I am hoping that one of you super knowledgable folks can help me figure out what I need to do.

Here is my sistuation:

I own a 1966 fleetside longbed with a 300 six cylinder and common ford 3 speed (shifter on the column) I currently have 2.73 gears in the back, which makes for fairly reasonable highway driving. The problem however is two fold. One is that on hills, it is a miricle if I have enough power to take off. This has often led to smoking the clutch and some scary roll back situations. The second part of my problem is that the transmission is getting pretty worn out. It will pop out of gear and there is float/coast/accelleration clunks that cause the shifter to move up and down. Something in the transmission is worn out.

So my questions are as follows:

1. Are some of my take off problems potentially due to the condition of the transmission? If I rebuild it will I miraculously have some new power that was hidden before due to the wear? My guess is no, not really because initially the truck probably had 3.73 gears in the back and then the combo had plenty of kick off the line.

2. So say I decide that the benefits of putting in a 4 speed with a granny low (6:1) this would eliviate my up hill take off problem, but still leave me with pretty good highway performance, what is the right 4 speed trans for me?

I have read a lot of posts and there seem to be 3 that I think would work: np435, t-18, or t-19. So what would be the best choice based on the following: How much fabrication of things like drive shafts, new cross-members. Will these trannies just bolt right up to my bell housing?


I will leave it at that and hopefully one of you has done something like this before. Thanks a head of time for your help, please e-mail me personally as well as post in the group.

thanks,

mike salmon
mesalmon@eos.ncsu.edu

 

Mike you may have a bad syncronizers or a worn tranny, but your take off problems are in the rear gear. That truck came with a 3.75 gear. You might get by with a 3.50 but a 2.75 is gonna suck all of the life out of you clutch with that little engine. I can tell by your e-address that you are in the engineering school in Raleigh. I may have a used 3 spd on the floor of my shop in Durham if you are interested.

You may also find my bottom link interesting.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/jowilker/USFlag.gif
John

jowilker
[link:www.ford-trucks.net/users/jowilker|Club FTE since 01 01] My FTE Page

[link:www.ford-trucks.net/users/jowilker/NCFTE.html|NC Truck Owners] NC Ford Truck owners group

66F100s Rule
In the cool still quiet of night you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I have a '66 with a 300 in 6, three on the tree plus overdrive. It came with a 3.70:1 9inch back in '66 and still has it. Works great and gets 18+ MPG and will climb or start on any hill. I would think that a 3sd overdrive would be easier to install than a 4 speed. Then put the old gears back in. Herman

 

Herman, Are you sure the OD is working, I hear of guys getting about the same without. Finding one may be a little tricky also, there aren't a lot of them laying around.

Mike what kind of mpg are you getting after you get your truck rolling?
http://www.clubfte.com/users/jowilker/USFlag.gif
John

jowilker
[link:www.ford-trucks.net/users/jowilker|Club FTE since 01 01] My FTE Page

[link:www.ford-trucks.net/users/jowilker/NCFTE.html|NC Truck Owners] NC Ford Truck owners group

66F100s Rule
In the cool still quiet of night you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

Yes I know the OD is working. One of the things I like the best about it is; after you get started in first, you don't need the clutch anymore until you are over 27 MPH, when the OD kicks in. By then I'm in 3rd and don't need to shift any more. Just let up on the gas and click, the RPMs drop like a rock. Herman

 

 

I did this swap on a '73. It was a bolt in swap, with one minor exception. I had to heat the carrier bearing mount and move it forward about 1/2". Don't forget to get the transmission hump that goes with the 4 speed. it actually is a raised floor pan that goes over the existing tranny hump that allows for the taller 4 speed setup.


Trail Rider

 

Herman,

Is that a Borg-Warner OD? I've read about those. I've got a 3 spd with column shift on my '63. I'd like to get my hands on an OD unit.