Can a Long shifter be downshifted?

[cjshaker]

Doug, have you considered a Richmond/Doug Nash 5 speed? The older Street 4+1 ( I am using one in my 70 fastback ) has a 1:1 5th gear so you can run a higher numeric gear ( using a 3:25 ) but with the transmissions 1st-4th ratio it is like having a 4:88 rear gear. The math worked out to be about 2200 rpm in 5th with a 26.5 diameter tire I think?? been awhile since I looked at the paperwork. You can find these used reasonably price. I think it would work out well especially for a situation like Drag Week. Puddle jumping ! Lol ! Your car is way to nice to do that to...

Surprisingly, there ARE a bunch of choices out there. More than I realized, but the Jerico and G-Force seem to be the most common and time-tested for drag racing. I looked at the Richmonds, but I don't think it'd stand up to what I have planned. I may be wrong about that, trying to find true power limits for the different transmissions is a bit hard and the manufacturers are shy about making claims, and understandable given the wide variety of abuse that can be dished out (light/heavy car, clutch styles, tire combo etc).

You could always go the lenco ST 1200 route.  Sure, they rob a little power, about as much as a C-6 but there tuff, easy streetable, and super easy to work on and make changes.  At about $5100.oo your going to be in that much with a G-101A easy unless you find a good used older G-101 . Sooo many choices,  lol.. I have no doubt you will make the right choice for you.

Keith, the Lenco and Libertys look like they would require cutting out the entire trans tunnel, and I don't want to go that far. Not to mention I believe they would require custom adapters, mounts etc (I don't think they make the products commercially to adapt to an FE?). The nice thing about a Jerico is, since it's basically based off of the toploader design, nothing changes unless you want the Long shifter. That's a huge plus. Not sure about the G-force, but it doesn't look all that different either, basically like the older T10 style. Either would easily adapt to the Mustang chassis, as is. With the exception of a 6-point bar, the car will basically stay as is, heavy weight and all. It was 3460, without driver, last time I weighed it. Heavy for a Mustang, and although I do plan on shedding a hundred or so of that by removing the heavy fold-down rear seat and heater box, the roll bar will add it right back. No fiberglass, no interior stripping etc.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Friend ran street Nash(before Richmond bought them) and ran 11.5's in a foxbody.  Got lots of use out of it, but IF you happen to break it........get the checkbook out!!  Those hardened, spiral gears are not really meant for the abuse and will shatter.  I'd rather stick with a Toploader and at least you can get parts quick and easy.

A faceplated Nash would be awesome and you won't break it.  Parts(aka: gears) are still pretty easy to get.  Find a decent one for about $1000, then faceplate it(about $1000) and you are set.

[Rory428]

Between the Jerico & GForce 101, the Jerico is the easiest to fit into a Ford, providing you get a Ford spec input shaft and bearing retainer. The Jerico has the tailhousing drilled for a wide range of shifter locations, the G Force has 1, the Jerico also has Ford, GM, and MoPar trans mount locations and patterns to bolt up an OE trans mount. Strength wise, a buddy sold his vintage narrow gear Jerico for a new G Force 101, and striped the teeth off 2 clusters before he got the clutch dialed in and switched to the "shockproof" gear oil. This is in a 3400 lb Camaro with a 383 small block, running 10.2s. I have ran a pair of Jerico DR4s that I bought used, broke each one once during the past 17 years. One was rather minor, 300 bucks for new 3rd gears, the second was much worse, but after 2 seasons with way too much clutch (not a Soft Lok). And if I would have taken a peek inside every year or so, I likely would have caught it before it ate itself up. Being lazy cost me, so much for "if its ain`t broke, don`t fix it!"

[fekbmax]

It seems that you can find alot of bad reviews or jerico haters out there. My opinion though is there are alot of people that don't adhere to jericos recommendations.  Both my jerico 's are the older un revised version's both are CL 4 clutchless shift so i can't really speak for the DR 4's but i havent had near the problem 's as so many others have had and i know that there are plenty of super stockers that used those years back with good success and decent reliability.  With the clutchless shift stuff its all about the base or static pressure  being low enough. You for sure dont want to use a bunch of base and a ton of rpm and go out and dump the clutch on a jerico or a G force 101.
I am kinda bummed though that jerico has like almost zero parts left for the older stuff like i have. They clame to make everything in house so i can't  understand why they couldn't atleast still offer parts for the un revised stuff. I recently called and wanted a longer input shaft for my old one and was told they couldn't help me. Im sure there's gotta be some place tbat can atleast copy a part and re produce it..

