer fabricated because I ran out of input shaft spline before the trans. mounted to the bell. The 1/2" spacer affectively "shortened" the trans. input shaft. After modifications, the transmission mated with the bell housing, the input shaft nub is through the pilot bearing, and the throw-out bearing moves easily on the housing.




  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    edited June 2011
    Thanks, Doug, for going to the trouble to post all that. I've got a Hudson friend in Shelton, WA who is also a machinist, and he offered to help with that end of the project. My wet clutch won't hold its Hudsonite, Overdrive doesn't work, rear main seal needs replaced, and that T5 tranny taunts me every time I go in the shop. It may just be time to jerk the thing apart and "go through" it next winter.

    When I talked to the Wilcap guy, he thought the flyweel bolts would be too long to put in from the back, without unbolting and dropping the crankshaft. I think you want to have the nuts on the rear of the flyweel, so you can safety wire them. Or maybe that's not necessary? How did you handle that situation?
  • ivanz62
    ivanz62 Expert Adviser
    Thanks very much for the pictures and the explanation. Your Wilcap flywheel is aluminum--correct? And they just finished this project for you recently?
    Ivan
  • dougson
    dougson Senior Contributor
    The flywheel bolts supplied with the kit bolt into the threaded holes of the crank flange perfectly, do not extend. They also came with star washers. I torqued them to factory specs. The flywheel is not aluminum, and Wilkap supplied the kit in early 2010. More later on the installation into the car.
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