Hey so I have a 1974 f100 with a 360 fe and a c6 transmission, I really like the truck but I wanna switch to a manual transmission. If you guys could give me some tips for buying and switching the trans id appreciate it. Also I’m 17 and I have just enough tools to fit in my truck box so if you guys could recommend some tools and such to make it easier I’d appreciate that as well.

 

I am a huge fan of the NP435 4 speed trans that came in them. Should be a direct bolt in affair for you.

Word of caution: NP435 is not an overdrive trans, it is geared quite low, and 1st gear is nearly useless unless you are pulling an extremely heavy load or crawling a steep hill. Shifting it is a bit of a chore, as rhier is almost a foot between gear changes. You can't speed shift an NP435.

However, it's an extremely strong, reliable, trans that takes a ton of abuse, (handles 500 horse power on 42 inch tires or several tons of stone in a dump truck with ease) and they can be found anywhere. They last hundreds of thousands of miles without any maintenance other than oil changes, and it's a direct fit (easy) fit into your truck.

If you are looking for overdrive 5th gear type of stick shift trans, it will be a much more involved, expensive difficult "swap", you will have to change to a hydraulic clutch set up and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting, lots of custom fabrication work involved. The newer 5 speed overdrive trans shift better, are more quiet in operation and save you a bunch of gas money with the overdrive, but first gear is not as low as the old NP trans and from my experience, not as strong as the old ones.

Best bet is to check out junkyards and classifieds like Craigslist and find an entire truck to remove everything you need in one shot (bell housing, trans, driveshaft, cross member, clutch pedal assembly and linkages, etc) rather than try to piece it together. Also, be prepared to cut out your transmission tunnel for the shifter and trans, you can source the trans tunnel cover from your junkyard donor.

other notes : To save time, money and frustration, Try to source your trans from a truck as close to your own as possible. Ford made something like 10 different clutch pedal assemblies between 73 and 79, and it's a bear to make everything work when you've got several different pedals to try to work with. If your truck is 2wd, get a trans from a 2wd truck. If your truck is half ton, get your donor parts from a half ton truck. If your truck is a long bed get your trans and associated parts from a long bed truck. The closer to your own vehicle the donor truck is, the easier the "swap" will go for you.

You will not need any special tools other than basic SAE standard sockets and wrenches 3/8 through 3/4 to swap in an old style trans. If you decide to use a newer 5 speed trans, you will need a bunch of metric tools, a few "torx" style, and metric 12 point sockets as well as a hydraulic bleeder kit, as well as fabricating a bunch of things, depending on which 5 speed you select.

Good luck

 

Ive never done the swap but you would also need the flywheel. I have also seen some swap the manual steering column in as well but not sure if that is a necessity.

 

Parts list: Transmission, clutch kit (clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing and crankshaft bushing) flywheel and matching starter, clutch/brake pedal assembly, "Z" bar, frame mount pivot, engine mount bracket and pivot, clutch rod, return springs, back up light switch and wiring, crossmember and trans mount, new speedometer gear, new driveshaft, trans tunnel cover from a stick shift truck. Plan on replacing "wear" parts like bushings, bearings, and seals as you re-assemble everything, this stuff is over 40 years old, there are always something worn out that you hadn't planned on. I've done the auto-to-manual swap on everything from musclecars to dump trucks, it's easy, but there are always surprises as well. Take it slowly, research as much as you can before you get started, document everything as you go along, don't get frustrated, and keep a few dollars aside for unforeseen problems and expenses,

Good luck

 

Have you driven a truck with an NP435 or T18 or even another make truck with a pickup truck manual transmission?

Does your truck drive and shift correctly now?

 

i have not driven a manual ford truck with the NP435 transmission, and my truck does shift just fine now. But i want a manual because i would like to make the truck a time period correct hot rod truck and i see a manual transmission being a part of that.

 

Have you decided what you are going to do with the engine? What kind of driving do you expect to do in it mostly? That might inform your transmission choice.

 

I'm in the process of researching / parts collecting for this swap. I've read that the speedometer was changed over to electric at some point in the 90s. I don't remember which year, possibly when they changed over to S5-47? Any insight on this? I'd like to be able to run my existing speedometer cable (understanding that I'll obviously have to change the gear.) I have a '77 4x4, if that makes any difference here.

EDIT: For clarification, I'm referencing a ZF5 trans swap.

 

There is a poster called sonny65 on the 61-66 section who wants to do the opposite. You could swap parts with him.