I'm installing a 302 Ford w/AOD in my 49 F1. What headers will fit this combo?
Also need to buy or fabricate motor and tranny mounts.Anyone been down this road? Also is there a way to combine new and old drive shafts with universal joints ?

 

Are you using the stock suspension?

If using the stock suspension these are the headers I used on my 52 F1. I needed these to clean the steering box.

Small Block Ford Block Hugger Tight-Fit Headers, Plain - Free Shipping @ Speedway Motors

These are also offered in chrome and coated.

If you use these you will have to swap to a 94-95 mustang factory mini starter.



With these I used this engine mount.

1948 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Ford Truck Tubular Engine Crossmember 289 302 | eBay

I cut the original transmission cross member and used a universal mount one like this.

New Tubular Transmission Crossmember Polyurethane Mount 47 59 Chevy GMC Trucks | eBay

Mine was a lot cheaper that that one, but it looks the same with a slight drop. You can get them straight with up to a 8 inch drop from what I have seen. If I had it to do over I would just mod the original one and not cut it out.

 

I also used block huggers from Speedway motors, and have had no trouble with them. My combo is a stock axle and steering. PS I did get some heaver gauge flange plates no biggie they were just hardware (where they dump), from my local muffler shop. but the headers themselves were and are great, well built, no leaks and the aluminized coating is holding up real nice, no bluing after several years now. Best of luck.

 

I have IFS and used the long headers, I think Sanderson.
All you can see is the outlet on one side and picture is before I wrapped them with insulation material.
TractormanBill

 

Yes I'm using stock suspension. Thanks for the info on the motor mounts. This will save me a lot of time. Do I need to cut out the flathead engine mounts. I'm talking about the curved steel pieces that go from the main frame rails to the front cross piece. My motor and AOD will be here in a couple of weeks so I'm lining up parts and plans now.

 

Also what Radiator will work? Is there anywhere I can find a wiring diagram for a 49 F1. I may want to fabricate a fuseblock also.

 

On those cross members make sure where you mount it, it has enough clearance from the straight axle. You wouldn't want it if it's right above to hit on bumps. Just something to think about.

With the one I moved it can be moved up and down, forward and back until you find that just right place. I tried for as far back and as low in the chassis as I could get it.

The cross member angle parts in the front I left them in there. The only thing I had to do was use the shorter oil filter as the FL-1A ford filter would fit. The replacement is the same DIA but the length is shorter.

I dug up some photos of when I was mocking up. I had 4 different engines I was looking at using and 4 different trans missions. The 250 six and 292 Y block are still sitting in the corner of the shop waiting there turn. The 302/FMX won out.

100_1491 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

100_1492 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

100_1493 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

At this stage the trans mount and engine mount ends weren't welded solid yet because I was still moving around and figuring stuff out. I think I had to slid the engine and trans forward 1/2" more than I wanted because of clearance on the drive shaft.

100_1494 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

In this picture the long oil filter fits, but in final location it would of rubbed.

100_1825 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

This is engine I have in it now. 1989 SO 5.0. I had exhaust manifolds on it there not headers. The only exhaust manifold I found that would fit was off of a falcon.

100_1807 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

100_1808 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

100_1812 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

On the passenger side you are only limited if you keep the battery box there, a full sized starter worked fine.

This is a good site for looking at exhaust manifolds.

Exhaust Manifolds

Then I got my headers fit and the test fit worked perfect. I waited till my friend that owns the local muffler shop was having a very slow week and I took the 52 up there for work. We leveled everything up, checked drive shaft angles, trans angle and engine angles and clearances. It all checked out. So we welded the brackets and shims on the trans bracket into place. Then installed the headers, noticed I needed a different starter. About 30 minutes later on google found out it was the 94-95 mustang starter I needed, got it and installed it. Then had him run the 2.5" exhaust to the mufflers. He didn't want to go any further till we go the pickup bed back on.


100_2065 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

100_2057 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

IMAG0439 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

IMAG0437 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

IMAG0443 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

IMAG0444 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr


If you need some shots of where I have everything now I can take some fresh shots of it if you need it. I am to the point now I can get tags on it and drive mine but have a few more things I want to finish up first.

 

Oh yea, I am using the dual hump oil pan, but a rear sump will work as well.

On the radiator I used these guys.

