I'm going to replace my 3-on-the-tree 3speed with an overdrive 3speed tranny. Does anyone know where the stock location for the T-Handle mounts to the dash on a '56 F100?

 

I couldn't find anything definitive when I did the same thing. I ended up mounting it toward the glove box on the bottom of the dash where i found existing holes.

 

O/D cable attached to a bracket, bolted under the dash to the left of the steering column.

Same location: 1949/67 cars / 1953/71 F100's.

 

Thank you very much. There is a single hole in the bottom edge of my dash which I thought might be for this purpose. Your response confirms it. I appreciate your feedback.

 

The overdrive cable moved to the left or the right of the steering column depending on year. 49-50 cars is left of the column, 52-53 cars is right of the column. The firewall will have a knock out where the cable passes through, line the T handle up with the knock out. I have drilled a hole just larger in diameter than the cable since I haven't been brave enough to cut out the "knock out" feature on one of mine. I tried knocking one out on a parts car I had and couldn't do it with a ball peen hammer.

 

my '55' coup had the overdrive handle near where the trucks air scoop handle is located... my old '56' truck didn't have overdrive...

 

Update: I located and purchased a 1956 Ford Owners Service Manual which correctly identified the stock location of the Overdrive T-handle. On the F100s, it was located just left of the steering column in the bottom edge of the dash. As the manual indicated, there is a football-shaped knockout tab located on the firewall and firewall insulation pad where the cable passed through the firewall and pad. Thanks everyone for your assistance and helpful information.

I've purchased a NOS relay, floor-mounted switch, and two tranny's (one is a spare for parts). My next step will be to build a wiring harness and learn what other parts I will need to make the swap (ie., clutch brackets, crossmember?, etc).

 

If you want the overdrive to function "automatically" then you need all the original controls including a wire harness. If you simply want to shift in and out of overdrive at will you need an on-off switch, a good working solenoid, and the lock out cable (T-handle). If you are interested I can give you the complete run down on setting up your overdrive this way.

 

Thanks 38Coupe. I truly appreciate the help. I found a wiring diagram illustration in the Owners Manual but Im open to all assistance you can offer. This truck is about as close to original as I have seen in a long time. Basically the tires, radio, wiper motor, seat cover, intake, exhaust, hood hinges, shocks and oil are the only things I have found to be newer than 1956. It has the original engine and 3 speed tranny as well as the rest of the suspension. I know a lot about the Model B and Model 40 but these F100s are new to me.

As I stated before, I have 2 of these 3speed OD transmissions which should prove to be enough to make at least 1 good unit. What I dont know is what the differences are between the original 3 speed and the 3 speed OD unit. Same bellhousing? Same splined clutch shaft? Throughout bearing? Same clutch?

I did notice the original 3 speed shifter mounts on the OD unit must be different as there are no side anchors to mount the clutch to like the original 3 speed. But I havent found any illustrations showing how the OD clutch mounts.

My main goal is to keep this truck as true as possible but also extend its ability to cruise on the freeway as I like to drive them...a lot. Currently it starts straining at 50 mph and is done by 65 mph. With today's speed limits, that will get you run over on a road trip.

Any assistance you can offer is appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Best regards,

Troy

 

I swapped in a 3 speed OD from a car into the 56 F100. Other than the OD unit itself, I found the main drive gear, the bearing retainer for it, and the shift lever housing (which provides the bolt-up support for the clutch) were the significant differences that required attention. For this match-up, the MDG, the bearing retainer, and shift lever housing from the original truck transmission fit the car OD transmission and could be swapped in and re-used if in good enough condition. The truck MDG is longer and has a larger diameter than the car MDG. It's longer because the bell housing on the truck is deeper and the nose of the MDG needs to reach the bearing for it mounted in the the flywheel.

The standard and the OD cases are different as well. The OD case has one additional hole towards the OD unit.

 

So I have a mill and a lathe in the shop...When you mention the truck standard is deeper/longer, couldn't I machine a longer pilot bearing to make up the delta? It is it too short to consider safely bridging that gap? How much difference in length are they?

I know I can pull the standard tranny and then compare once it's out, but I would rather gather all the parts and education before tearing my truck down for the swap so its not incapacitated for any more time than necessary. I really appreciate the experience you guys can offer.

 

I have put a car overdrive into a 1966 truck by making a long pilot bushing from bronze. It worked very well.

The Borg-Warner overdrives are great for exactly what you need. I also prefer to keep a vehicle looking stock. If you want you can purchase a reproduction overdrive wiring harness for your truck.