Im sure there are hundreds of these threads already, but I have some specific questions so I figured I’d start another. Any help will be great. have a 94 F250 460 fwd. it has an e40d. Shifts real hard, and I hate auto, so I decided I want to manual swap it. I picked up a donor and brought it home about 5 hours. It has a 460, and a zf5 with 4wd transfer case. It is a 1989 f350. The truck is in really rough shape, except for the drive train that was rebuilt. Trans, t case, and motor have under 10k on each.

will the clutch pedal off the brick mount onto my obs? Or will I need to pull from an obs? Will the master and slave cylinder mount from the brick to the obs? And how difficult is it to run that whole system. Also, is it necessary that I get a manual steering column? As I have an 89, I do not want to put that column in my obs.

Im aware that I will need different length drive shafts, and that is not an issue. It’s the technical stuff that gets me worried. Will the clutch, and flywheel mount on to my current 460? I think it should but you guys know better than me. If I do need to buy a new one, do I get it for an 89, or a 94? Or shouldn’t it matter.

now, pcm, and wiring harnesses. This truck is in pretty rough shape. I’m not sure what wiring harnesses/pcm is even salvageable. Is it possible to use the auto trucks wiring completley? I read on here that there is a slightly different fueling pattern from standard to auto. I had ecm issues right after I bought the truck and I would rather not touch that if possible. Truck does not have cruise, or anything fancy because it is an xl. Will reverse lights be an issue?

sorry for that large rant. I am 18, and trying to tackle this with very limited knowledge. I can turn a wrench, and I can get help if needed. From day 1 of having this truck it has been my goal to throw a zf in there. But I want to do it right. I’m not scared to spend some money rather than Jerry rigging it up.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

Also, it has to be a zf5 Correct? It’s for sure a 5 speed, but didn’t know if any other options were available.

 

It is an “e 4 oh d” which is the abbreviation for Electronic 4 speed Overdrive. Why does the transmission shift so hard? That transmission is computer controlled so is there something wrong causing it to do that? Have you tried performing the Key On Engine Off (KOEO) self test to see if there are fault codes?

By fwd you meant the ‘94 is also four wheel drive? It is my understanding that the pedals are different for the two body styles so you would need one for your truck. You could look up the parts on RockAuto to see if the hydraulic clutch part numbers are same for those two years. Make sure you install a pilot bearing before installing the clutch. I wouldn’t even consider reusing the clutch assembly from the donor vehicle.

You reuse all the wiring on the ‘94. According to what I have read, you put the MLPS in neutral so you can start the truck.

Yes. The only manual transmission from the factory behind a 460 would be a ZF5.

 

Thanks for the info. Hydraulics and wiring confuse me a little Since I will be sourcing a new clutch pedal from an obs, is there any reason I wouldn’t be able to use a 94 master/slave? The only thing 89 on the truck will be the trans and case. I assume the slave will still be external? I did not get a chance to check my donor out much yet.

 

Part numbers are different on rock auto. And yes my trans has been looked at several times. And it kicks up and down and about throws you through the dash every shift. Since I need a new one, zf5 is way to go for me.

 

Since the part numbers are different you probably will need to get parts for a ‘94. I don’t know about the slave cylinder. The one on my ZF5 is internal but it is behind a 351W.

It sounds like an electrical problem causing it to revert to full line pressure. You don’t want the auto so trying to figure out why it behaving that way is wasting our time and yours.

 

The main thing I’m scared about it the whole wiring harness thing. I understand how to wire it all to work with an auto pcm. But I keep seeing that there will be issues with running properly due to different fueling pattern. If you guys don’t think there will be a problem, I’m not gonna worry about jt

 

Don't worry about fueling "strategies". There certainly are differences, but they are not fatal or will make the truck undriveable.

You seem to have your head on straight & have a plan. That's more than many.

You should get plenty tech support.

Start a build thread when you're ready to go.

Hopefully some one can tell you if the 89 pedal hanger can can go in the 94 & what else is a straight swap.

 

Well, I try. I think I worry too much though. This truck has the main things I need, but there is so many little things and so many wiring harnesses and I don’t even know how to route a master cylinder. But like you said, I’m sure someone will be able to help. I have the whole interior stripped, and the transmission is ready to drop. But I want to get my daily car inspected before getting into it too heavily.

 

89 steering column/pedal support will not fit in the 94 trucks. Your going to need a 92 to 96 column/pedal for manual installed in place of the 94's one.

 

Thanks! I’ll head to the local u pull it and see what I come up with

 

I've done a couple of these manual swaps. The wiring can be as rock simple or as complicated as you want it to be. If you feel the need to have all proper harnesses swapped over, with the proper ecm... that's fine.

But I'm here to tell you, you don't need to over think it! You can keep your automatic harness and ecm. Just make sure you click the selector (transmission side) into neutral, and zip tie it up out of the way. Then, zip tie the internal mechanism of the steering column shifter into neutral. The truck will work just fine. No fault codes, no issues. I have over 100k miles on the conversion done to my '92 F-350. The computer doesn't care. These were the early days of automotive computer technology. The truck will just think its sitting in a parking lot, with you occasionally revving it up... lol

 

Awesome, That was very helpful.

thanks.

 

If you have any other questions, I'll gladly help. Its a very simple swap. Especially on a '94 like yours. '96/'97 trucks had a few different quirks that made the conversion a bit more difficult, but it could still be done easily enough.

 

Thanks! I’m gonna figure this out one way or another. Save the manuals + big blocks lol. One thing I keep reading is some issues with the Speedo hole on the trans. I’m gonna be honest I know nothing about that. Will it even apply to my swap? Will it cause any issues? It would be nice to have a working speedometer.