I am in the process of putting together a 1951 1/2 ton chassis but I have installed the crossmember out of an F-2 or F-3 so I could use the heavier 4 speed transmission with the rear mounted e-brake. Is it possible to use the T-98 syncro trans. in this setup? Did they come with the round mounting face that bolts to the round adapter that bolts to my inline 215 (i think) 6? Right now I have the un-syncronized 59-T trans. which seems to be the most popular one, since that is all I can find around here.

 

Well, I'll tell ya what I know. In my first '48 street rod project (now on hold), I set a 400 Ford engine in with a 1986 f250 2wd T18 (similar to the T98) and the trans mount lined up center on the crossmember. I've swapped the F2 crossmember in, and will just need to shim and drill holes to bolt it in. The shifter needs bending (yours may not). The trans bell pattern is close (read my T5 thread) or maybe your T98 will work? That's about all I can say.

 

Maybe I should clarify--- What I'm looking for is a syncronized in 2nd,3rd,and4th trans that would bolt in a '51 F-3 using the original ohv 6, the original mounting location and the original clutch mechanisim. I was reading in another post that the larger F-series trucks in these years came with this trans, however having not seen one yet I don't know how they bolt up. Maybe it can't be done. Sorry if the original post was confusing.
havi, I know what you mean about the F-2 crossmember working with the later transmissions. In one of my other projects(also unfinished) I am installing a 460/C6 combination. The C6 mount fits right over the crossmember. I made my own front crossmember/motor mount out of one cut from a '63 Ford car. Works slick. Thanks for the input.

 

You'll want the F6 4 speed, then, or F7/F8 5 speed, (check for OD) Should bolt right in. Someone else may clarify this, though. What I was referring to was the adaptation done to mount newer trannies to the flathead bellhousing., and as long as the trans mount ends up in the same location, all is good.

 

The sychronized transmission is about an 1 1/2" longer than the non-synchronized transmission.





Other than that, I am fairly certain the F-4 through F-6 use the same frame mounting cross member as the F-2 and F-3, or at least very close. They do have a different transmission mount.

 

Bob, thanks for the pictures. I think the transmission I have is like the top one but with an e-brake drum on it. Is the one on the bottom a T-98 and if so does it have the round mounting face on it? If so that is the one I'm looking for. Near as I can tell the un syncros have reverse over to the right and back. The syncros have it over to the right and up. I went to the local boneyard around here Sunday (before all the snakes come out) and climbed over and under about six of the old Fords but to no avail, so the hunt continues.

 

You're correct about the shift patterns.

What are you referring to "round face"? The top tranny is out of a '49-50 F-2, the bottom one is out of a '52 F-6.

 

By "round face" I mean the part where you bolt it to the bellhousing, which in my case, is a ring that bolts to the inline 6. The "round face" could also be called the bellhousing I guess, because the transmission also bolts to it. It's the part that has the throwout arm shaft going through it. Looks like I'm looking for an F-6.

 

I have a bellhousing from a 54 f250 six cyl. to a t98 4 speed,free to a good home.I went to a 292 v8. hate to scrap these old parts. f250RED

 

Lowdog,

The tranny you're looking for came in F-4 through F-6, I have one in my '51 F-4.

 

Thanks for all the help, at least now I know what I'm looking for and that it will fit. I went out and checked my '51 F-4 that I just got and reverse is over and back so some one must have ordered it that way or changed it.

 

Hi Lowdog
Keep us posted, it looks as if all is going your
way
Take care

 

There's an elephant in the room that no one has asked about on this question. Why do you want to go with the four speed in a 1/2 ton truck? Most guys are trying to find a way to upgrade their rigs so they can get better speed and mileage out of their trucks. If you're swapping trannies I would go with a T-5 or the trans from a later model F-150 with O/D. The synchronized tranny won't help improve your ride other than getting rid of the double clutching. Am I missing something?

 

I just got back from the Tulsa Swap Meet and I have to go to work tonight at 6:00pm so I don't have time to answer,but Bob is right there is an elephant in the room on this one. Since you asked I will explain tomorrow after I get up. (I don't usually work these hours but my boss called as we were on our way back and told me we had a special project in Branson,nite work, too busy in the daytime. We work for MoDot and stripe the highways. Gotta go.)

