While I'm doing the rear axle I'm going to drain and refill the tranny. The tranny looks like it's leaking but not too bad. Am I crazy not to pull it and try and fix the leaks? Also, does this look like the original tranny? Thanks for the help. Can I use the same oil for the tranny as the rear axle?

 

Well those are interesting pictures.

If that's in the 55 pictured, it could very well be the original transmission. What you have pictured is a Ford 3 Speed light duty with the R10 Overdrive - which the 55s came with sometimes. The round object on the close side is the Overdrive Governor. The silver round object on the far side is the Overdrive Solenoid.

HOWEVER, I don't know if it hasn't been installed yet or what the story is, but you have no transmission cross member holding it up!

See that flaired flat plate just behind where the overdrive bolts to the transmission housing - that looks like an upside down boat cleat, that's the transmsion support and it should be mounted to a transmission support crossmember. The fact that it isn't suggests this may be a retro fit in your truck.

The transmission and the rear end use the same lubricant - SAE 90 Gear Oil.

The seals are VERY easy to replace on that transmission. The back one can be pulled out and a new one carefully put back in without removing the transmission (drain the transmission and remove the drive shaft). The front one is in the base of the input shaft cover (that the throw out brearing slides on) on the inside next to where it bolts to the transmission case. The transmission needs to be removed to do this (or at least backed out enough to remove the cover - about a foot or so).

I would not attempt to pull the overdrive unit off the transmission to replace the mid gaskets. That process is a little like a Chinese Puzzle, and these transmissions are notorious for roller bearings falling out requiring further disassembly.

Let it sweat!

I'd check on that cross member too!

 

i know my 57 styleside LWB is a completely different model, but my transmission extension housing has a similar mounting flange on the underside without a crossmember.

 

53-up use bellhousing trans mounts.

 

Thanks for the info!

The cross member must be missing since that's how it was when I bought it this last year. I figured something was missing just by the looks. Hopefully I can pick one up at one of the local shops.

Thanks for the help.

 

So maybe it's not missing?

 

It looks like it's the passenger car OD. The truck may have had it added to the original trans, the original OD was replaced with this one, or the entire trans with OD was swapped in (or I'm totally wrong ).

Jim

ps: adding a mount under the OD is probably not a good idea. They mount engine trans by three points to prevent binding. Kinda like a four legged bar stool with one leg shorter, things just don't sit right. If the fourth mount does flex with other three, something will eventually break.

 

I should have mentioned that gaskets, seals, solenoid, etc are available from Van Pelt Sales in Batavia, OH. Ford Transmission Parts Prices

I just placed an order with them for gaskets and seals for my trans and he had them all in stock. He even educated me on the part number confusion I was having. I almost bought wrong and unnecessary parts

Jim

 

Just to affirm what has already been said, I parted out a '60 F100, particularly for the O/D tranny and that one had never had a cross member installed. The truck had one owner all it's life and it was the original tranny that came with it.