[cjshaker]

I know clutch set-up has everything to do with reliability. And I know it's a learning curve to find out the ideal spec on base pressure, and it's always best to start low and work your way up. I think most guys will admit to using up a clutch before they get it dialed in the first time. That's better than using up a transmission..lol

I really don't get why Jerico won't support their older stuff either. If they make the stuff in house, there's no reason not to. Keith, I've had input shafts welded up to increase length. Would that be an option, or would it require too much length? I had Dan Williams do one for me, and a local shop do another. Then they were finish machined on the end, never had a problem with them.

Another plus for Jerico, for me anyway, is the internal toploader design, which I'm familiar with. So any repairs would be familiar territory. And thanks for the info about the G-Forces' mounting differences, Rory. Something I was not aware of.

[Rory428]

Keith, had a section I am under the impression that Jerico was sold to a different company recently, supposedly now they even accept credit cards! A couple of years ago, when I broke the Jerico in my Mustang, there was a lot of collateral  damage caused by chunks flying around inside, and getting caught up between the rotating gears. One item damaged was the input shaft, which had a section broken off at the snap ring groove where the front main drive gear slides onto the input. This was in 2014, and I had no problem ordering a new input shaft. (It is a 1 3/16x18 MoPar hemi spline, with Ford pilot tip, and 5.0 Mustang length, which is about 1" longer than a input for an older SB Ford using mechanical clutch linkage. However, last summer, a local racer bought a used Jerico (Chevy application), and when he called Jerico to order the same 5.0 Mustang/MoPar input I had bought 2 years earlier, Jerico told him they no longer offered that input. Like you said, Keith, if everything is made "in house" , why can they no longer make this input shaft for a paying customer? I hope this is not a sign of things to come, as I have 2 older Jerico DR4`s I would like to keep going, and buying a new DR4-4 at $4600.00 (less shifter), is not in the budget.

[bobb428]

Doug, I have researched this for my 68 Mustang and found another couple issues to consider. Not only is the hole large to install a long shifter with any transmission there are not many options to seal around the shifter because of its size and shape, also it moves the shifter much closer to the driver than conventional shifters. This is good for control and precise shifts but it is a big change. I found some pictures I have attached of a very cool 68 that uses the transmission you are planning to use. He creatively used the factory carpet and bound the edges but I don't know if there is any other seal like a shift boot there. Hope this helps.

Thanks, thats my interior.

[bobb428]

A Long pistol grip shifter is just fine on the street! Way easier than the T handle V-gate! I run a Jerico Dr4-4 with the road race sliders and could drive all day! My 14 to 1 engine don't think so though! I had to do a bulge where the rods are and the hole I cut out to get the shifter in, I made a DZUS plate out of it. It buts right up to the shifter. I never get smoke in but I do notice more noise if I don't have the mufflers on.
080 by bobb428, on Flickr
078 by bobb428, on Flickr
076 by bobb428, on Flickr

[67gt350]

Hey Bob, it is your interior !! I hope you don't mind me sharing the photos. Thanks for the photos of how you addressed the shifter installation.  I also have a 68 although not a real R code car. In the 70's when you could buy all the parts from Ford the owner converted it. Over the years it has had every engine/transmission combination possible as a drag and street car. Needless to say when I bought it the car was well used. I was introduced to your car in the Sept 11 issue of Modified Mustangs and Fords and also found an online post that you did of your car. Awesome car! I wanted to post the you tube video for Doug of your cruise around the neighborhood the 8,000 RPM shifts with that big FE pulling gears with the Long shifter would really get him motivated!

[cjshaker]

Dang, not sure how I missed Bob's post, but thank you! That gives a nice visual of what will need to be done. And I could easily see how the lever is easier to  use for downshifting, rather than lifting a T-handle.

A question for you, Bob, do you drag race or road race any with your car? If drag racing, I was wondering how well the road race sliders worked for you.

[bobb428]

Its a cool street car! I have no issues with the trans being on the street!
3a1a5537-2fb4-4622-87ae-c3858f082e71_zpspeiujg0k by bobb428, on Flickr
1e8b7e45-9423-442a-96cf-68c0a7546e85_zps0a6b993b by bobb428, on Flickr

[Heo]

Nice looking car Bob

[bobb428]

Thanks

[fryedaddy]

nice launch too