 

Okay, here's the deal. About two years ago I bought a "stripdown" or "doodlebug" out of the local junkyard that a good friend of mine built in the late '70s. He died about 5 years ago. I wanted to re-do it as a tribute to him. When I got it, it was in pretty sad shape, but he had built it out of a '51 Ford F-1 so I knew I would have plenty of parts on hand to fix it. At first I was going to just get it running and play with it around the place. About the same time, my neighbor just down the road(we live out in the country) was putting together something along the same line, but Chevy truck based. He got his up in pretty good shape and last June he and another friend of ours drove it to the Swap Meet and Car Show in Pettit Jean, Arkansas. When they came back they threw down the gauntlet that I get mine in decent shape and go with them this year. This meant starting over because mine had a bent frame, bent front axle and was not roadworthy. It was running, and driving and had brakes but everything was worn out. So, I dug out a suitable '52 F-1 frame and stripped everything off of it. I had a certified welder take exactly 2 feet out of it which gives a wheelbase about 6'' longer than a Jeep. I installed two brand new rear springs,bushings,hangers and mounted a 9" out of a '70 F-100 with 3.25 gears, new seals, shocks, and brakes using the same wheel cylinders the '52 would have had. Up front new king pins, main leafs in the existing springs, all new spring bushings and hangers where needed,new shocks, new tie rod and tie rod ends, rebuilt the drag link and installed a new pitman arm, new brakes and wheel cyl., all drums have been turned. The steering box is being re-built by a place in Springfield that specializes in that. The engine is in good shape, the glass bowl Holley needs a kit. So now we are to the transmission. In order to one-up my neighbor, I want to use an original type 4 speed so I can mount a PTO and still use the original clutch linkage. The PTO is going to run a 110/220 generator. That is why I installed the F-2/3 crossmember. I really want to use the original type setup to keep the pedals where they are supposed to be, and to retain the new original type master cylinder and brake lines. In original stripdown form that wouldn't have been so important but after a lot of Saturday afternoon beer and B.S. sessions we have decided to take these babys on a major road trip west of the Mississippi when we retire (neighbor less than a year, me Sept. 2011) and rough it by camping out and taking back roads. Soooo, that means I want some body work on mine also. The Chebby is a '47 bus cowl mated directly to the bed and the roof is off of a Dodge Van, stationary home made windshield with one of those aftermarket electric windshield wipers. They have a 235/6 with a trigger 4 speed and an over/direct/under Brownlipe. Their chassis started out as a 1 1/2 ton but after thier trip to Arkansas they are taking out spring leaves and installing 1 ton axles. I have helped them work on it a lot and they help me when I need it but here is another place where I intend to one-up 'em. I too have a bus cowl (no windshield posts to cut off and look bad) off of a '51 or '52 US Army bus, the bus cowl uses the round guages but dosen't have the chrome strip over to the glove box and dosen't have the radio speaker grille. I am making a way to mount a narrowed down windshield that will fold down from a '67 Bronco with 2 vacuum wipers. I too will sit in the bed and the rear fenders should come up to just about where your elbow is. There will be no cab,I will have to sacrifice some old bed sides for doors. The seat is the rear one out of an Expidition. This buggy will be kind of like what a '52 Bronco might have looked like.
Even though it isn't going to resemble his old rig and not much of the original one is left we are still calling it by his nickname, Bones. Sorry this is such a long post. If I can figure out how to do it I will try to set up a gallery and post some pictures. Oh, and while in Tulsa, at the swap meet I ran into a guy with a '52 F-5. It had a SBC in it but otherwise nice truck, he said, as someone else did, that the mounts are different on the syncro transmissions and it sets too high. I have gone ahead and went through my trans. (new brake band, turned down the collar that mates to the rear seal and installed new gaskets and rear seal that matches the new size of the turned down collar,re-drilled to a little oversize and installed a new shifter pin and all new gaskets) and I will install it for now. As you can see, I'm trying to take care of anything that can go wrong mechanically so we can spend our time driving and not wrenching. Agian,sorry to ramble on.