Hello all, I'm trying to id a 5 speed transmission, I found a trans out of a 83 F150, it has a removeable bellhousing (small block bolt pattern), cast iron case, and the shifter comes out of the top cover. I plan on doing a 460 swap in my 68 F-100 so I can tow my SBF powered 23T altered, and a golf cart in a 24ft enclosed trailer (with 4 wheel brakes of course), is this transmission strong enough to handle a mildly built 460 while towing a trailer? or should I keep looking for one (or a ZF) that was behind a 460.
BTW: it's for a 2wd.
I surely appreciate any recomendations, Thanks.

 

Welcome to FTE.

You sure it's a 5 speed? Check here, some pics. Any numbers/letters/etc on the case? Tags?

Domestic Truck Tranny Guide

IF it's a 5 speed, it's a transplant. Ford did not offer a 5 speed manual in the F150 in '83.

NV4500 comes to mind. (pictured in the above link) 5 speed, iron case, top shifted, separate bell. Could be your lucky day if it's one of those.

 

It's definitely not a NV4500, so I'm going to keep looking, I know on the toploader 4 speeds that the ones put behind a big blocks have a 1 3/8" input shaft, and a bigger output shaft, I didn't like the little input shaft on trans I looked at, do the later 5 speeds that were behind big blocks, and diesels have "beefier" parts than ones from a "smaller engine"?

As you can tell I'm not up to speed on the later model stuff.

 

As I read your original post, you have a 460. You can get a ZF from behind a 460. No one I've seen here has complained about breaking a ZF with a 460 or diesel.

IIRC, the 460 version use an external clutch throwout arm, with hydraulic actuation. You may wish to convert to a juice clutch for this application, as the "z bar" or equalizer from your chassis probably won't work with the 460. One of those swap details.

If the ZF seems elusive or to spendy, the NV4500 would be an excellent choice also, although it's not going to be a bargain.

The toploader car transmissions would be very unsuited to this duty, and the toploader look 4 speed OD transmissions would be too weak with poor gearing to boot.

You may find, as a couple guys did recently, why so many guys go automatic for a deal like this. A wide-ratio C6 with a Gear Vendors OD on the tail would be nice, but lots more than the manual trans.

You could go to the medium duty truck scrap yard and find a 429 Lima motor with a Clark or other fine brand attached and try to adapt that to your 460 also.....

Good luck with it.

 

Thanks for the info, I have the C6 that came with 460 I have, but I just never cared for using a automatic when towing. My toploader in-put, and out-put reference was to inquire about different versions of the same transmission, ie two different versions of a NV4500, ZF, etc. Swapping things to a hydraulic clutch, and other things is nothing new for me, I've done so many swaps over the years (engine, trans, rearend, etc) I just about lost count.

 

For the ZF, because it has an integral bell, when you get the 460 version along with the goodies to go with it, like the flywheel, clutch etc, it's one size fits all.

For the NV4500, it depends on if you get one out of a Dodge or a GM, and then you just use the proper clutch disc, or change, again IIRC, to the Dodge input. Details, info, parts, kits, BS, etc here:

High Impact - NV4500 5spd