My old T18 finally died a few weeks ago. It's amazing that it lasted as long as it did. When I bought the truck about four years ago, I pulled about a cup of metal chunks out through the drain hole. The PO probably never figured out that T18's aren't synchronized in 1st gear. It did just fine until recently when it started falling out of third gear, shifts were difficult, and I could feel a lot of deflection. So I called Novak. They got my new transmission to me in about 2 weeks. Just under $1600 shipped. Ouch.

I must say that I wish I had pulled the engine, then removed the transmission from the front. I never would have imagined that it would be such laborious and tedious task to pull the transfer case then remove the transmission. I've done it on newer 4wd trucks, and it wasn't near as difficult. The F150 cross member is a giant PIA! But I really needed to remove the transfer case anyway, so I could replace seeping seals and gaskets. Next time I'll let the damn transfer case leak! I can pull the engine and transmission out through then engine bay, by myself, in less than two hours.

So, yesterday I finally got it all buttoned up. I checked and rechecked everything, then went for a test drive. The transmission worked great. But I noticed the rear end was a tiny bit squirrely. Bad wheel/axle bearing. Dammit! Easy fix though. Now everything is fine. So glad I got Mantrucket back in service! Now I gotta get that nasty carport cleaned up.

Thanks to Rich for a couple of tips that made the job easier!

You can see that first and second gears are chewed up from improper shifting. Bearings and synchro's were bad too. Oddly, the shift fork pads were in excellent shape. Weird.

 

$600 transmission and a $1000 NOVAK side plate. lol Jk Or more like 300 trans and 300 in shipping....and a 1K side plate. lol jk X2 Looking good and you know it is always some kind of repair that leads to another.

At least you still got all you fingers and toes from wrestling that xfer case in and out. Now show off that exhaust you have that work with the headers and the crossmember.

 

Yep, that groovy side plate is awesome, and freed up at least 25 parasitic loss HP. But Novak DID NOT include a decal. Sumbiches!

The exhaust pipes are from a Hooker kit (decals included). The kit was made specifically for those headers and this truck. If I didn't have MIG and TIG welders, I'da been really angry, because the driver's side head pipe crossover was too long. But I just cut a section out and welded it up, which you can see in the pic. The kit came with over the axle, left and right tail pipes. But I decided to use a 2 in/2 out Magnaflow X pipe muffler, and exit just in front of the passenger side rear tire.

First two pics are old, from when I first installed the headers and exhaust pipes. Third pic is from this weekend, with new muffler. Same muffler as before, but I had to destroy the old one to remove the pipes, because I was stupid and used U bolt exhaust clamps. I'll use nothing but lap band clamps from now on. Btw, those are not to be confused with lap band surgery type clamps. I still have to fabricate exhaust hangers, but for now it's secured with stainless steel tie wire, which is like zip-ties that eat caviar.

 

That is looking good, but I know you drive that truck in the woods and on the farm. So I would rotate those lap band clamp together points (the bolts/brackets) to be on the top of the exhaust pipe. To better the chances of NOT catching on something.

 

Dammit! I was thinking that too, but it would be such a hassle to tighten them on the top. Thanks for getting my paranoia gene riled up. Jackaxe!

 

Hassle smassle... you will thank me later when you do not have to cut barb wire, tree vines, or get a log stuck on them and bend the bejeasus out of your exhaust system. You are very welcome.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right. Thank you "Mr. Conscience". I hope you go to bed tonight wondering if your hooch is sealed up against giant toe eating spiders.

 

No snakes, spiders ect... of any kind can get in my hooch, I vermin proofed it on move in day because I have food stocks in here too. And it is getting colder so they are looking for a warm place to get into at night.

We caught one of the worst vipers in country last year in a sticky mouse trap in an office. It came in the bldg, down the hall, in another door, around a wooden counter and then along a back wall and was 3' from a guy in a chair. Crazy.

I just hope your conscious lets you get to sleep tonight too. But did you tighten ALL the bolts on that trans......see I even got your transmission mentioned in the reply. Thread still on track.

 

i'm glad to see another person on this forum thinks this was difficult! i had never pulled a transfer case or transmission before i did mine this last year in my project F150 and i was like "holy crap, this is my first and last big vehicle build! i don't think i want to do this again" - glad to hear that maybe they're not all this bad!

 

Yeah, it was a task! But I'll do it again if needed. Again, next time I'll pull the engine, then pull the transmission out from the front.