Input shaft length for Commander 245 and 259 V8

[studeclunker]

I am considering a transmission from a Commander 245 and would like to mate it to a 259 V8. Would they be compatible, or would I have to disassemble the whole thing to effect the change?

[studeclunker]

Bump... anyone???

[r1lark]

Ron, I do know the '47 thru '50 Commander six T86 transmissions used the same input shaft as a V8. I have used several '47/'48 Commander T86 transmissionis behind V8s. You can verify this via the parts books.

However, be careful also about the bellhousing bolt pattern. Depending on the year of your 259 bellhousing and what it come out of (car or truck), the bellhousing bolt pattern may or may not work.

[studeclunker]

Ah, that's interesting, the bolt pattern on the bellhousing? Okay, well, the truck is a '62 Champ. The Bellhousing is what was attached to the original engine (289), thus a truck Bellhousing (it has the legged mounts in lieu of the two bolts straight through). Maybe it would be better to dismount the engine and transmission and pull off the bellhousing to see if it fits? Then again, do you know if the transmission is compatible with such a bellhousing? Also, those that don't match, how far off is the bolt pattern? Would I be able to just re-drill it?

[PackardV8]

I'm assuming he means the bell-housing-to-transmission bolt pattern. The 3-speed bolt pattern changed around '57. Earlier was a nearly square bolt pattern and the '57-64 was a tall rectangular bolt pattern, known as the Ford pattern.

If one is willing to go through all the hassle of dialing in a bellhousing, the '51-56 V8 bellhousings will have same transmission bolt pattern as the old Commander transmission bolt pattern and will also bolt to your '62 block. The old bellhousings are common as dirt.

jack vines

[r1lark]

Yes, Jack is correct, I meant the bell housing-to-tranny bolt pattern.

[Alan]

There was an earlier thread about this that had a chart put up by Craig of Canada, 8E45. Might ask him to put it up again.