4 speed opinion-close or wide box?

[groucho]

69 Elcamino w/slightly warmed 396........it has 3.73's. Would you run a close Muncie (2.20 1st gear) or wide (2.52 1st gear ) in it? I'm thinking the wide box might have too short a 1st gear. Thoughts? THX

[DanStokes]

Don't want the wide box. Pretty sure you would have to cut the trans tunnel apart to get it is there. I know - dumb joke.......

I always selected transmissions by what was cheapest so I'm no help at all.

Dan

[squirrel]

They'll both work, how long you can use first gear depends on how high you like to wind it out. If you had 4.56 gears then you'd want the close one for sure, but with those gear you could go either way

[Monk]

I dunno...........I'm thinking I'd go with the wide box.

I ran a wide box with 3.73's in the Nova......had the 427.......and was ok with it.
I did switch to a Tremec later for the 5th gear and it had a 2.87 1st gear.....again ok ......you
just didn't hang around in 1st gear long.

Sometimes if you go too tall it's like taking off in second gear.......just some thoughts.

[Huskinhano]

I'm running a wide ratio 4 speed Toploader in my 66 Mustang, 2.8:1 axle and 225/60/15 tire which is about 25.5". I have a tired stock 302 with a 4v carb on a factory cast intake. I can start off pretty smoothly with that set up. It seems to make a nice combo. On the Ford WR box first is 2.87:1 and the CR box is 2.2:1. My final drive works out to 8.04. In your case with the CR box's 2.2, your final drive with 3.73's works out to 8.21:1.

Since you have a bigger torquier motor I think you'll be fine with the CR box. Just take into account of tire size, weight and intended use.

[Beagle]

69 Elcamino w/slightly warmed 396........it has 3.73's. Would you run a close Muncie (2.20 1st gear) or wide (2.52 1st gear ) in it? I'm thinking the wide box might have too short a 1st gear. Thoughts? THX

2.52 if it's ever gonna see a trailer. If this is the same 396, it won't matter, guy will bitch about it.

Know how you can tell if you have 4.10's in t5 car? Can't get across the intersection before you shift second. That's a 3.35 first. Nice for a launch but starting in second gear gets pretty common.

What's he gonna do with this "truck"?

[Huskinhano]

Know how you can tell if you have 4.10's in t5 car? Can't get across the intersection before you shift second. That's a 3.35 first. Nice for a launch but starting in second gear gets pretty common.

You mean a T5 4 speed? I Don' t understand why guys do this. You end up with four use full gears with three of them somewhat close and a big jump to fourth.... er is that fifth? I'll stick with my Top loader.

[Beagle]

You mean a T5 4 speed? I Don' t understand why guys do this. You end up with four use full gears with three of them somewhat close and a big jump to fourth.... er is that fifth? I'll stick with my Top loader.

In a heavy car like a Mustang, you need all the help you can get to get it rolling.

2.52's and 3.73's with a 235/60-15 (26") isn't really all that radical. Even less so with a bigger tire. 245's fit my '72 pretty good, but I'd be tempted to go up to a 28" tire on the back.

[R442]

If it's a street car I would go with the wide box, it would give you more time for the torque to work between gears. I have a close ratio with 3:91 gears and first gear isn't terrible, should be close to yours with the wide ratio. As mentioned above dont forget tire size I switched from 295-50's to 275-60's and that made a world of difference.

[milner351]

with the big block I'd go with the wide ratio, Monk and Huskin nailed it.

[groucho]

All good replies. I have a close box I can sell him. BUT, if the difference is gonna be big, I'll hassle looking for a wide box. I'm kinda thinking with the 3.73's that torquey BB should run fine, and not suffer an abbreviated 1st gear that the wide box might give. It's the abbreviated 1st gear I'm trying to avoid, and it's been so long since I had anything close to this combo

[Barry Donovan]

todays good clutches? A warmed 396 being mythological... I'd tall the gears and go with the tallest classic tranny.

[jcharliem]

Another consideration is the ratio spread between 3rd and 4th gear. It's a much larger spread on the M20 vs either the M21 or M22.

[Huskinhano]

My original plan on my 66 was to convert it to 4 speed from the C4. I bought the trans. Then I had a bug up my ass to put a T5 in. I even bought one, still sitting on my bench collecting cat hair. I ended up putting the 4speed in and I couldn't be happier. I thought the 2.8's were going to be way too tall but works well. What I like on the hi way is that they are tall enough to cruise at 70 comfortably but low enough that I don't have to downshift going up hills or pass a car.

[Scott Liggett]

The factory added minimum 3.73 gears with close ratio boxes because off the line performance sucked with their engines.

Since this is the same customer who thought the engine didn't make bragging rights power; I would go for the wide ratio box for customer happiness. It's the off the line pull that is going to make this one happy.