[ElasticMachinery]

the price for this car is around 2000 dollers. Has all paper work and is undergoing a tuning. Its stock. good interier. guraged.(sorry for bad spelling)
But its automatic as opposed to what i realy want. There so few, im afraid ill loose out on this deal. What can i do about this situation?
Am I Able to get a Torque converter. I had one on my 2000 Toyota celica gts (the gas killed me, and people thought i had a fast car because of the body kit on it, and even though i killed honda after honda after honda with its "lift", i was left feeling empty inside and very unsatified. therefore, american muscle was the only way to go.)

Is there the posibility i can throw in a gear shifter, a clutch, five or six gears and some hope? Or is a tq sufficent for this situation? Im new so please dont pick on me... too much.

thanks, Kenny. Pensacola.

 

[ElasticMachinery]

garaged? is that how its spelled? im an idiot.

 

[CrystalPistol]

Unless someone has changed transmissions, all '92 Ford Thunderbird Sports are equipped with AOD automatic transmissions.

Motor is a 302 very simular to that found in a Mustang GT.

We recently purchased ours, and we love it. I am going to install a shift kit though, just to firm up shifts a little bit, not looking to bark tires.

Price sounds good if it's a good car. How many miles and how's the paint?

 

[ElasticMachinery]

Unless someone has changed transmissions, all '92 Ford Thunderbird Sports are equipped with AOD automatic transmissions.

Motor is a 302 very simular to that found in a Mustang GT.

We recently purchased ours, and we love it. I am going to install a shift kit though, just to firm up shifts a little bit, not looking to bark tires.

Price sounds good if it's a good car. How many miles and how's the paint?

160,000 miles..
OH! i didnt know about them all having aod. what do you mean by a shift kit? what does it do exaclty?... and in the mean time, ill try to look it up. Im not lazy about looking or anything, but i couldnt even find the stock hp/tq rating (i think cause im new to the site)

So any help at all is very appriciated. From what I understand, there very power full, with an even higher tq rating then hp which is what i love more then anything, My celica dyno was 184 hp but only 120 tq!!!!!!!! in the long run, i won stock races, but 120????? come on. It maxed out at 134 or 137 mph. Im not sure about the max speed of a stock 302 , but im sure it will get there Fast.

Right now im driving a 98 lumina, and crosing the street in traffic requires you to put the peddle to the floor... well, imagine my suprise when i did the same in the tunderbird sport. i didnt move at all. the wheels were just spinning!

 

[_95badbird]

the 302 is around 260-280 torque....

 

[sc0tty8]

5 speed swap is very possible.

You will need to find a tbird sc 5 speed trans, f150 flex plate, and pull all of the parts you need from the sc. You can use the sc clutch.

 

[dwinthrup]

5 speed swap is very possible.

You will need to find a tbird sc 5 speed trans, f150 flex plate, and pull all of the parts you need from the sc. You can use the sc clutch.

yes it is very possible but the sc trans is not a fast shifter. many feel it is too notchy and i would have to agree take a good beating but force don't help it much. i wouldn't give mine up i like it way more then the crapy aod

 

[dwinthrup]

and if you havn't yet you should read the tech articles and search before asking questions most have been answered many times but some have not good luck

 

[nortonfan]

5 speed swap is very possible.

You will need to find a tbird sc 5 speed trans, f150 flex plate, and pull all of the parts you need from the sc. You can use the sc clutch.

I was under the impression that flex plates are used on automatics, where the converter bolts up, not for use with manual shift gearboxes. For manual gearboxes, a suitable bell-housing, a pressure plate and flywheel are needed, in addition to a clutch disc, clutch release bearing, actuating arm, master cylinder and slave cylinder, or, alternatively, a suitable cable actuating mechanism.

Perhaps, it is a matter of semantics and some may use the terms interchangeably. Quite simply, pressure plates and flex plates are not the same. It's confusing for someone lacking the experience to discern between one part and the other, particularly, when trying to decide which parts are needed in order to go shopping for them.

Cheers,

Norman C

 

[sc0tty8]

flex plate, flywheel, pretty much the same thing.

 

[jk69cat]

no flywheel is manual, flexplate is for a auto , you come to my parts counter and say the wrong term you would get the wrong part

 

[ElasticMachinery]

and if you havn't yet you should read the tech articles and search before asking questions most have been answered many times but some have not good luck

THanks, i really appreciate it. Theres a really nice shop here in Pensacola on Old Corry Road. The guys who own it are alot like the people here. Who tell you right and not dog you for not knowing.

Any thoghts on a Tq converter? from your expierence or any ones expierence for that matter. Ill look at the tech right away if i can find it.

 

[nortonfan]

flex plate, flywheel, pretty much the same thing.

