Hey All, I am new to the forum.

Just bought a 76 F-250 with a 390 4-spd (2 wheel drive). Looking to improve the milage and trying to decide betwee rear end gears and a 5-speed swap. Seems the ZF is the best bet, but trying to figure out if a 460 bolt pattern will bolt up to a FE.

I searched some forums, but I havent found any info on this. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Basher

 

No, it won't. 390/360 have a different pattern than the 351M/400/460

 

czaroc,

Is that to say that I cannot use a ZF, or do I just need an adapter?

Basher

 

you will probably have better luck finding an adapter for a trans from a the winsor motors. Also, I believe there is an adapter to mate a dodge NV4500 to a ford bellhousing, since the NV4500 does not have an integral bellhousing.
Good luck, and if you do it, post what you find!

 

Check http://www.advanceadapters.com/ for NV4500 adapters. They make them for a whole bunch of applications. If you find what your looking for you can usually buy the part cheaper at one of the dealers that sell Advanced Adapters products

 

Well that I don't know. I've never heard of an adaptor for this combo... but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

 

My brother pulled the bell housing off a 7.3 liter power stroke, this bell housing fit the FE 390 engine.

 

thats interesting... but i dont beleive any modern trannys from ford have removable bellhousings. at least not ones put behind diesels. but i could be wrong. worth investigating tho... bolt up overdrive?

 

for sure! I would like to see pictures of this, I would put the FE/ZF combo in every one of my trucks if it works. But I was under the impression that the diesel bolt pattern is very similar to the 460/351M/400 bolt pattern, except the starter hole was different (the trans would bolt in place, but you would never be able to start it!!)

 

mwbasher, welcome to FTE, have fun and enjoy this forum. Lots of good information on this site.

I saved the bell housing.

I'll post the bell housing casting numbers.
The bell housing was Aluminum and came off the earlier 7.3l IDI powerstorke.
I don't know of any NP 435 transmission with an aluminum bell housing.
I haven't really looked into this in detail, so I don't know much.
One thing I do remember is that AL bell fit the FE engine and have saved it for upgrading the transmission on my FE.

I'm not going to say it works or it doesn't, because I don't know.

 

if it is a bell housing, it was from a 4 speed truck. and the 7.3 did not come with a 4 speed, just the ZF 5 speed. the 6.9 came with the 4 speed. all diesel ZF transmissions are a one piece unit. the bell housing is part of the trans.

 

Craps, I quess I can get aluminum scrap money.

 

you could use that bell housing with an nv4500. also the 6.9 and the 7.3 have the same bell housing, so if the bell housing does work with an fe... you could use an nv4500, but why not just use your fe bell housing?

 

So it looks like the ZF is out and I can use a NV4500 with a $300 adapter from AA. Then a new clutch and maybe some driveline work and there it is.

Does that sound right?

 

well sort of, thats the jist of the nv swap. but IF the diesel bell housing works the same as the fe's, you could, in theory, put a zf 5 speed from a diesel behind your fe. but i've yet to see proof that it bolts up.