Can I make a 6 in line engine faster adding a 5 speed gear box? I own a 54 pick up which finished restoration
By fast what do you mean? If you mean cruise at highway speeds easy then it will be far easyer to buy a new ring and pinion from Patricks. Changeing the gear ratio in the rear end will help with speed.
I hear Pertronix and a dual carb setup helps a bit. But going down the highway is all about gearing as the stock gears weren't made for "fast".
The answer is yes but will require an open rear end. What I like about the 5sp transmission instead of the gears from Patrick's is that you will still have the low gearing for say pulling a float in a parade but will have MUCH friendlier highway gearing. I think 3.56 are the gears offered for the closed driveshaft rear end which means you will have 3.56 gears in the rear for 1st and 2nd gear also. You already have 3.90 gearing in a 54 or in a 55-59 open drive rear end (in most cases). The T5 five speed is available with several different overdrive ratios ranging from 18% to 32% or so. If you keep the factory 3.90 ratio and use the 32% overdrive this gives a final gearing of 2.65 which would hardly work the engine at all at 60-70 mph or about 100-115 kph. If your engine isn't strong enough to pull the 32% OD (it is) then the 18% OD gives a final of 3.20.
Carlos, Why go faster? Life is an adventure! Traveling is living, so make it last as long as possible. At first I also wanted to go faster, but now I am happy to be going 50-55 miles an hour. I make a trip of about 400 miles every two weeks up to the mountains...and enjoy it...especially if the AM has some good oldies going. Last year at this time I made a trip to Las Vegas! This year I(my wife and my new puppy Kuna) plan to be making a trip to Port A...Padre Island...Corpus Christi area in a month....I will be!!!!Well, hopefully, be in my original 48 and pulling a vintage trailer all the way...I used to make that trip in one super long day(in a modern vehicle), but I am planning on taking 3 days just one way! It will be an adventure and will soon be trying to make contacts...for the "in case" situation. Oh.....If you must "feel speed", you can roll down the windows, open all vents, sing at the top of your lungs, wear a funny hat, put a couple of loose bales of hay in the back so that stuff is blowing all over. Now, that "feels like speed." On the serious side...the pertronix helped smooth things for me and keeping up on all the adjustments and maintaining it. Welcome! Rod
Rod, if your trip brings you down to the Houston area, specifically, Magnolia/Conroe, get in touch. If I'm around we might tag up somewhere. My truck isn't roadworthy yet, butI still wanna' see yours.
Putting a 5-speed trans will definately help you crusie at free way speed, but it will not make you accelerate to much faster.
Here is the business side of my inliner. Bored .040 , milled head, cam, Z28 dual springs, 202 exhaust, balenced, Langons cast headers, clifford intake and a Holly 4bbl. HEI and 10mm wires. It's the " buzzen half dozen" and is fat enough for me. Tons of torque and looks great.
