Hi y'a'll, hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and is in the mood to help a newbie out:

I have a 64 SW that I need to put a motor and tranny in. In the end, I want a mechanically perfect truck that I can take long road trips in ( i know, i know). I have settled in the 300 6 for the motor and am thinking T-19 tranny.

Think I found a 300 today in a late 70's truck. What do you suggest I look at in order to make sure I get the best core I can. It is complete and a wrench on the crank turned the engine?

Any thoughts on my tranny selection? I did get suckered into a 3sp OD toploader clone but after learning more about it decided it is not going in the truck. Your help would be MUCH appreciated?

 

If ya gots to have a 300 why not go up to 95 EFI with an OD tranny, or newer 4.6. You will have to cobble in whatever you use. I have a bud in Raleigh that has a 4.6 from a Lincoln and can get 22-23mpg on the open road. I have driven the truck and it aint wimpy at all.

The newer EFI systems can last a long time, and I understand have many more options than the old iron.




John

 

I've had my '62 f/ 23-plus years now, and have looked over so many options when it comes to up-grading these old Fords that I can't begine to go over it all.
The 300 6cyl. is and has always been a great engine. Ofcourse you'll have to do the usual thing w/ the one you have, take the head and block to be checked f/ cracks. Just read the plugs and see what they tell you. Check the oil f/ signs of water, like too high a level, etc. Unless the engine has been WAY over-heated, it's probably rebuildable, but you'll never know f/ sure unless you pull it apart and have it checked. But f/ the 300 6cyl., there are even high performance parts available f/ it, as from 30-plus years ago (and on), NHRA H/MP cars used to be all 6cyls. and the 300ci was one of the runnin' engines in that class f/ years.
As f/ the transmission, you have afew options. Even if you don't go w/ an over-drive, the older 3 speed automatics are still capable of running at highway speeds at a friendly rpm if you use some smaller gears. The 300 has enough torque to pull at lower rpm in town, so you won't lack power either way.
You can get motor mounts in a number of places and a tranny mount is an easy fix.
The steering box has always been a problem on the old Ford trucks. You can use a Toyota power steering box from an older 4 wheel drive Toyota truck that had the solid front axle housing. W/ a simple bracket, that you can easily make, you can mount the box properly and easily and eliminate the steering slop headache f/ good.
Good Luck w/ the project.

 

If your lookin to take long road trips and demand reliability, I would second jowilkers recommendation of the injected 300 (4.9l). Wiring wouldn't be hard. Too bad it's not a '65 which would make brake and steering upgrades much easier. Good luck.

 

I strongly recommend the fuel injected six too. The earlier fuelie Fords from the 80's and 90's had wiring that were, for the most part, added onto older wiring systems. They were almost stand alone systems in other words. And are not very hard to adapt to older vehicles. There are not many more than foure wires that you have to integrate into your old truck to have a fuelie.

There was a brand new fuelie 300 here in MI for $600! You would need the wiring and engine computer for that one though. Easier to get one with the complete engine wiring and computer.