Was wondering if anyone has done a swap from a 3 speed column shift to an automatic? And what automatic would be interchangeable? And does the drive shaft need to be modified?

 

Stop, before you ruin your truck by making it an automatic, give it some more consideration. Not only are you decreasing it in value by causing the numbers not to match, automatics are inferior to manuals in every way, especially where trucks and utility vehicles are concerned. If you'd rather not have the 3 speed column shift at least consider converting it to the floor or swapping in a 4 or 5 speed instead. I mean it's your truck, do what you want but I think you'd be making a terrible mistake converting it to an automatic.

 

I don't think converting to automatic decreases the value of any truck. These trucks aren't really worth a whole lot of money anyway (compared to a similar year muscle car).
Usually the customs with more modern upgrades (done correctly) bring more money on the open market.
custom cabby, you didn't specify what engine you're running in your '68 F100. If you've got a six or a 289/302 you can run a C4 or C5. If you've got the FE series engine family you're limited to a C6, which is almost indestructible. Either way it is a straight bolt-in set up. You'll obviously need to swap out the steering column, also. (Column must be matched to steering box type).

 

I did this swap, going from a 352/3-speed to a 460/C6. The automatic upgrade is just that - an upgrade. Unless you are restoring the truck to concours competition, the swap is of no consequence either way.
Ford didn't use matching numbers on the trucks. The closest you can get is casting date codes, and those are not precise either to any particular truck.

You'll need to consider in advance which transmission type to use - specifically, the output shaft. Some came with a slip joint in the tail, and some have a bolt-on yoke, which requires a slip joint somewhere in the driveline.

Your concerns will be, to add to instig8tr's remarks:
Steering column - you can use one from '67 - '79, and it needs to be for the type of steering you have, whether power or manual;
Shift linkages - You need a transmission from a truck not a car, OR, you can use a car transmission if you replace the internal shift rod with a truck one (easy to do, not always easy to find);
Driveshaft - depends on what setup you have now. If you have a 2 piece driveshaft, you can use either type of output shaft, but if you have a 1 piece (as found in the short beds) then you need to use the slip joint output shaft only. You most likely will need to alter the driveshaft.
Cooling lines and cooler - you can use an aftermarket cooler, you don't have to have one in the radiator.

Obviously, if you use parts from a '67 - '72 it will be a bolt on upgrade.

Again, we need more information to help you out here:

Year truck?
Long bed or short bed?
Engine size and type?

 

The_Archiprelate Welcome to FTE The nations truck stop.
You are perfectly welcome to your opinion, but you are out of your tree. There is no basis to your comments at all. Darn a full grown Ford truck that can't shift it's own gears. My Opinion

John

 

Well and you are also entitled to your opinion but I say dang any truck that tries to over extend itself by shifting its own gears. I don't care how advanced the tranny is, even the new electronically controlled ones with onboard computers etc. I haven't met an automatic tranny yet that can shift gears the way and experienced driver can, especially when it comes to towing/hauling heavy loads. In fact, if I had to have an auto tranny it would probably be one of the old clunky mechanically controlled units because they have more charecter and soul and are relatively stout.

 

Oh and by the way, if ford didn't use matching numbers on the trucks then they quit in later years because both my 63 f-100 and 62 parts truck have numbers in the vin code that correspond to engine, tranny, rear end, and rear end gearing, even interior and exterior color. This was ofcourse before they went to the current standard of 16 digits in the vin but none-the-less, it's there.

 

My 68 swb has a 360. I guess I would not mind getting the shifter on the floor, just can't stand the column shift. If I were to go that route and put it on the floor what kind of steps do I need to do that? And do I still need to swap out the column?

 

You don't need to swap out the column to have a floor shift. I would recommend at least taking the shifter handle off, though.
I have swapped back and forth between auto and manual on a couple vehicles, it's really all about personal preference and application. I removed a worn-out NP435 from an 84 F250 to put in a fresh c6 auto, and loved it. Of course, that truck saw a bit of trail time, and a lot of hauling in hilly areas, so the automatic made driving it a lot more enjoyable. I am amassing parts to swap out the c4 in my 69 in favor of a ZF 5speed, but that truck is going to be a highway hauler and desperately needs the overdrive.
A c6 auto would be a good swap in that truck, the 3speed manual had a pretty tall first gear and wasn't very friendly in traffic or hauling. If you can find a c6 for a similarly equipped truck in the junkyard, grab that and the front half of the driveshaft. Rebuild the tranny, have a new center support bearing pressed onto the driveshaft, and you'll be set to go.
Don't forget small parts like a tranny cooler (I would also use a remote mount oil filter as an auxillary filter in the cooler line), kickdown linkage, and either a floor shifter or a column and linkage to control the tranny.

