I looked at a 61' f100 this week. It has a 292 Yblock and a 3 speed on the tree.
Nice little truck, ran great, but one thing stopped me from buying it:

Everytime you shift into 3rd it grinds. I don't think it is the clutch as it doesn't slip at all...Then sometimes when going into 2nd, it can't find any gear. When this happens, you have to go under the hood and manually put it back in nuetral and start over.

I am guessing both problems are linkage related, but not sure.

Any ideas about what it may be from the guys who have experience with these set-ups?...and/or how hard to make it right?

Thanks for your help....
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

i have a similar problem with my 3 speed but my 3 has a floor shifter conversion.my 3 grinds when i go from first to second or i try going back to 1 from 2nd.when i hear that grinding noise that tells me im still in gear.most likely u are havin linkage issues.hope this helps

 

Grinding 2nd & 3rd gears is related to the two 2nd-3rd brass syncronizer blocker rings, not the linkage.

When those two brass rings wear, any shift up/down between 2nd/3rd will result in the grinding problem y'all are having.

1961/62 F100/250's (and all the 1961/66 F100's with overdrive) do not have a fully syncronized 3 speed transmission.

To down shift from 2nd to 1st without grinding, you either have to learn to double clutch, or shift into first when stopped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Under the hood on the bottom of the steering column are two manual control selector levers, where the rods from the trans attach.

There are bushings/insulators in those levers, when they wear down, the shift lever will hang up between gears.

These bushings/insulators (sold only as a kit) are the same 1961/64, but are not the same parts as used 1965 and later (thru 1979).

The kit used 1961/64 is obsolete, the kit used 1965/79 (C5TZ7343A) is still available from Ford.

C3TZ7343A .. Bushing & Insulator Kit / Obsolete

Application: 1961/64 F100/350 w/a 3 speed manual transmission.

REPRODUCED: Dennis Carpenter has reproduced C3TZ7343A, has 1008 (that's right, 1008!) available: 704-786-8139.

 

The early 3 speed is different than the 65-66 version. In looking at the exploded view in my vintage MOTOR manual, it looks like a very easy trans to take apart for a novice. I would not be terribly afraid of replacing syncros in one. Or, finding another used one from a member here or at Slick 60s.org should not be difficult.

Bill, are there not also some problems with shifting when the collar on the upper shift column wears?

 

Ford introduced the Type 3.03 3 speed all syncromesh transmission in 1963 on F100/250's.

1967 was the first year this trans was available on F350's.

The Type 3.03 3 speed all syncromesh transmission was used thru 1996 with very few internal changes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The shift collar tends to break into two pieces internally.

The shift lever attaches to the collar with a roll pin.

Over time, the area where the pin fits into, tends to become ovate in shape.

Ovate shaped shift collars cause the lever to wiggle around, but the trans can still be shifted.

If the shift collar breaks, you aren't going anywhere.