ALUMINUM RADIATORS - FORD - PICKUP - 1942-1952 - Oscar's Radiators

They have two different ones one for a Chevy engine and one for a ford engine. Even if you don't use a Chevy engine it could come in handy depending if you have a water pump set up that exits on the passenger side. Mine was driver side so I just got the ford one, the location on the top is also different but it doesn't matter that much.

One thing I had to go looking for was a 90 deg up water neck. The angled one was too much for a hose. The 90 deg up one worked perfect.

 

[QUOTE=gogoat;15728347]I'm installing a 302 Ford w/AOD in my 49 F1. What headers will fit this combo?
Also need to buy or fabricate motor and tranny mounts.Anyone been down this road? Also is there a way to combine new and old drive shafts with universal joints ?[/QUOTE

I removed and relocated the ori



ginal transmission farther back in the frame and modified it a little bit. I made spacers to compensate for the extra width between the frame rails.

 

What would be a good shifter for the AOD?

 

Lots of options. Do you want a performance style shifter? or a old style long arm shifter?

 

Not sure which style.like to look at both.

 

Lets start with the old style shifters. They are made for several different style automatics. you can get them with different length handles also. From short to long or even swan neck lawn. It makes it appear you still have the manual from a glance.

The ones like this on the top of my head are Gennie shifter, Lokar and american shifter and the B & M unimatic.

The Gennie and Lokar are good units. The Gennie you have to push the shift lever to the side some to make it move, you push a button on the Lokar. The Gennie you can have any shift **** you want on the Lokar you are limited. Both of these have several mounting options but bolt to the transmission. One thing to look out for on the Lokar is they have there own shift arm. Not all transmissions I believe but ones like my FMX it would of required me dropping the pan and valve body to install it.

B & M unimatic has the flat side like a old school 4 speed shifter with a T handle. This shifter bolts to the floor not the trans. I haven't personally used this one. I read it doesn't have a positive reverse lock out. But you can make one with a file and it will work.

American shifter. Don't let the name fool you, it's not american made. Very few positive reviews on them. I haven't personally used them. They are push button but have a conversion for them to be side shift.

These are pictures of the 16" Gennie I have in my truck now. That is the stock bench seat.

20151024_123535 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20151024_123540 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr


On the other hand you can use also performance ratchet shifters. These come in lots of styles and shapes. Your biggest decision with these will be leave them low on the floor or mount them on a console to be higher.

( I know I hated the B & M Z gate shifter I had in my 55 chevy, but it has been replaced with a starshifter now and it works great. The Z gate has a funky shift getting it into to low to ratchet shift it. The Starshifter works like every OEM floor shifter, but then you can lift the pin while it's in low and it will ratchet shift from 1,2 to 3rd.)

Then there is the tried and true column shift. Stock and aftermarket units. In chrome or stainless if you want it.

 

When you move the trany cross member back what do you do about the brake master cylinder?

 

On mine I had cut the original cross member middle out. Removed the part on the passenger side and kept the driver side for the brake under the floor hook up. I used a universal tubular cross member for the trans. On the disk brake mounting hold I used a 3 bolt to 2 bolt disk brake master cylinder adapter.

IMAG0446 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

IMAG0445 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

On this adapter I had to get longer bolts (black ones) I got them the same fine thread with Allen head. The frame isn't threaded so you will need fine threaded nuts as well. The push rod had to be added too in in length as well.

http://www.honestcharley.com/hot-rod...olt-39-40.html

Then at first I used a 7/8" bore diameter master cylinder from a late 80's T bird (turned out part of it was bad, but that was fine as when I did the math with the size of my front calipers it was undersized for my application anyway), then I went with a 1-1/4" from a F250.

If I had to do it again I would just mod my original cross member to fit the trans with out cutting it out. Most likely cut it down. Weld that hole up then make a extension from the original cross member.

I have manual disk brakes under the cab in the original location. The seem to be stopping good, but have yet to take them out on the road and try a couple of panic stops at 55 mph. If they fail that I will be swapping to a firewall mounted power boosted disk set up. Just remember you have to do a little bracing to the fire wall because the original firewall wasn't made to be used like that.


They also make kits if you remove the original cross member to put a master under the floor with a brake booster.

For Example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300802501077?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true
But make sure it won't hit your new cross member if you go that way, it stick out longer and moves the fill up hole to under the seat. May want to consider a remote fill cap.