Everything You Need To Know About Joel Steele's Drag Racing 4-Speed Transmission

Everything You Need To Know About Joel Steele's Drag Racing 4-Speed Transmission

Posted by TeamTick on 4th Nov 2021

Steele's S197 Mustang has gotten plenty of attention since FL2K. He broke several records in one night, most notably the Domestic H-pattern record with his 6.95 202mph pass! Powering Steele's Mustang is a twin turbo TKM Performance built gen 1 Coyote engine. While making these 6 second pass, he was running our Ultimate Drag Race Magnum XL 4-Speed Transmission which could handle the abuse! 

The transmission you're about to learn about has been tested in his car for two seasons now with a best ET of 6.95 @ 202mph, the first & current Domestic H-Pattern and Coyote Stick Shift Record Holder. For those interested in what goes into making a transmission to handle a record breaking pass we'll go in depth about Steele's Ultimate Drag Race Magnum XL.

4-Speed Conversion

We'll start with the obvious, the Magnum XL 6-speed transmission is converted to a 4-Speed. The Magnum XL transmissions have two overdrive gears (5th & 6th). Fourth gear is 1:1 ratio just like 4 speed transmissions in the old days. By removing these overdrive gears we are able to shave 10-lbs, but more importantly we have redesigned the reverse lockout piston and modified the 5/6/R shift rail assembly so that reverse is now located in the gate originally occupied by 5th. 

Combined with our modified reverse lockout piston and your ECU to control (just as the OEM ECU would control the reverse lockout) we have made it impossible to miss 3rd gear by going too far to the right with the shifter. A shift from second to third can now have a strong directional push to the right and the lockout will act as a barrier or guide to direct the shift straight into 3rd gear! That same strong directional push to the right that you as the driver will exert greatly reduces your chance of a 1-2-1 shift. 

Billet Front Plate

Years of experience has taught us that a key failure point in T56 & TR-6060 transmissions have been damaged input gear and the mating gear of the countershaft. These two components are the most expensive parts to replace in a transmission rebuild. This issue can occur from overheating during hard acceleration and/or extreme power. These are the most forward gears in the box which doesn't help the fluid supply issues. 

Our Billet Front Plate includes an improved bung and sprayer design which consists of a machined and welded bar that extrudes into the transmission, coating 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears more evenly with oil. The Billet design vastly improves strength, which decreases gears deflection and enhances performance. We manufacture these Billet Front Plates right here in the US so you know they will last!

PPG Gearsets

Like any Ultimate Drag Race Magnum XL, Steele's received PPG Dog Ring gear set. Pfitzner Performance Gearboxes is one of the few companies that offer high-quality & durable gear set for T56, TR-6060, & Magnums. It only makes sense that we partnered with them to offer the best gear set for our Ultimate Drag Race Transmissions. 

Input Speed Sensor

Steele runs a slipper Twin Billet 8in clutch from Advanced Clutches paired to the Magnum XL. He has dialed in his launch, as you will notice his 6 second pass, he had almost no tire spin off the line. To optimize launches, monitoring input shaft speed vs. engine speed is a must! Our input speed sensor can be utilized with modern EFI system and allows for quick proper adjustments to help you dial in your setup.

Here is a complete list of everything included in the Ultimate Drag Race Magnum XL 4-Speed Transmission:

  • Brand New Magnum XL Case, SFI bellhousing, crossmember, transmission mount, and Tremec shifter for 2005+ Mustang
  • PPG Dog Ring Gear Set for Ford Application
  • New bearings and seals
  • New snap rings throughout
  • Tick Performance Billet Front plate
  • Tick Performance Hi-Flow Trans Pump kit (with filter and fittings)
  • Tick Performance input speed sensor
  • Reverse Bronze fork pads
  • PPG billet interlock plate
  • Billet interlock guide bolts
  • PPG billet 1-2 shift fork
  • PPG billet 3-4 shift fork
  • Custom Modified 5-6 / Reverse shift rail assembly
  • Custom Modified shifter gate assembly
  • CNC machined reverse lockout piston
  • Custom machined aluminum 5-6 driven gear delete spacer
  • New OEM reverse syncro keys, springs, and blocker ring
  • Bronze shifter cup bushing
  • Skip shift delete plug
  • 10lbs of weight reduction compared to a standard Magnum XL

If you would like to read more about the whole car, check out: JOEL STEELE’S MUSTANG CLAIMS TITLE OF QUICKEST DOMESTIC STICK SHIFT IN THE WORLD