How To Install a Five-Speed in Vintage Mustangs

4. Engine removal isn't required to do the transmissionconversion, but we took the opportunity to pull the motor at the sametime and do some cleanup and detail work under the hood. By workingoutside the car, we provide a clearer picture of putting the engine,bellhousing, and T5 back together. Of course, having access to a hoistto do any transmission R&R work is always helpful. Removing the 351W andTop Loader four-speed from this '69 Mustang was relatively easy with theright equipment, such as the aforementioned hoist and an engine hoist.With two people working, the engine and trans were out in about threehours.

5. Here's the Top Loader ready to be removed from thebellhousing. While this unit shifts perfectly, it doesn't have thecoveted overdrive Fifth gear we think is a great thing for daily-drivenvintage Mustangs.

6. The Top Loader is removed from the bellhousing by unboltingthe four fasteners that hold it in place.

7. With the four bolts out, the heavy cast-iron Top Loader isseparated from the bellhousing and 351W engine.

8. Next, the bellhousing is removed from the engine so it can besent to a machine shop for the two holes it needs to accept the CPCadapter plate.

9. If your clutch is in good shape and it can be reused, youdon't have to remove it or the flywheel. You can reinstall thebellhousing once the adapter plate is installed. We opted to install anew Ram clutch, which is available from National Drivetrain. Here, we'vealready unbolted and removed the old pressure plate along with theclutch disc. We next removed the flywheel to have it resurfaced for usewith the new clutch.

10. As we've discussed, the bellhousing needs two holes preciselydrilled into it, which is best handled by a fully-equipped automotivemachine shop. The adapter plate itself serves as a template. The hole atthe top doesn't have threads since a bolt is inserted from the inside ofthe bellhousing into a threaded hole in the adapter plate. The one atthe bottom is threaded, and one of the three countersunk Allen-headbolts supplied with the adapter plate is placed there. The two originalholes for the Top Loader at the left are reused and accept the two othercountersunk Allen-head bolts to hold the adapter in place.

11. The bellhousing is set to accept the CPC adapter plate withthe two holes shown in the previous photo. Drop it into place, makingsure it sits totally flush on the bellhousing, and thoroughly tightenthe three Allen-head bolts. The bolt shown here being tightened goesinto the threaded hole that was drilled into the housing.

12. On the inside of the bellhousing, this bolt was threaded intothe adapter plate and tightened. The machine shop also machined a flatspot inside the housing where the bolt is seated.