Transmissions
 

Do most transmissions use a drive shaft or Cardan joint? Or do some just plug on to the outdrive shaft? any photos out there? Thanks

Some have drive shafts especially in a staggered engine set up. Usually the cardan joint is located on the input shaft of the drive to allow for trimming of the drive. Here you can see one on a TRS drive. The splined input shaft will plug into the tail stock of the transmission.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercr...tem 254fc4ba57

The outdrive has a double cardan joint on the input shaft to allow it to operate at high angles with no pulsing, like a constant-velocity joint.

If you have a driveline setup like those used with extension boxes, then the transmission has a standard spicer flange, and the jackshaft has standard single u-joints on each end. This requires a tailstock assembly that is just a big bearing with a flange on the front and a socket for the drive input shaft on the aft side. I'd take pictures of mine, but you aren't going to see much...

How about the shaft on the trans that goes into the bell housing would anyone know how far into the bell housing this should be? 2" or 2-1/4"?