When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've recently picked up a Cali 62 F250. Pretty stock bare bones 292 2V auto but in decent shape with a crapy paint job. Ready to get going. I'm in Texas and need A/C ASAP but first gotta get the heat out of the engine bay (flowing through the firewall everywhere! lol) and address the 4.56 rearend with HD- cruise-amitic. Can't do highway speed for very long without overheating. I'd like to keep the y-block just because I think it's cool and I'm going for the vintage shop truck vibe in honor of my paw paw.
Question is, swap rear gear or tranny (thinking cheap junk yard T5 w OD)? Or both? Figure I need to get RPM's down to around 2k @ 70mph. Thoughts?
Welcome to FTE!
I would say the first thing is to figure out why it's overheating, it shouldn't do that.
Changing the rear is going to be a lot cheaper than putting a transmission with OD in there, since it will take some expensive adapters to accomplish that.
I think you need to set your RPM sights a little higher these old engines weren't designed to lug along like modern engines. It won't hurt it to turn up a little. Otherwise, you will be down shifting every time you see a hill coming.
Welcome to FTE!
I would say the first thing is to figure out why it's overheating, it shouldn't do that.
Changing the rear is going to be a lot cheaper than putting a transmission with OD in there, since it will take some expensive adapters to accomplish that.
I think you need to set your RPM sights a little higher these old engines weren't designed to lug along like modern engines. It won't hurt it to turn up a little. Otherwise, you will be down shifting every time you see a hill coming.
Thanks for the response Crop Duster.
t's not overheating per say, but after a couple of hours of driving at 70mph which currently equals about 3500rpm she is hot. Not boiling over, just starting to clang and putter. I probably do need to flush and clean the coolant system though.
Good point re downshifting at the site of hill. I think this thing is rated at about 135hp. lol. I'll be increasing that in short order but the best I can hope for is probably in the 200 range.
Looks like I'd have to go from 4.56 to a 3.54 just to get to roughly 2700rpm. You think it would run happy at that? I worry about power with the lower gear is why I was entertaining the trans swap. You are absolutely right about the cost difference of gear vs Tranny swap. Even the junk yard route.
Anybody else had any success with just a gear swap?
Thanks much.
3:54 would probably be a good happy medium. You would be low enough geared to get moving without hurting the clutch but still under 3000 rpm at speed.
I have a 3:70 rear gear and turn around 2800 rpm at 70 with the tires I have. I don't worry about it, back in the 60's and 70's they all were like that.
Here is a place that has the parts to make that old "Y" block sing. FORD Y (ford-y-block.com)
Thanks much for the advice Crop Duster. I think you have convinced me. I'm going to order that gear today. You may have just saved me 100's of dollars! If it doesn't work it's always a good excuse to upgrade something.
Once I get it mechanically sound I'm going to tackle the lowering piece. Axle flip, c-notch and a crown vic front end swap is what I'm currently thinking. Any tips on lowering?
Also thanks much for the link. I have been struggling to find vendors that cater to y-blocks and unibody's. You are spot on. Glad I joined this forum.
Don't know a thing about lowering. I like them stock height that way a can drive over roadkill and pine stumps without worrying. Do an advanced search plenty of lowered trucks around.
I've done the rear swap twice on my 61 F250. The original 5.13 rear started leaking, so in went a 1967 with a 3.73 gear. Then two years after, when the Y block rolled the cam bearings, I repowered and swapped to a 3.08 rear... A rear swap is a 1 day job, if you have everything needed for the swap...
Nice Truck! I have a couple 62's and a 64 F250. On the 64, I am swapping the rear end from the stock 4.56 to a 3.73. Should be a good middle ground for towing and freeway speeds. On my 62 F100 I am doing a T5 behind the Y Block and keeping the 3.73 Dana 44 it came with. I am lowering that one about 5" all around. I opted not to flip the axle. Just doing hangars and shackles and 3" lowering springs from Posies. I have installed a front drop axle from Sid Drapal at www.droppedaxles.com He has everything you need to do the lowering. Personally I don't like how the CV swap widens the track and limits the original type wheel choices. If I were going to ditch the straight axle I would go to a Jag front end.... I think it is a more elegant swap. For now, I'm keeping the straight axle and staying old school on that. If you keep the straight axle and 250 hubs TSM Mfg in CO has a nice kit. https://www.tsmmfg.net
1964 F250 TSM Disc kit w/Wilwood MC
62 F100 dropped 5" on Sid Drapals products... before and after, still a work in progress
My 62 F250... It will have to wait until the F100 is done!
Awesome, thanks much 7bercmerc. Very helpful. My target was 8" max. I'm not willing to cut into the bed just yet. I still want to use it as a truck. I will likely bag it just so I can adjust ride height. You hit on something I'm really struggling with. I want it lower but not willing to lose my F250 8 lug original wheels so the whole front-end plan is still up in the air. Thanks for the links. If I can find a drop axle it really solves a few issues I'm facing. I prefer to modify using traditional methods when possible and I didn't realize the crown vic swap was a different track. Wider I assume. I don't like that and getting that front end to mate with my 250 8lug rims is proving a challenge. Thanks for the pics and advice. Keep em' rollin!
Re the rear end. I'm going with the T5 first then rear gear. I love a manual and want to see how it rides with OD before I decide on gear swap. I think you've probably got it right at 3.73. When I pull the motor to do the trans swap I'll rebuild it for more horsepower/torque and see how the setup goes. Please keep these ideas coming, I really appreciate it.
Sid Drapal will drop your existing axle or if you can catch him at one of the shows they attend he will exchange yours there. He also sells the TSM brake kits and all of the rear lowering components etc. Worth a call, he's a great guy.
I had John Mummert in El Cajon CA rebore my 4 Spd bell to accept the T5 properly. It depends on what year T5 you use, but MDL (Modern Driveline) does adapter plates to do the same. Im going with a hydraulic clutch as my power steering setup interferes with the factory Z Bar.
86 Mustang GT WC T5, 4 Spd bell housing 68 Dana 60 with 3.73 gears and TSM brakes
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
Trans swap vs Gear swap
