Im building my 79 F250 4x4 and would like to have a 5-speed transmission in it. Are there conversion kits out there for hydraulic clutch? I've heard that all of Ford's tailshafts are identical, which would allow me to use my transfer case i have now. Is this true? Has anyone here done this conversion? What problems did you encounter, if any?(ha ha ha) I dont want a bunch of people telling me I cant do it, or it wont help anything. Im looking for experienced advice please. Thanks in advance. Jake

 

well I have done this swap and it is one of the best things I have done for my truck, I have a 460 and used a ZF 5 speed out of a '89 f-350 4x4. Yes it bolts up to the np205 just fine, you do have to grind on the ZF case to allow clearance for a shift rail. I also had to move the trans mount back a couple inches if I recall correctly, I also had to cut a hole in the floor hump in a different spot so I used one from an automatic. I used a L&L flywheel and had it custom drilled for a 12 1/4 inch clutch out of an 89 f-350, and I used the mechanical linkage, the only thing I had to do was weld the outer end of the 4-speed fork onto the inner part of the 5-speed fork and use a custom length pushrod from the bellcrank.

 

so you are saying you did away with the hydraulic clutch? also, what year did the 5-speed manual 4x4 debut? what exactly is the advantage of the ZF?

 

yes, no more hydraulic clutch on mine, a couple guys on here converted theirs to hydraulic, so it can be done if you wanted to go that route. I think the first 5-speed for big blocks was the ZF in 1988 (don't quote me on that one) and I think you can use one up until 1997. The advantage of the ZF 5-speed is that every gear is synchronized (unlike the 4 speeds of the '70s where creeper was not synchronized) plus you have overdrive, and the shift pattern is much smaller and tighter than the old 4 speeds.

 

Im gathering from what your saying that the 5-speed does not have a bolt on bell housing like the 4-speeds? I also have a 460, and I have a brand new clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel for it. Will I be able to use these things on a ZF 5-speed?

 

the ZF has an integral bellhousing yes, not sure what flywheel and clutch you have, but I know the input shaft is different on the ZF so you will at least need a different clutch disc. Here are some older threads that talk more about the install......

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...rans-swap.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...rans-swap.html

here is a users gallery with pics.........
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=22732

 

What about us with 360/390s? The 460 had a different bellhousing, right? So the ZF wouln't work.

 

thats correct, I do not know of a 5 speed swap for the FE engines

 

Some more info for anyone else considering the ZF swap:

With the 460 you can go either hydraulic or mechanical clutch, since it's external cylinder. With small block, you MUST go hydraulic because it's a concentric slave cylinder. Here's one guy's conversion: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=11298

For a 4x4, any year of ZF will work, 88-97 as got-sand says, because the speedo cable is in the transfer case. With a 2wd, the speedo cable is in the trans only up to 92 or 93. After that they used an electronic sender from the rear axle.

I think mando already has enough info to complete his swap. One of these years I'll get around to mine. I've been planning and gathering parts for over 4 years now...