How can I tell what model transmission I have?
 

I have a shortbed 2WD 1980 F100 with a 300cid, 5.9L straight-six engine and a 9" rear with a limited slip and 3.00 gears that I just got rebuilt at Currie Enterprises in Anaheim, CA (I'm stoked on that, its now the best part of the whole truck).

Now I want to rebuild or replace my transmission because it pops out of gear when I decelerate in second and third gear, and I can barely get it into third because the synchros are shot.

The transmission is a manual four-speed overdrive with a normal (not granny) first gear. Reverse is up and to the left of first and all the other gears. I want to know for sure which model my transmission is, so I can price alternatives.

I think its a T170 series, either SMOD or SROD. Could it be a Tremec, or NP435, or Borg-Warner T19? The tranny code on the driver's door is "B". How can I positively identify which model tranny this is? Is there an idenfying tag or stamp somewhere on the tranny?
<!-- / message -->

Look at the linkage, if it has external linkage its a SMOD, if the linkage is on the inside its a SROD, and i know this cause 435 and T-19 don't have od, and tremec didn't put trannies in this year of truck (they only put trannies in the stangs and such i believe) But since you have a 3.0 rear end i suggest that you don't even bother with your tranny, they were ford attempt at an od 4sp to gain mileage out of these trucks. I suggest you find a toploader 4sp (looks identical to your tranny, as you tranny was based off of it), they were found i 60/70's ford cars and ranchero's, these trannies can handle A LOT of abuse (i have one in my 82 flareside with 350 hp) as i know a couple drag racers that use them completly stock ( aftermarket clutch and u-joints though) behind 700+ hp SBF's with no problem at all (they launch at 5k rpm's too,, can you say wheelie's?). If you are luckly you can pick one of these up for cheap if the person doesn't know what it is, and they are a direct replacement of your current tranny, and with a 3.00 gear your highway rpm's are about 2600-2700rpms@ 75mph. But you will have to change the hole in the floor though, but you can buy hurst shifters for this tranny as well (i have one).

Just my .02$

Thanks for the input, mustange70. Can you give me a model name/number for the "top-loader 4-speed"? Is it an automatic, or a manual, like I have now? Does it have overdrive?

Its a manual, if you have the tranny with the external linkage, the toploader will look just like that. But that is what th4e model name is, they do have tags on them with a 5 number serial that will tell you what it's out of and if the tranny is a wide/close ratio tranny, close ratio's work better on small block and wide ratios work better with BB. No these trannies don't have an od, but because you are running a 3.00 rear gear and od doesn't really give you that much better milage when combined with a stock motor, as the motor has to work harder to gain speed when in od as compared to when its in drive (no od). But if you have a motor that has some mods on it to gain the most out of od then its worth it, but with a stock motor and 3.00 gears an od tranny isn't really a huge benefit.

http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/, This is the site i used to id my tranny (bolt in replacement for the 4sp od's), and its the best i've ever found too. But if you desire a shifter get one through summit, as they are cheaper, and you would probably have to make a handle so its where you want it.

You already know this, but Ford's terminology for code B is "4 speed overdrive".

http://www.motivegear.com/tech_info/...nny_guide.html that should help some.

Not to steal a thread here guys but Im new to ford and was wondering what my trany is also. I have an 85 ford f150 short box, 302 efi 4 spd. Shes geared way high, to the tune of 22-24 mpg!! Kinda like it but when cold she dont like to get into 3rd unless u shift to 4th then back up to 3rd.

I don't have an idea what your tranny is, but the problem you're having sounds like the 3rd gear synchronizer is bad.

That's excellent mileage for a V-8. No fair calculating your mileage on the downhill run from your home on the hill, into town. LOL.
You'd have to have the 4 spd OD. We can verify it with the trans code on the door, or roughly how many rpm's at 60 mph.

mine says transmission: c6, right on the door tag.

I dont have a tach but shes runnin quite low from the sound of things. I wa gonna sell the truck but not after I got it running decent. Some laughs for you all, My brother asked me why on earth I wanted to keep this ole truck since I have my cummins also. I told him that my wife and i get better average mpg with our 2 trucks ( this ford and 94 cummins dually 22-21 ) than he does with his ( 99 chevy silverado and 01 pontiac grand am). He shut up after that one!

I think Branpollard and I have the same tranny.According to the that trany site that was posted although theres no picture. I took a pic of my tranny, its in my gallery. kinda blurry but thats all i could get. Mine didnt have the stocl shifter handle on it so I dont know whether it is a o/d or not.

Hi Branpollard, my shop manual says trans code B is a Clark 4 speed O.D. beyond that I dont know anything about those transmissions.

Can anyone comment on whether Clark could have been the company that manufactured the transmission I described in the first post on this thread? By the way, I crawled under the truck and found it looked nearly identical to the toploaders shown on several websites. Also saw a small housing attached at the drive-side rear of the tranny, where the stick is connected, so I'm pretty sure I have the SROD tranny, but would really like to know, for sure, what company manufactured it. I also saw a couple rows of letters/number stamped on the driver's side of the tranny, which I'm going to clean up and copy, because I assume they tell me something about the gearing, and will be useful in the future.

I know that the SROD's have a ford casting number, at least mine did anyway. And yes these trannies look identical to the toploader as they were designed from it (or the 3sp manual, they all are of the "toploader design, where the top cover is removed to "load" the gears and what ever into the tranny)