Police aluminum drive shaft swap?

[Kaysboat]

Has anyone changed their civilian steel drive shaft for the police aluminum one?

Is it much of a job? I've read somewhere that the tail shaft is different and needs to be changed. What is the tailshaft? I've read through the shop manual under the drive shaft and transmission sections, and found nothing about a tail shaft.

Do you need to get the aluminum one balanced? If it's balanced does it matter which way it goes on the car (as far as making two marks on the shaft and differential when removong the stock one to make sure you get it back in the right and balanced position).

What parts do you need to get to do the swap?

I realize it really wouldn't ad much if any performance or horsepower, but it's been something I've been noshing around for a while now and may do one of these days.

Thanks for any advice.

[SVT98t]

What year is your MGM?
I used the longer tailshaft housing from my Marauder's 4R70W transmssion.
You need the longer housing because it supports the yoke and because the yoke is physically bigger than the steel one and it won't just go on.
You can get the housing from any Marauder transmission or any CVPI after 2001 (I believe). Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I just picked an aluminum drive shaft from a CVPI in the junkyard. I think it was an 01.
It was only $20. That car also had 93k on it.
You don't need to mark it. It will only go on two ways.
Make sure you use Loc-tite when reinstalling the 12-point 12mm bolts that hold the driveshat to the rear end.

I like having it. You can't tell much driving, but you can tell a weight difference between the two while holding them. So there is some kind of gain; less rotational mass. That has to be better for the drivetrain.

-ryan s.
-ryan s.

[Kaysboat]

Mine's a 99.

[SVT98t]

Ok then.
You'll have to get the extended tailshaft housing from the junkyard. Just swap out your old one with this one, and install aluminum driveshaft.

-ryan s.

[Mercracer]

You can get the housing from any Marauder transmission or any CVPI after 2001 (I believe). Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I just picked an aluminum drive shaft from a CVPI in the junkyard. I think it was an 01.
It was only $20. That car also had 93k on it.
You don't need to mark it. It will only go on two ways..

The housing was used from late 1994 production forward in P71s..
F5UZ-7A039-A Extension Housing Assembly
The Ford service bulletin instructs on the indexing of the driveshaft on the tail shaft and pinion flange for balancing purposes

http://www.p71interceptor.com/rearsprings/tsb99181.pdf

[Jon]

Do you think it would be possible to swap one from a 04 interceptor to a 78 LTD? I mean, as long as they are the same length...it should work right? Or would I need the tailshaft that you mentioned? I have a c6 in the LTD.

[Mercracer]

The odds of the driveshafts being the same length is very slim. In the case that they would be the same length, it is likely that the transmission yoke would need to be swapped using a special U-joint and you would need a special U-joint for the back end.
The tailhousing from your 4R70W would not likely bolt up to your C6.

[Jon]

The odds of the driveshafts being the same length is very slim. In the case that they would be the same length, it is likely that the transmission yoke would need to be swapped using a special U-joint and you would need a special U-joint for the back end.
The tailhousing from your 4R70W would not likely bolt up to your C6.

oh.


I guess its time to go custom.

[Mercracer]

I will have both a C6 and a 4r70w in my garage soon so I can check out the compatibility of the housing and slip yoke...

[j5689]

Got some questions about the aluminum driveshaft for myself:

So all you need from the donor Police Interceptor is the the driveshaft(and connected joints) and the transmission extension housing? Or are there more parts?

Does this all bolt up directly to the ends that the original parts went onto without modification (rear axle and I'm assuming the back of the transmission)?

Do you have to take the bell-housing off the transmission to install the extension? They always look heavy and obnoxious to take off.

If the slip yoke is rusty, will it need to be cleaned and what will it take to clean it?

Would this affect the speedometer accuracy?

And how much would a yard usually let the parts go for?

The housing was used from late 1994 production forward in P71s..
F5UZ-7A039-A Extension Housing Assembly
The Ford service bulletin instructs on the indexing of the driveshaft on the tail shaft and pinion flange for balancing purposes
http://www.p71interceptor.com/rearsprings/tsb99181.pdf

This all means you would mark them before you took them apart so that they could be re-assembled for optimum balance later, correct?

[Mercracer]

Got some questions about the aluminum driveshaft for myself:

So all you need from the donor Police Interceptor is the the driveshaft(and connected joints) and the transmission extension housing? Or are there more parts?

Does this all bolt up directly to the ends that the original parts went onto without modification (rear axle and I'm assuming the back of the transmission)?

Do you have to take the bell-housing off the transmission to install the extension? They always look heavy and obnoxious to take off.

If the slip yoke is rusty, will it need to be cleaned and what will it take to clean it?

Would this affect the speedometer accuracy?

And how much would a yard usually let the parts go for?



This all means you would mark them before you took them apart so that they could be re-assembled for optimum balance later, correct?

The tranny yoke may only go in one way depending on your tail shaft. The housing will go onto your tranny just fine. There is no seperate bellhousing on a AOD or newer. The tranny stays in the car. Use fine emery cloth to clean up the yoke. I got my driveshaft for $50. They run between $50 and $100. I screwed up and missed out on a couple of cheap tailhousings as the cars were crushed before I made it back. Just the tailhousing should be less than $50 used. I could have gotten them for $20 probably.

[SVT98t]

Either get a new gasket for it, or use Grey RTV.
My local yard charges $20 for a drive shaft. I lucked out. Unless you want me to pull the appropriate parts for you from my yard. I can do that. Probably $50 for everything ( includes transport fee ) I should be down in the DC area in March/April.
It's up to you dude.
And don't forget to use loctite on the 12mm bolts that hold the drive shaft to the rear end!

-ryan s.

[j5689]

But overall there shouldn't be any balance problems if it's hooked up to the yoke correctly right?

And also, I'm guessing the yoke end of the shaft gets installed first so that the rest of it can be pivotted up onto the rear end to be bolted on.

And are the bolts on the extension housing easy enough to reach?

Either get a new gasket for it, or use Grey RTV.
My local yard charges $20 for a drive shaft. I lucked out. Unless you want me to pull the appropriate parts for you from my yard. I can do that. Probably $50 for everything ( includes transport fee ) I should be down in the DC area in March/April.
It's up to you dude.
And don't forget to use loctite on the 12mm bolts that hold the drive shaft to the rear end!

-ryan s.

If it starts getting to be around that time and I still don't have one yet, I'll be sure to tell you. And I really appreciate it

[j5689]

One more question about it:

Can you re-use your tailshaft housing gasket or do you have to get a new one or use the PI one or what?

[Mercracer]

Reuse if you want but new gaskets are cheap. They all take the same gasket.