I have just removed the 390 from my 69 truck for rebuild, and the T18 is next to come out. I'm contemplating different tranny options. My 390 had the T18, I have another F150(79) that has a 302 and 4spOD (rug). Both trucks have noisy clutches, w/ throwout bearing sounds. I like the way the T18 shifts in comparison w/ the toploader OD, but I don't have much use for a granny gear. I've been told I can put the OD behind the 390. My gripe w/ the OD is the wide gap from 2nd to 3rd, and it seems like 1st and 2nd are mighty noisy w/ whirring noise. My T18 is also somewhat noisy. I had a 3sp before and that was similarly noisy too. In these Ford trucks w/ manuals it seems like all hell is breaking loose at 3K rpm. I also drive a 305 powered 89 Camaro w/ T5 tranny that is so much quieter at 3K rpm.... I want to hear my exhaust over the tranny. Is this just the nature of the older Ford manuals? Is there some things I could have done w/ either the T18 or the Rug to quiet them down? Ive heard the T18 can be regeared to be more like a top loader 4sp w/o a granny 1st. Is this true? and is it affordable? I've also thought about putting the T18 behind the 302. Is there differences (besides the bellhousing) between T18's behind 390's and 302's? My 79 could use a clutch so that would be an opportunity to compare the input shafts. I don't know alot about tranny swaps aside from a 3sp to C6 conversion I did. I'd also be interested in knowing if I have toploader 4sp (like from classic 60's-70's cars) options for either 390 or 302 as well and what I have to know about input shafts.

BBT

 

As I understand it, the RUG is a toploader with 3rd gear removed and an overdrive added on, hence the huge gap between 2nd and what is now 3rd, but used to be 4th. As to the noise issue, it's not the tranny, it's the sound deadener. In former times, Ford used to think that trucks were trucks and built them accordingly. Therefore they were loud and rode like...trucks. Nowadays they buils they more like cars and they are much quieter as a result.

Tremec, the current manufacturer of the T-18, lists 3 sets of abvailable ratios. There may be others. Yours has the creeper 1st, so its ratios are likely 6.32/3.09/1.69/1.00. Also available are 4.32/2.26/1.51/1.00 and 4.02/2.41/1.41/1.00. With the 2.75 rear you're looking to use, the 4.02 might be too tall a 1st, but the 4.32 should work nicely, but could use a bigger 2nd. If you settle for a 3.00 rear, I'd go for the 4.02 tranny , it has much better gear spacings.

I don't have a clue where to buy the gearsets though, maybe some of the hardcore offroad shops?

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 26-Feb-01 AT 09:15 PM (EST)[/font][p]The Rug has a 1:1 third gear, and a 1: 79 Overdrive 4th... the shift from 2nd to 3rd drops the Rpms about 1000. I've put a 3.25 rear into the truck that my 390 will go in and will be using 31" diameter tires. The initial plan short of something exotic is probably to put the T18 in....maybe... or the Rug if I find the input shaft is correct.

BBT