I've got a 78 f-150 300-6 2wd truck with a 3-speed column shift. I was wondering how I would go about putting a 4-speed onto it. Would I have to change bellhousings or would it just bolt up? Also which year trucks and which engines could I take the tranny off of?

 

Tony, What are you hoping to acomplish? If you are hoping for better gas milage,it won't change a thing because until you go to an overdrive tranny, they all have a 1 to 1 output ratio. If you just gotta swap one more gear every time you start off then a top loader should bolt right up. You may have to have the length of your driveshaft changed. If you got the coins, be happy and go for it. :-)
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All I'm trying to figure out is if I'm able to put a 4speed in and what I'd have to do in order to put it in. What factors come into play?

bellhouseing
tranny off small/big block
driveshaft
motor size
year
etc

 

If you stick w/ the transmission's of the era, then your bellhousing should be fine. The stock choices besides your 3sp are two varieties of Granny low 4sp that would add a granny gear to what you have and a floor shifter. One is the NP 435, the other the BorgWarner T18 or T19. The other option is the 3sp+OD that came out in Ford Trucks in 78. I have both. I have a T18 I just had installed in my 76. And I have the OD that I pulled out of my 79. Both had the same length/diameter/spline count on the input shaft. Both had the same tranny-bellhousing bolt pattern. The output and drivelines differered between the two. The O/D tranny had a one piece driveline w/ slipyoke directly into the back of the tailshaft. It also used a bigger U joint. The T18 I have has a U shaft for a Ujoint going to a two piece driveline. There might be tailshaft variations on the NP or Borg Warner trannies to acct for various use configurations. I'll tell you the big granny low trannies are very heavy and awkward to handle alone. The tranny support cross member and tranny mount seems to be the same for all of the Ford truck trannys I've seen, although you might have to move it forward or back along your frame. You may have a truck now that doesn't have a removable transmission access panel in the floorboard. My 76 was originally a 3 on the tree and didn't have a removable panel. Fear not. Find the right kind of panel you need (the granny low and overdrive have totally different shifter locations). My 76 floorboard although not cut out had the pattern of depressions stampted into it already, and I simply cut it out myself, and the removeable panels fit in like factory. The shifter on the Granny low 4 speeds go directly into the top of the transmission very forward and centered on the panel. The OD transmission I strongly suspect uses the same panel a 4X4 automatic uses for the transfer case shifter. I did find out the rubber boot for it is interchangable. In any case, it's shifter is an external one bolted to the tailshaft of the transmission and using short linkages to tabs on the side of the tranny very much like your three speed. I've also run across automatic trucks that had a tranny cover w/ no hole for a shifter. If you got one of those you could cut the hole where it needs to be. The overdrive was kind of nice (it was a .79:1 ratio) but the shift from 2nd to 3rd was a huge jump. These transmissions are called RUG for a casting # on it. It looks very similar to the 3 speed but has a bulge on the passenger side. Why do you want a 4 speed? The granny lows give you that trailer pulling ridiculously low 1st gear. The OD gives you a little better mileage. Both have shifters on the floor that interfere w/ haveing a third adult on the bench seat. The floor shifters probably shift faster than the column shifter (the one I had was impossible to shift from 1st to 2nd in a hurry). If it's better shifting you seek, maybe a good Hurst floor shifter is the answer. Don't go cheap here, I had a friend the had a cheap floor shifter he got with his truck, and replaced w/ a Hurst. The Hurst looked the same but is built from much stouter stock and really made a difference in his shifting. As far as back up lights, you'll have to patch in some different wires. The switch on your 3 speed is at the base of your column near your steering gear in the engine compartment. When you shift into R that particular 1st/R shift linkage depresses the Reverse light switch which connects the 12v in one wire to the wire that leads to the backup lights. The 3sp+OD works the same way w/ probably the same switch, only it's located at the rear of the shifter near the tail of the transmission under the truck. The Granny low 4speed trannies have a fitting in the top of the transmission just under the tranny access cover and behind the shift tower. I have yet to get the harness that plugs into mine. Between haveing my 3sp and my 4sp I had a C6 automatic and had hooked my backup lights connected to neutral safety switch. If you are looking for a true 4 speed then I think you need to explore the Mustang and other big 60s HotRod Ford 4speeds.


BBT

 

Thanks for the info. My problem is that I have gone through two 3-speeds since i've owned the truck in 97. Grant it, the second tranny was used and not rebuilt. The syncros went out in both of them, and since I'm not sure on how to rebuild a 3-speed, I was looking into the 4's. Living in alaska, it's hard to find 3-speeds. The last one I bought was $450.00 and that was used. I had to ship it from washington. 4speeds are alot more common up here and I dont want to pay the cost for another 3speed.

 

I'll ask you-BBT-I couldn't get anyboy else to reply to my question-----Will a t19 from a married t19\205 boltup to my 77f250 tallboy with a divoraced t19<>203---if i use my tailhousing ----I believe that it will , but I would rather not spend the money for a used\married t19 until i have a confirmation that it--will in fact--work in my situation---anyway thanks for your help---fordlover