1965 coronet drive shaft question

[JakeBorg66]

Hey guys I’m swapping a 440/4speed into a 1965 coronet the car was originally was a 361/3speed on the tree. Im wondering if anyone has any experience with this swap. The trans is a 1965 4 speed and it has a bolting in yoke and uses a collapsible drive shaft. The old drive shaft is flanged at one end and a ujoint are the rear end side. The new 4 speed has a regular style yoke just without the slip instead of the flange. Has anyone done this swap before and has some knowledge to lay on me.

 

[JakeBorg66]

My total investment so far is a whopping 2700$ right now including the car engine parts and trans. I think it’s pretty cool I’m making a cheap low 12s high 11s drag car

 

[JakeBorg66]

 

[493 Mike]

Your first post is worded quite confusingly. Your swap is simple enough: with the car weight on the wheels,insert the yoke all the way into the trans, pull it back out 1" and measure the distance from the center of the front u-joint to the face of the rear yoke (it is very close to the rear u-joint center) where the straps bolt on. Then look for a used shaft the length you need or have a new shaft built to fit.
Mike

 

[JakeBorg66]

Your first post is worded quite confusingly. Your swap is simple enough: with the car weight on the wheels,insert the yoke all the way into the trans, pull it back out 1" and measure the distance from the center of the front u-joint to the face of the rear yoke (it is very close to the rear u-joint center) where the straps bolt on. Then look for a used shaft the length you need or have a new shaft built to fit.
Mike

I can’t insert the yoke. It doesn’t have the slip yoke. The drive shaft is a two piece slip style. I know how to measure a drive shaft. I’m just wondering if anyone’s done this swap before and how they went about solving this problem

 

[JakeBorg66]

I can’t insert the yoke. It doesn’t have the slip yoke. The drive shaft is a two piece slip style. I know how to measure a drive shaft. I’m just wondering if anyone’s done this swap before and how they went about solving this problem

Your first post is worded quite confusingly. Your swap is simple enough: with the car weight on the wheels,insert the yoke all the way into the trans, pull it back out 1" and measure the distance from the center of the front u-joint to the face of the rear yoke (it is very close to the rear u-joint center) where the straps bolt on. Then look for a used shaft the length you need or have a new shaft built to fit.
Mike

The yoke is bolted to the back of the trans. Before 66 they used a different style of yoke and drive shaft

 

[JakeBorg66]

 

[andyf]

Good luck making that work!

 

[493 Mike]

I see now! You need a drive shaft with a splined slip joint at the front, adapted to the correct u-joint. Should be no problem having a competent shop build one.
Mike

 

[Fran Blacker]

That yoke your hand is on looks like a it is for a 1330 u-joint. Inside tab to other tab 3.625" cup diameter 1.0625" if it is a 1330.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

Truck driveline places should have the parts you need.

 

[cosgig]

Well, since most of the above posts don’t understand what you’re working with, I’ll chime in here. For that trans you need to have the 65 ball and trunnion style driveshaft. You can’t go from yoke to yoke because you need play in the driveshaft somewhere, like a slip joint 66 and later would have. That’s what the B&T does in this case. What was wrong with the original shaft? It would be the same for a 361 4 speed as it would if you just replaced the 361 with a 440. Unless of course, something like the rear end was changed, then the driveshaft would need to be shortened at the rear, and retain the B&T front.

 

[cosgig]

So wait, is that 4 speed from a truck? That is going to confuse the issue even more. That is not a B&T front flange, but maybe you could source that from the 3 speed and swap it on to that trans?

 

[Fran Blacker]

Could he pull yoke off and put a Ball+Trunnion flange on.

 

[cosgig]

Could he pull yoke off and put a Ball+Trunnion flange on.

that’s what I am wondering.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

You don't need a ball and trunion unless you want one. The sliding truck type work perfectly and you can use common u joints.

 

[cosgig]

You don't need a ball and trunion unless you want one. The sliding truck type work perfectly and you can use common u joints.

I don’t think that yoke is a slider. It looks to me like it bolts on, and the driveshaft that mounts to it has a splined sliding sleeve that either goes to a transfer case or to a 3 piece driveshaft if it came from a 2WD truck.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

It is a slider. It is called a slip yoke in the picture. If it wasn't designed to slide it would be a lot shorter. I have seen these on truck driveshafts where they have to slide. As a side note I would not want 50 year old drive shaft parts on my 11 or 12 second car.

 

[JakeBorg66]

Well, since most of the above posts don’t understand what you’re working with, I’ll chime in here. For that trans you need to have the 65 ball and trunnion style driveshaft. You can’t go from yoke to yoke because you need play in the driveshaft somewhere, like a slip joint 66 and later would have. That’s what the B&T does in this case. What was wrong with the original shaft? It would be the same for a 361 4 speed as it would if you just replaced the 361 with a 440. Unless of course, something like the rear end was changed, then the driveshaft would need to be shortened at the rear, and retain the B&T front.

thank you, that’s exactly what I’m trying to find now. I have the original one for the car. But the car was an original 3 speed on the tree. Just by luck my buddy has this trans from a 65 afx car laying around I’m pretty sure the 3 speed was longer the the 4 speed so I was hoping I would be able to find an original 4 speed drive shaft.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Your dealing with parts that aren't commonly used. Makes your project more difficult.