ok planning on doing the swap this summer if all goes well, would like to have the ZF but just dont have the money. first things first i had a few questions...

1. will the clutch system (flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate) from my T-18 bolt up without a cinch? i already know both are hydraulic so i hope so

2. the M5SOD is a cable driven Speedometer correct? i believe they are but not positive, if so what gear do i need to get so the speedometer is correct? i am swaping both the rear end and the tranny over to my truck, unsure of that the new ratio is going to be (assume its either the same 3.08 or the 2.79) and if its not cable driven then what do i do?

3. i know in the ZF swap you need to move the crossmember a couple of inches and drill new holes in the frame, will be no problem to do so but would like to know ahead of time.

4. how do i go about inspecting the 'new' five speed to see if anything needs to be replaced? IE shift forks, shifting assembly, idler gears... i have NEVER worked on a tranny and dont know anything about them so bear with me

and last but not least what else should i expect?

you all know i plan on hot roddin the 300 six and one day dropping somthing bigger in, but for now it needs to be reliable and efficent. if i can get this old girl to get me through College and ROTC then i'll give her all the love she SHOULD have had and all that she diserves today, but till then we gotta down shift and tuff it out

 

damn folks dont everybody jump in at once lol

 

I just did the M50D swap and this is my first post since getting it on the road to know if all worked out as hoped. I was lucky enough to get everything for the swap from a donor truck and help from an experienced ford mechanic. Mine was a swap from an AOD to M50D and I am sorry to say I am unfamiliar with the T-18 setup. I should think the hydraulic clutch linkage should be fine, but I am not sure of any differences between the flywheel/clutch setups. The speedo is cable driven and you can go to a Ford dealer to find out what speedo gear to get for your application. You will need to move the crossmember back a few inches to make the M50D mount up also. When you get your transmission take off the shifter plate and you will be able to inspect the gears and synchronizers, you will most likely be able to notice any problems. Drain the fluid out and check the fluid for metal. There are some plastic plugs on the shifter cover that should be replaced with metal freeze plugs, because those leaking plugs are what source of frequent transmission failure due to fluid loss. The hardest part was the time and labor it took to clean the transmission, because with those leaking plugs that thing was a wreak.

 

thats encourageing, if the hardest part is cleaning the damn thing i'll be alright... i guess i know the plastic plugs when i see them, what about the gears and syncronizers? will any isues with them be obivious?( IE chewed up forks, chipped gears..)

 

Another thing to watch out for is the year of the truck that the transmission came from. I think it is 93 or 94 that they switched from the cable driven speedometer gear to the electronic system but I am not entirely sure the year. I'm sure someone on here can tell you for sure.

 

Yeah, the wear to the gears and syncros will be just as you described. I think the electronic speedos started in 96, but not positive.

 

I believe it was in '93 that they swapped. I have a '95 (built in Oct '94) that has the electronic setup. Keep us updated on how the swap goes. I'm interested in swapping my 3 on the tree in my '80 for the five speed.

 

I am about to perform this same swap on my '86 F-150, but I am going from an AOD to the M5OD-R2. I will try to take some pics and document everything.

 

that would be HIGHLY appreciated, the parts truck we were gonna get has already sold so i have another question you guys could probably answer. what is a standard cab 87-92ish f series 4x4 small block with the five speed worth? dosent matter what condition the body is in (would like to get a good driver fender and hood out of it though) and the motor is not a issue either... around here the junkyards want around 350 for the rear alone, so i assumed a full truck (assuming motor not running or is wrecked) is worth around 500 or less? that about right?