GTOguy

My T-10 is cast iron and dated right for my car. It has an aluminum tailhousing with the speedo output on the right side, which is wrong for my car. The Hurst shifter I am removing is attached to a mounting plate that is bolted to the trans. The AIM and ST-12 show that the stock, original shifter bolts directly to the tailshaft housing with no mounting plate. Is this correct? I'm trying to install the original shifter back on the car, and am hoping it will bolt directly to the tailhousing without some hard to find adaptor plate. Not sure if all T-10's had the same shifter mount configurations with different tailshaft housings, either. Any help or information greatly appreciated, fingers crossed.

MikeM

This is it.

Some tail housings had a forward and aft shifter mounting location. Pass car used the forward position, Corvette the aft.

MikeM

PS. I don't recall Chevy applications having the speedo cable on the right side on a early T 10 but maybe so.

The T 10 was used in many other applications than just Chevy/Corvette. Ford, Pontiac, Studebaker and some others used that transmission as OEM. I think the Pontiac version had a tailhousing 5-6 inches longer than most of the others.

GTOguy

Thanks, Mike. I guess I'll see where mine is at when I pull the crossmember and get that shifter adapter plate off the tailhousing. If I need the correct tailhousing, the Hurst will go back on the car for the time being!

MikeM

I don't think that really long Pontiac housing will even fit in your car. The Corvette(aft) set of holes were put in the housing from day one. I think in '59 when they first used that transmission in pass cars was when they added the forward set of holes so the linkage would clear the front seat is when the forward holes showed up.

You should be okay. I only mentioned this because you asked if there was more than one mounting point.

GTOguy

Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it. The trans is dated June of '60, not sure about the tailhousing. Years ago had a '62 T-10 out of a Pontiac, and it had the speedo outlet on the left side, just like a Pontiac Muncie. Strange, the Chevy Muncie's always had the speedo outlet on the right side. The tailhousing on my current T-10 is not overly long, and nothing is modded for fitment. I will have to drop the crossmember to access the shifter mount plate bolt on top, though, as the X frame makes for very little room up there. You confirmed what I was hoping to hear: no special adapter plate needed to re-install the original shifter. Thank you!!

MikeM

Just one comment on the speedo gear location. Chevy pass car Muncie didn't change to the right side until either late '65 or Job 1 '66. Some say the Corvette followed suit on late '65. Some say Job 1 '66. But prior transmissions used the left side. That's why I questioned ancestry of yours.

GTOguy

Mike, I need to run the casting numbers on the trans. The date code is June of '60. I had the speedo hooked up, and the cable fits fine, but my speedo head is noisy so it will get removed and rebuilt this winter. The car was drag raced 35-40 years back and has a scattershield installed, so who knows if the trans is original or Frankenstein. I know for certain that the tail housing is not correct for the car. I just hope that the shifter mount holes are in the right spot! The trans itself works fine....Thanks again for the help.

Frankie the Fink

My original BW T-10 and shifter in the '61 (have a Tremec in it now)...

Late May car:

Aluminum case Jan 30th, 1961 T-10 (1C)
Transmission extension housing (1B)

GTOguy

That is a huge help, Frank. Do you have any shots of the shift levers on the side cover? My linkage set came with three new levers, and they are keyed diagonally, not straight up and down like the current levers. Also, one lever (3-4 I think) is relief-bent quite a bit more than the other, which is slightly bent (1-2?). The straight one goes onto the reverse shaft, I'm thinking. I'm going to use these photos tonight! Thanks again.

Pilot Dan

That's the way it is in my 59. With your current tail shaft, I think your biggest challenge will be re routing the speedo cable to avoid a sharp bend to get to the right side. Makes me wonder if that is contributing to your noisy speedo head. Pilot Dan

Frankie the Fink

No, don't have a straight on shot of the shifter linkage - that's what I was looking for when I found these. You can see how the speedo cable is routed though. The T-10 has been out of the car for 6 years now.

Here are some shots of the original shifter....

I could drag it back out of mothballs and get shots of the whole shifter with entire linkage if that would help. If your rods match those then hooking it to the tranny should be straightforward..

The original setup shifted like melted butter - it was wonderful. Took me a LONG time to make myself happy with the notchy Tremec rail shift...

GTOguy

Dan, the bend is not severe at all . The cable is plenty long. The speedo sounds like a gigantic pencil sharpener....drowns out the engine! Frank, don't bother rooting around in storage. I think I can figure it out. The worst part of the job is the lack of working room. I have the gauge block to set up the shifter, but it's gonna take a bit of body english to get it set up on the trans with the trans up there in the tunnel. Going to drop it a couple of inches for a little more room. Glad I have a lift!!! Thanks, guys.

MikeM

Here you go. Levers in postition when you set the neutral linkage adjustment.

MikeM

Here you go. Levers in position when you set the neutral linkage adjustment.

GTOguy

Yep, thanks Mike. I also found an excellent linkage picture John Z posted 5 years ago that shows the exact layout of the linkage. So, if all the holes line up in the tailshaft, I ought to be 'good to go'. Thanks again, guys.

GTOguy

Soooo....the new shifter almost fits, but not quite. The extension housing on my transmission is wrong, and the holes are in the wrong place. In addition, there are only three mounting holes total: two on the bottom, and one on top. And the top has a casting rib that hangs up the shifter. So, I will re-install the Hurst shifter and try to un-booger the linkage and source a correct extension housing for my car and install it later. Spent 2 hours last night with my arms over my head fighting the darn thing. I could have wallowed out the mounting holes on the new shifter and made it work with only 2 mounting bolts, but I didn't want to go that route. It'll be be correct parts with all the factory fasteners or why bother. Thanks for the pics and help, guys. At least I know what I'm doing and what to look for now!

MOXIE62

You are going the right way wanting to install a correct shifter. I do not know the big fascinating with the hurst shifters. They are big, clumsy and barely fit in the tight space on a corvette. I have several that I've been selling on ebay that I have taken off some of my cars. Nothing beats the original design shifter.

W Guy

You need to find a T10-7B tail housing.




Verne
If you have a hard time finding one locally, I'm sure I have a few lying around.

GTOguy

Thanks so much, Verne! I have my eye on one local....going to see if I can get it bought tonight. Yes, the oem shifter slips right up there in that tight tunnel.....The Hurst, another story. Not looking forward to bolting it back in, but I need to use the car for the next couple of months. Live and learn. My entire journey with this car for the past 4 months has been spent Un-buggering many years of previous Bubba ownership. Many, many things were 'repaired' or 'upgraded' in a very, very shade-tree manner. My goal is to have a safe, non-fire-hazard, reliable driver----that doesn't have to be 'numbers matching', but does need to have the correct parts that actually fit right and work right.