8-Speed in 855

[adsm08 2,181]

Not that I have any immediate plans to try this, but it is something that has crossed my mind once or twice in the past few months.

 

How hard would it be the put an 8-speed trans in an 855? Has anyone ever tried or accomplished it before?

 

Mine has the HY-2 unit, and so my shifter area is pretty tight, barely enough room for the regular 4-speed to make it's pattern.

[The Tuul Crib 7,337]

To me one word comes to mind... 

Custom! I dont see why it wouldn’t 

work. Sounds like something l would 

do. It should bolt up to the frame ok. 

 

[adsm08 2,181]

11 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said:

To me one word comes to mind... 

Custom! I dont see why it wouldn’t 

work. Sounds like something l would 

do. It should bolt up to the frame ok. 

 

 

Custom is the word I was thinking of as well. The bolting up is the part I was most worried about.

 

Since the installation of the hydraulic lift unit removed the attachment lift lever I was thinking I could probably make a hole in that area and make a custom shift lever for the high/low range shift and put it out in that area. The headlight switch and ampmeter look like that may have been relocated to that area due to the pump, but this would be much smaller than the lift arm, and so I don't see it being obnoxiously in the way. 

 

 

While I'm at it, any thoughts on a small block V8 vis a vis fitment? I know the Chevy LS engines make more power per inch, but the Ford 5.0 is a bit smaller.

Edited June 25, 2019 by adsm08

[The Tuul Crib 7,337]

10 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

Custom is the word I was thinking of as well. The bolting up is the part I was most worried about.

 

Since the installation of the hydraulic lift unit removed the attachment lift lever I was thinking I could probably make a hole in that area and make a custom shift lever for the high/low range shift and put it out in that area. The headlight switch and ampmeter look like that may have been relocated to that area due to the pump, but this would be much smaller than the lift arm, and so I don't see it being obnoxiously in the way. 

 

 

While I'm at it, any thoughts on a small block V8 vis a vis fitment? I know the Chevy LS engines make more power per inch, but the Ford 5.0 is a bit smaller.

Ive always been a ford man myself. Im old school and am favored to the ford engine

of the seventies. Ive had anywhere from

302 to a 428 CJ. What it is going into?

[adsm08 2,181]

1 minute ago, The Tool Crib said:

Ive always been a ford man myself. Im old school and am favored to the ford engine

of the seventies. Ive had anywhere from

302 to a 428 CJ. What it is going into?

 

Either the 855, or my Ranger. Depends on if I can find an M5OD-R2 and how badly my 4.0 pisses me off.

[littleredrider 409]

I swapped an 8-speed into an 854 that had the hyrdo unit. I was tight but it fit. I just swapped an 8-speed into a 606, and was a bolt in deal....

[adsm08 2,181]

5 minutes ago, littleredrider said:

I swapped an 8-speed into an 854 that had the hyrdo unit. I was tight but it fit. I just swapped an 8-speed into a 606, and was a bolt in deal....

 

Cool, thanks.

 

It's been done, which means it can be done, which is what I really wanted to know.

 

Got any pics of the post-swap 854?

[littleredrider 409]

nah, I sold it with some other stuff I had. Wish I kept it tho.....

[ri702bill 8,507]

Hello:

 

I too did the 8 speed swap into an 854 that had a bad 4 speed. Scored a low hour C81 roller and used that. I bolts in, but ….

• The input shaft on the 8 Speed is 5/8" so I need a new pulley. Got one from McMaster and had to go to a 69" belt.
• Needed to holesaw 2 holes - one in the toolbox for the dipstick and one in the hood stand for the hi-lo shifter.
• Had to shorten the hi-lo shifter and rethread it for the knob.
• Had to shorten both the dipstick and the tube to fit under the seat.
• Used a brake rod from a Raider 10 - brake action is opposite of the 854.
• Still no parking brake hooked up.

Bill

[71_Bronco 1,072]

I recently picked up a 5060 or 5071 unidrive for my Commando 8 3-speed. The 5060 / 5071 has the same location for the output shaft as my stock 3-speed, so the linkage should all be the same.

 

I will need to get a new input pulley, as my stock one is 3/4" shaft, and the 5060 / 5071 is a 5/8" shaft.

 

I'm hoping it is a straight forward swap, but we will see. i dont have a fill tube or dipstick, fills the same as the 3-speed I have now.

[Pullstart 63,096]

I put an 8 speed out of a C-101 into my 502.  All the work that @ri702bill mentioned seems very accurate to me too   here are a couple pictures showing the shortened dipstick and some other details.

 

 

[adsm08 2,181]

I was over at my dad's place helping cut up a tree that fell during the show, and we had the horses out, a 310-8 and a  314, both 8-speeds.

 

It looks like I'd have to remove the HY2 unit, and a plate under it that doesn't seem to be there on the 854 and 502.

 

 

[Pullstart 63,096]

I realize the two tractors are like comparing nectarines and grapefruit, but the 953 we picked up from Richard has a 6 speed swapped in and a large hydro pump in front of the shifters.  I’ve got to believe that shifters could be modified as needed to do what you need in the given space allowed.

[adsm08 2,181]

1 hour ago, pullstart said:

 I’ve got to believe that shifters could be modified as needed to do what you need in the given space allowed.

Me too.

 

Since the hi/low shifter moves across the tractor my thought was to bend the shifter 90*, put a union in it, and come out into the foot area a little.