Technical Trans is toast... Options?

I got my 63 F100 about a year ago and have been slowly chipping away at a never ending/growing to-do list. It shifted rough when i got it, and ***umed bad synchros in the trans. It has a factory i6 262 and a Borg Warner T86 with R10 OD in it.

Today a buddy and i were putting in some work and decided to change the gear oil in the trans, hoping it would improve the shift feel and driveability. We had just finished putting in the factory amount of fluid when it started squirting out the other side of the tail housing. ****... Its in far rougher shape than we thought.

No telling how rough the gears are internally, but given how little fluid came out when we drained it. and the fact that the drive shaft wobbles in the tail housing like a hot dog down a hallway, its bad news.

What are my options for drop in transmissions? Kind of considering options for auto's as it would be great as a jump in and drive. The motor runs great and don't have plans to replace it, so it would need to bolt up to the factory 262. Conversion plates/bell housings are also an option. Just trying to see what i can do with a ****ty situation. Hoping some of you mighty veterans can help with some ideas. Thanks!

 

well with the banger in it you really need a stick with the od imo. if you dont want to rebuild the one you have you might be able to find another one on flea bay or craigslist. im not a trans guy but ive rebuilt a few of the older trans they arent that bad to do.

 

Look for one or rebuild it.

 

You'll be limited to pre-65 trans for a bolt-in unless you use an adaptor or do some machine work. But don't be too quick to pitch that OD box; most parts are still available for a rebuild. I wouldn't worry too much about that 'loose' output, it may just need a new bushing. If the syncro teeth on the gears/sliders aren't all rounded over, it won't be too expensive to rebuild.

If it is trashed, a relatively inexpensive alternative could be a later Toploader OD 4-speed. You'll need to turn the front bearing retainer down to fit the bell and redrill the case to the early pattern, but other than that it should bolt in....

 

Thanks for all the input, fellas. I actually found a 1:1 replacement on the ol ebay. Im waiting to hear back on freight shipping to me. Could be a great starting point to rebuild what i have. When i bought the truck, the OD was disengaged for some reason, so this will be a great opportunity to get that working again as well. Fingers crossed the freight wont be insane.

 

It definitely does. The output is so loose, in fact, gear oil heavily flows from it. So i think its safe to say a bushing is a must, at a minimum.

 

Crazy Steve’s suggestion of a later 4 spd O/D box is well worth considering, IMO. No O/D cables, wiring harnesses, solenoids....just a flick of the lever for whatever gear you want.

Ray

 

With the right puller and driver it takes under 30 minutes to change the tailshaft bushing and seal. That includes pulling the driveshaft and putting it back. Maybe an hour or so for a guy who has never done it before and the bushings don't cost a lot. If it is that sloppy you might need a new yoke to go along with it.
Outside of the overdrive not being hooked up for what ever reason how does it go down the road now, how does it shift and how much noise does it make? If it shifts ok, doesn't make a bunch of noise and stays in gear you may be ******* in the wind and spending money you don't need to because of a bushing and seal that need changed and maybe a yoke that needs replaced.
I'd gamble a little time and a few bucks on the bushing and seal and see what happens before spending a couple hundred for an unknown trans and a couple hundred more for shipping.

 

^^^^^^^^Good advice to consider before committing to more expensive options.

One other thing worth noting.....although you may already be aware. I believe the O/D section of the trans is filled with lube separately from the main case. That can be easily overlooked, but is important to recognize when servicing the transmission.

Ray

 

I appreciate you guys trying to save me some headache, and probably some dollars. Unfortunately, there’s definitely more wrong than just the tail shaft bushing issue. It shifts pretty bad, makes a ton of noise, and sometimes likes to throw itself out of gear.

A friends Dad, who is a big F100 fanatic, mentioned the synchros likely being the issue, and that’s why I have to coax it into reverse to line **** up before trying to throw it in 1st. You can actually hear s spinning noise under the floor when it’s just idling.

The trans I’m looking at on eBay looks in pretty damn good shape, especially considering it’s even older than mine. I figure if it’s gonna cost me $300 in Parts for syncros, bushings, etc, then a few bucks more for one that’s already done might not be so bad.

The 4 speed OD option some of you guys have mentioned is something I’d love to look more into. Anything specific I should look for? The same father of my friend I mentioned earlier happens to have a 4spd in his shop, but would need to convert the truck to a floor shift. Not out of the question, just not at the top of the list either.


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Ford pickups in the ‘80s could be bought with a manual trans that was a ‘non-conventional’ 4 speed. The first three gears were like a 3 speed, meaning that 3rd gear was a 1 to 1 ratio, but 4th gear was an overdrive ratio. That trans was most often found behind the 300 cu in/4,9L six cylinder engine. It is very different from the heavy duty 4 speed truck trans with granny low gear and also different than the p***enger car 4 speed performance trans.

You friend’s dad, if a Ford truck enthusiast, probably knows a lot about the O/D 4 speed. There also numerous threads and posts here on the H.A.M.B. about them that you should be able to find through the search function.

Ray

 

There were three versions of the Ford Toploader 4-speed OD trans available from the late 70s through the mid-late 80s; two with a cast-iron case and external linkage, one with an aluminum case and internal linkage (AKA the SROD). The early cast-iron versions were used in both cars (Fairmont/Granada) and trucks, with the truck version having a lower first gear. These look nearly identical to the 'regular' 4-speed (and are mistaken for them often) except they have a 'bulge' on the right side of the case for clearance of the OD gears. These will have 'Orion' cast into the case usually. Try to get one with the factory shift linkage, as aftermarket linkage is getting hard to find and expensive. The OEM linkage can be modified for better shifting. Trans rebuild kits are relatively inexpensive and easy to get. These were used behind both 6s and small V8s and while not as beefy as the regular 4-speeds, they're close.

The aluminum SROD is the same basic trans internally except for the aluminum case and internal linkage like a T5, although the truck version does have an even lower first gear. Installed in trucks and some Mustangs (the car version is fairly rare), these are power limited due to the aluminum construction, although any of these will be adequate behind your 6.

They all have one issue; due to the design (with OD being a re-tasked 3rd gear), they're hard on the cluster gear bearings/shaft when in OD. This really should be checked if sourced from a truck, as Ford recommended NOT using OD if towing or hauling a heavy load. This also seemed to be more of an issue with the SROD because of case flex.

One last thing.... in addition to the mods I outlined above, you also want to check the length of the pilot bearing shaft on the end of the input. The later pilot bearing shaft may be longer than your existing one, and make sure it doesn't bottom out in the end of the crank. Usually you need to trim about 3/16" off the end of the shaft for the early motors.

 

Thanks Steve, that is a TON of super useful information. I'm definitely on the lookout for some of those options, and also looking for any and all parts/replacements for what i already have.

What amazes me, is i drove it over 100 miles home when i bought it a year ago. Just goes to show how tough these things are, if i drove it that far through Texas with basically no gear oil in it. Good on you, Ford.

 

Well fellas, it's been a hand full of months now and things are beginning to take shape. Lots of decisions have been made and work is starting to ramp up. I made a thread to track the build and all the work over HERE.