i own a 81 ford f-150 4x2 flare side 300 i6 with c6, tomorrow i am picking up a 81 f-250 4x2 300 i6 with 4spd manual, now my multiple questions are, i am considering putting the manual in my flare side, is it a hard conversion to do? also the flare side has some suspension issues and i was considering installing the 250 suspension, rear end etc. is this a straight bolt on with 150 frame? any help will be great thanks

 

Converting from your C6 to a manual isn't too difficult if you have good basic mechanical experience, but it does involve quite a lot of time.

I converted my F250 from auto to manual (also a C6 to 4-speed swap), & IIRC it took 25.5 hours of solid work, which included modifying both halves of the drive shaft; if you can find a correct drive shaft, there would be a time saving there.
The 25.5 hours didn't include getting all the other parts ready to use.

I gained less gas mileage than I expected with the swap (1.5 mpg), but I did pick up noticeable power.

 

yeah i had a feeling about the drive shaft. as for mileage any little bit helps but honestly i love stick so much it drives me crazy that has almost disappeared on any vehicle even on sports cars crazy. that is why i am hoping the 250 suspension and rear end will work for her mainly for the driveshaft

 

well i have found the leaf springs are all the same for 150-350 so that is a good start. if anyone has done this swap let me know thanks

 

Since they are both 2wd I am not sure. But it might indeed swap on the front. I believe the rear will bolt in also. I don't see any of this really helping the driveshaft situation though. The flare side is a shorter wheelbase correct? Is the f250 short also? If you end up making a driveshaft, you can get a conversion joint that will go from the bigger f250 joint on the tranny, to the smaller joint on the f150 shaft. If the f250 u-joint is bigger, sometimes they are the same.

 

yes the flare side is shorter. as for the drive shaft i realized you are right. it did not hit me until i realized the 250 originally had a long bed there is no bed now it did have a flatbed style installed on it many years ago. right now i am trying to get some ideas on what my options are. the parts truck is mainly for body panels but i do like the idea of converting to manual just more fun. thanks for your reply. i keep doing research but have not had really any luck with answers if the suspension and rear end would be straightforward.

 

Why not just build the 250?

 

You will have to do some measuring to see if some of the suspension would swap. Anyone upgrading the suspension to haul usually upgrades the frame to the f250/350 frame also.

What is your purpose in doing this? It's obvious you are not going to haul much in a flareside pickup. It seems like a lot of work for not much advantage, except limiting your wheel choice and tire choices even more than they are now.

 

because the 150 was my brother in laws truck and he gave to me as a gift but also the 150 is a flare side

 

well i know the wheel issue is my main problem with the swap. as for the suspension its just a thought as my brother in law lived in los angeles he did not anything about repairing vehicles because the rear end has a very bent lower shock perch i am hoping to fix, but i thought if the job was easier i would swap the 250 suspension. in the long run i may just wait and repair the 150 suspension and do the manual swap only

 

I'm saying have both. Keep the 150 as is, but build the 250, for gear banging, hauling, whatever you want to do.

 

i do not need another vehicle lol. plus the 150 needs the majority of the body parts to make it better. the 250 was a worked hard truck for 25 years. so it would tons of work to make a safe truck to drive anywhere.