I do want to take a moment here to remind everyone here that while we do all have different opinions, there are many tactful ways to present your opinions without offending others. Different people have different ways of doing things, and different results desired, so please respect that.

 

I misunderstood what you meant by matching numbers.
I do agree, if you change anything the Warranty Plate refers to, yes, you will no longer have a matching Warranty Plate. However, it is possible to get a licensed copy of a new Warranty Plate with the correct codes for the changes that have been made.

The term "matching numbers" to me meant what the concours guys look for. On some vehicles, especially high value or low production runs, manufacturers (GM, Ford, Chrysler) would put the car VIN on the engine block and transmission. On these kinds of cars,yes, changing the components is a no-no, as it lowers any collectibility for the car.

This type of mtching numbers was never used on the trucks, as far as I know, even on the 427 drag trucks Ford built in the early '60s.

 

I went 843K mile with a 69 F250 Flareside 435 in the S.F. bay area traffic, glad I reinstalled that motor in the 68 CS C-6 as clutching in stop and go got old every day over the years. If your a gypsy zig zaging across the US pulling 5th wheel a stick box would work out better. On the 435 jumping on it cost me many rebuilds as the stick would ail and fail under the punishment I dished out vs and automatic that has survived, If you must stir the stick get a sports car I say.
In drag racing the automatic has become quicker than a stick box unless your into the Pro Stock class. Sounds like the death to him should he have to drive an automatic, to each his own.
One good thing about a stick box, it will talk to you for many miles when it's ailing before it fails vs a automatic. Both are easy to rebuild yourself with the right equipment, tools and time.
If it's fuel mileage of a stick vs auto a Bump Sides isn't you maximum mileage truck to begin with. JMO's
.....=o&o>.....

 

I see where you're coming from but either you had a poorly built standard trans or perhaps you weren't driving it correctly because a well built manual trans should last the life of the vehicle or at least half of it (and by half I mean several hundred thousand miles). Lots of people hat clutching in traffic but the way I look at it , I just hate traffic. I figure clutching and shifting at least I have something to do. Anyway, that's just me.

 

Factory NP435, I believe it had gotten salt water in it at some point before I got it. The input, pocket, and front counter bearings had all gone away, and the input gear was worn round front to rear.
Again, not everybody wants the same things out of their vehicle, and our job is to give them good advice to do what they want to do.
If somebody's asking how to fit a 2.8v6 into an F350, that's another matter.

 

With a standard spec built 435 it would last under 2K miles, modified with my clearances and tricks besides 11 ball over 7 ball rear bearing it would last 25K at best. Hell a 435 is rated at only 327 ft/lbs torque, when you hotrod speed shift (yes modifed to speed shift it) it will still fail in time. Look at the design, taper bearing bucking a ball bearing POS design. Rebuilt half a$$ wrong I don't think so as a brand new box wouldn't last how I wanted to street drag race it unless I modified it, had a brand new one given to me. To have a box last half as long as the trucks life in mileage well I ran it 843K, new owner at 920K plus it needed to be rebuilt many times and again under easy shifting with new owner. With a machine shop background and a licensed A&P I might know a thing or two about pushing the limits of machinery while running over 500 ft/lbs tq.
Now if your talking about a REAL MANUAL TRANSMISSIOM like a TKO 600 with OD then were on the same page unless you idle around town with your stick box. Not to get into a pissing war, JMO's on what works and breaks.

.....=o&o>.....

 

Those are good points beemer, and I don't disagree with you there but when it comes to heavy duty, I say to xxxx with the 435. For heavy hauling and towing get yourself a T-18 or T-19 borgwarner or a good Saginaw 3 or 4-speed and it'll last you forever. The Borgwarners especially are bulletproof. xxxx, borgwarner also offered some heavy duty 3 speeds for Ford like the T-86 that were pretty indestructible and good by had with the old auxilary overdrive. On that same token, a got T-10 or Super T-10 borgwarner can pretty much take anything you throw at it and smile in your face when it comes to racing. Same goes for something like an M-21 or M-22 Muncie dubbed "the rockcrusher" or the M-20 if you're looking for taller gears. And yes as far as overdrive goes, the TKO is also an extremely stout trans. And you're correct, to each their own and I don't mean to be insulting or to be suggesting that you're a moron to swap to an automatic. I just think it's a shame but then I'm a diehard for a standard in any vehicle so I suppose that biases me some. As far as automatic transmissions go though the C6 is deffinetly a stout trans. For someone looking to back up a small V-8 or a 6 I would suggest the FMX instead. It's stronger than a C4 but not as massive and power robbing as a C6 that was really intended for heavier duty applications, higher ouput motors and big blocks. My understanding is that the FMX is a good compromise between the C4 and the C6.