OK, scOtty8, have it your way. But ... I would love to witness how you would mount a clutch to a flexplate... just for my own education. It would make for a hell of an episode on Myth Busters to watch that puppy reach 6 grand! I've recently paid a lot of good cash for a flywheel, plus all of the necessary bits to make it a functioning clutch, and I started with a flexplate! I must be a total ditzo!

Just think of all the money Ford would save in inventory costs, cutting out all them unnecessary, duplicate parts! Maybe they would be able to stay in business longer, to our collective benefit.

Happy Holidays!

Norman C

 

[sc0tty8]

OK, scOtty8, have it your way. But ... I would love to witness how you would mount a clutch to a flexplate... just for my own education. It would make for a hell of an episode on Myth Busters to watch that puppy reach 6 grand! I've recently paid a lot of good cash for a flywheel, plus all of the necessary bits to make it a functioning clutch, and I started with a flexplate! I must be a total ditzo!

Just think of all the money Ford would save in inventory costs, cutting out all them unnecessary, duplicate parts! Maybe they would be able to stay in business longer, to our collective benefit.

Happy Holidays!

Norman C

****, over react some more, with out either you are not getting the power to the trans.

If you want to watch me mount a clutch to a flex plate, you are too late. Chrysler uses a modular clutch for their cars, you actually bolt the clutch assembly to the flex plate, its all enclosed in 1 package and is not serviceable. iirc, for an 01 pt cruiser its 6 or 8 bolts to hold the flex plate on the crank shaft then 4 or 5 bolts to hold the modular clutch on the flex plate.

 

[91 XR7]

1. Search usually suck unless you have hours on hours on hours to waste.. (i've spent like a good 3-4 hours once trying to find an awnser to something with so many different combos of words in the search feture..

2. Flexplate and Flywheel are two different things for two different applications.. Yes they do BASICLLY the same thing.. but they are NOT the same thing..
Not many people Know the difference between a flexplate and a flywheel.. and telling someone they need a flexplate when they really need a flywheel is handing out wrong info even if they are `pretty much the same thing' OH and with early 60's VW's (aircooled) with the semi auto trans had a FLex plate with a Torque convertor attached to it.. that THEN went to a Flywheel and clutch assembly... and on the inside.. all you had was a Brake and gas pedal and a normal 4 speed shifter

3. YES the M5R2 is notchy.. But Gee you can still shift it Fast from time to time.. been proven over and over.. YES the Sychros hate it, and will be eaten alive.. BUT which will survive better.. a M5r2 or a T5 behind a 2 ton car? Will a T5 handle a 3,000RPM clutch drop in 2nd gear in a 2 ton car?? (Seriously i like to know, since i know a M5R2 can.. )


NEwaz :

You'll be happy with the sport, it's no Mustang in the performance department.. But it's still quick and fun..
Converting over to a 5spd atleast is a long weekend job at the most, along as you have everything ready... The T5 (from a mustang) is a Smooth shifting trans, But it takes little more to install it then a M5R2 transmission (from a '89-95 Thunderbird Supercoupe, or '89-90 Cougar XR7's) which is seriosuly a Bolt in setup with out any mods to the tranny or car itself.. so dpending on your mechcanical skills and who you know.. should be the the deciding factor... Also a 6spd will be about as hard as a T5 to install Maybe abit more?? ) Also the Torque is very nice... and even nicer with the 5spd
Can't help yah with the Automatic Q's since all i wanted was something fun when i had the AOD in my car.. which was just a mild Torque convertor (2200stall?? a hair above stock), a wide ratio gear set (to help get it out of the hole quicker with out sacaficing Gasmilage when on the freeway, IE keeping the final drive gears alone, even thou i uped them for 3.27's knowing i was going to a 5spd in time ), and a Stage One shift kit ( just to quicken the shifts alittle over the mushy stock shifts) Made for a Fun ride.. even when the tranny was heading south (Bad builder) and 3/4 of a tank and traction issues, was able to run 15.8 in the 1/4 (sorry forgot the Speed) and was fun on the twisties in the moutains too

I did the M5R2 swap pn my '91 like 4 years ago.. YES i've already gone through one trans (well the first was used with 80K on it so that doesn't mean much ) But i have yet to look back on going with the M5R2

5spd or qutomatic
Flywheel or Flexplate..
5.0L or 4.6L
a MN12 is a good car to have...

and this is my long winded two bits worth and Merry Christmas if you Celebrate it

 

[teal944.6]

Flex plate flywheel. Who really cares. Those of us who know knew what he was talking about, cut the man a break. The terminology makes no difference to someone who doesnt know the terms.

Now to address the post.

A good stall converter for your car will definitely wake it up. A shift kit is a kit that is installed in the transmissions valve body which is directly above the trans pan. What it does is makes the shifts very quickly and harder. Instead of slow and mushy as is stock. If you like a 5 speed you will like a shift kit.

The AOD tranny can be built into a formidable performer. A good place to start would be www.lentechautomatics.com This will give you a good idea of what an aod can do.