OK, I come here because the smartest Ford people on earth is right here. As some of you know I have been working on a T-85 overdrive transmission for ages. It is all done & checked out by a guy that is an overdrive expert. HOWEVER while checking my tranny he noticed the speedometer gear on the tail shaft of the T-85 was backwards to what a '56 transmission (like mine) is so he changed the gear. But on a T-85 the plastic speedometer gear sits on top of the transmission gear whereas on the '56 it goes to the bottom. It is my opinion that the reason the tranny gear is cut backwards is because the speedometer gear goes to the top thereby resulting in the speedometer cable turning the correct way & by changing the gear will result in my speedometer trying to turn backwards. Am I correct and if so I will have to take it apart again & put the original gear back on it... Oh, just a note for Y-block folks, he told me Holman & Moody is still custom grinding cams for Y-blocks. The same guy for the last 42 years..

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

It has been a while since I went through this and I recently sold all my T85 stuff but if I remmber correctly the T85 gear was total different from everything else. I recall one out of a Fordamatic being the same but backwards as you have stated. I am thinking that you need to switch it back. I hope you have the gear because they were next to impossible to find many years back. The end of the cable and the plastic gears are different to match the gear in the trans as you have stated. If you have the gear, it should be no big problem.

Yeah, thank God I have the gear so will just have to change it back. I think it is the same as a T-10 too. I replaced a T-85 with a T-10 in a '57 Ford back in the 60's & it was the same.

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL