Hi I'm looking to put a 4 spd manual tranny into my 82 ford broncowith a 300 6, what my questions are is can I put a 4 spd from a f150 300 six 4x4 or af250 300 6 4x4? Only reason I'm asking is cuz a friend told me I couldn't because the drive shaft in the f series is longer, well I already have a driveshaft from my c6 would that work? I also need to replace one of the bolts in my engine mount, do I have to remove the whole mount or can I just take the bolts out and how should I go about lifting the weight of the engine off the mounts, thanks in advance

 

The New Process 435 was a factory option in the Bronco and 1/2-ton F-series for several years. It has one of the best service records and some of the most desirable gear ratios for these trucks.

Driveshaft length makes no difference. You can always have a driveshaft shortened or lengthened. (And you might need to change lengths because the manual transmissions, as a rule, are shorter than the automatics. This sometimes translates to needing to shorten the front shaft and lengthen the rear. The only other concerns in swapping transmissions is bellhousing bolt pattern, crossmember location and making certain you have a transmission for a 4x4 as the tail-housings are different between 2WD and 4WD units and with 4WD you need to be able to bolt the transfer case to it.

Now since you are talking about a swap from an automatic to a manual, you are going to need clutch pedal and linkage assemblies along with a flywheel and clutch for the engine in question. Fortunately, the 300, 302, and 351W all share the same bellhousing bolt pattern. They do, however, each have their own flywheel...its a balance issue. Your best course of action would be to find a donor truck with the transmission you want already in it and grab everything you can from it. (Hint: If you find an F-series with the transmission you want. grab the front driveshaft too because it WILL work).

As for lifting the engine off its mounts far enough to replace a bolt, an engine hoist and some care to avoid pinching hoses, wires etc and removing the fan shroud should yield enough leeway to lift the engine far enough to clear motor mount hardware.

 

Great thanks you provided lots of Good info

 

you can also swap in a m5od from halfton trucks or go for the better ZF 5 speed out of an F250/F350.

drive shafts will need changed out of course as will the trans crossmember. you will need the clutch peddle assembly as well if your current truck has an auto.

 

How hard of a process would you say it is do it? My bronco used to be a manual but the po changed it to auto, so I already have the holes for the clutch pedal to go through in my firewall

 

If you can find a donor truck to get back the parts that you don't have, the project is as simple as pulling from one and installing in the other. (Someone actually removed a manual from a Bronco?)

Keep in mind though that if you go with either of the 5-speed manuals as Kem suggested, you will need to change to the hydraulic clutch setup rather than the mechanical that was OEM in your 82. Both the M5OD and the ZFS5-42 use the same hydraulic slave cylinder to actuate the clutch.

 

Ya im thinking I'm going with the four speed, just cause its mechanical and was the original tranny in it, and ya the guy blew the four speed and had two extra fords with autos on them so did the swap instead of spending any money

 

if he blew the 4speed then it wasnt an np435 in there originally. not a big deal though

 

I know it he called it a farmer's four speed, probly not the real name for it

 

I've been around a pretty good time but I aint never heard of no farmers 4 speed. You from Bama?

 

I'm pretty sUre it means the 1st gear is really low and most people don't use it other than fir getting unstuck, my brother says he has one in is 79 behind a 300 6

 

that would be an NP435, only 4 speed to have the granny low. the SROD i believe was also available in that year although it shouldnt be mistaken for the NP435.

keep us posted on your swap

 

The only 4-speed OTHER than the NP435 available in the Bronco in the early-mid 80's was the Mexican-built Tremec 3-speed + overdrive. They aren't all that common but the top-loading derivative of the T&C OD (car platform unit used in the Granada, Fairmont, and a few others) that got dropped into the F-series, Bronco, and E-series vans is more commonly referred to as the "RTS" (truck version) built by the Tremec Corporation under the model name/number T-170. If you have one, you have one... thats about all there is to say about them. There are far better and more modern 4-speed manual transmissions that will work but as for the manual transmissions from the era, the RTS and the NP435 were it.

 

Just a little update I have found someone relaitivelyy close to me with everything I think I need for this swap for sale, here is what the situation is like right now.

He is parting out a 2wd 300 6 with a four speed tranny and a 4wd 300 6 with a 4 speed tranny.

The 300 6 with the 4wd has a bad engine but he said he would sell me the good engine that was running when parked from the 2wd and then the tranny, tcase, driveshafts, and the whole assembly from the 4wd 300 6 all in one package.

now I am not 100% sure but I think that all of this would work? am I right by saying that the 300 6 engine from the 2wd will bolt right up to the tranny and tcase off of the 4wd 300 6?

I was also thinking that maybe I would just be better off rebuilding the 300 6 I have and just getting the tranny and tcase and the entire assembly off the 4wd parts truck since the engine I would be buying will most likely need a rebuild anyways?

I appreciate any feedback, thanks

 

Your assumptions are correct. The 300 doesn't care how many axles it is driving. the transmission does since it has to bolt to a transfer case if it is going to drive more than one axle. If both transmissions are bolted to 300's now, it won't matter what 300 you put in front of either.