shifter stick for TKO 600

I am putting a Keisler TKO 600 in my 70 Mach 1. I would like to use a hurst shifter stick. Which one is close to stock looking? I can't figure out which one I had on my four speed.

Originally Posted by drksuroo

I am putting a Keisler TKO 600 in my 70 Mach 1. I would like to use a hurst shifter stick. Which one is close to stock looking? I can't figure out which one I had on my four speed.

Give a call to Modern Driveline, they probably have what you're looking for.

Give us some news about the conversion if you need or not to cut the transmission tunnel. Tks

The kits dont require you to cut, but if you dont the motor sits pretty steep. To most its downright ridiculous

So much of an angle that on my 70 FE the fan would have hit at the bottom and the top hung out of the shroud

The whole floor doesnt need to be cut though, the floor cross brace just in front of the seats has to be notched, then some slight shaping from the bottom, directly under the radio is all it takes

Then I put 1 inch between the mount and tranny to raise the "perfect fit" to stock location LOL

Thats on my 70. It'll run absolutely irresponsible, triple digit speeds with no vibration with a 489 FE and a 2.36 final drive in 5th

As of yet I have not had to cut. I am running a lakewood scattershield on a 408W. I have not finished because I'm waiting on the driveshaft if something changes I'll post it.

I didnt "have" to cut, I probably said it wrong, it will bolt together and drive, but to get driveline angle correct I had to raise the tranny up to where Ford planned it, and to do that I had to make room for it.

Yours may not hit being a shorter motor, but the angle will be steeper than stock

Basically the way they make it a bolt in is they hang the tranny down lower to make room under the floor by over an inch.

Its really not the way to do it, you want your pinion and output shaft to be on the same plane during acceleration, and having a steep angle like that makes it nearly impossible to do

With that being said, lots of guys leave it that way, so no hell and damnation here, however it went against what I have learned about chassis setup so I decided to trim the cross brace and raise the back of the tranny to stock centerline

I am very interested to know if the engine angle changes with the installation of the TKO and when the cross brace is trimmed. Drksuroo, can you try to take a referance height measurement from the back of the intake manifold before and after TKO insallation? My 70 Mach1 has a 418W with a Performer RPM with the shaker. Their is very little space for the shaker to raise up any higher or interferance with the hood may occur. I am also interested in your findings for the stock looking hurst shifter. Thanks, Alan

Since the TKO is already on I will not be able to get a before measurement. I will do my best as far as seeing if the angle has changed but unfortunately it won't be a very accurate estimate. I ended up having a shop do the install so I will check with them. The Driven Man is sending me a shifter that is supposedly the same length and bend.

Ron Morris sells a set of billet mounts that drop the engine ~1/2", I just put them on my '65 with a TKO500 and it helped the driveline angle a ton. The engine sits significantly more level in the bay as well. They give you ~1" side to side and 3" front to back adjustability too. Pretty sweet.

I may have a stock looking '65-'66 shifter stick if you want it. I'm fixin' to swap it for a generic Hurst stick and ball.

Alan, the aftermarket crossmembers dont raise it higher, they lower the tranny at the rear for so it fits under the floor

I put mine at exactly the same centerline and angle, measured three ways. Output shaft angle, carb pad angle and distance from center of output shaft to floor

When installed as delivered, I was an inch low and I forgot what the degree difference was.

In order to get it back to the original location/angle of the output shaft you need to space the tranny upwards, which requires the notch in the cross brace.

The reason it needs more room is because the way the Tremec is shaped. It has a tin cover and casting that hits the about 1/2 of the cross brace about 6 inches wide.

Once you trim the cross brace and raise the end of the tranny into location, the Tremec breather/vent and another plate further forward just barely hits the floor roughly under the ash tray.

A very mild shaping of the floor (its double panels there, and you'll have plenty of room.

I have done 2 this way, including my own, and its really almost as easy to do as type it out LOL

427, thanks for the valuable info. Alan