Putting a 289W in my 47 Merc, thinking about using an F100 new process 435 four speed behind it because of the shifter position with the origional bench. As the Merc engine bay is longer, will the box fit without cutting up the crossmember too much? Many others done this?
Big truck granny low four speeds are not really hot rod transmissions...you won't find many in cars, probably close to zero. It might fit, if you make room for it. And the car isn't lowered very much.
Why not a Ford 4 speed top loader with a Jeep T-176 shift tower? Full syncro in all 4 gears and the shifter is in about the same place as the flathead trans. JMO.
I ran a NP435 behind the 351W in my '51 F-1 for quite a few years. 2nd gear syncro finally went out and it got replaced with BW 3spd+ OD out of a Galaxie. Don't make the same mistake I did. That is a transmission best left for medium duty trucks, and that is about it. Lots and lots of better choices for a late edition 289 (assuming you have the later "standard" Windsor 6 bolt bellhousing.)
I am in Australia, the NP 4 speed looks the same as used here in XA,B,C Falcons behind 302 Clevelands ( l had a XB GS Falcon), anyone know if the Jeep shifter would fit as local boxes had the shifter in the tail housing? T5s are $3500 for a used one here with all the gear to bolt on to a Windsor small block; l might end up getting one from the US but freight is as much as the cost of the transmission and l'm not rich! Thanks for the advice regarding the truck box, did some F150s use a better ratio low gear and if so which ones?
Yes if you plan to skid logs out of the woods or rock crawl. No if you plan to enjoy driving on just the street.
No ,l must have misread the article ,the new process box l had was smaller and made by Borg Warner in Oz.
When I vivisted Aus in 1986-1987 my XB Falcon had a top loader like the US variety. They did however do strange things down under due to the local content rule or parts availability, so I'm not saying it's untrue. But again the issue is with the ratios inside the box and/or his differential ratio, and I don't think you have any cheap method of changing the first so that it suits a car rather than a low geared truck. To me (also if you want to stay trad) the BW 3spd+ OD makes more sense and I'm sure those were available on Aussie Customlines and "tank" Fairlanes. Other than that one has no coice but to look at some later 5sp - I know there`s kits to move the shifter on a T5 forward, so research that...
The Granny low in the NP435 is useless in a car. Gear ratios in the NP435 are = The ratios for the Ford NP435s are: 6.68:1 First; 3.34:1 Second; 1.74:1 (or 1.66:1) Third; and 1:1 Fourth with a 8.26:1 reverse. NO overdrive on that trans. The only time you would use first gear would be crawling in traffic going into out of big rod trots where the slow gear might be useful.
I got a flatbed with the old style 4spd. Does great. Might do 7mph in first gear without floating the valves.
I’d look for one of the “ imposter” top loader 3+OD. Basically the same size as a normal top loader 4 speed but 4th gear is overdrive. Not as strong as a true top loader 4 speed but they used them in pickups to get the overdrive gear for fuel mileage. They will last behind a mild to medium small block if you don’t hammer on them all the time.
No they didn't They used a wide ratio Toploader in the Falcon GT's and a close ratio Toploader in the Falcon GTHO In 1977 they went over to the Aussie BW single rail rated at 325 ft/lbs [the 351 had the 1st 2.46, 2nd 1.78, 3rd 1.27, 4th 1.00 ratios] The 302 and most sixes were 1st 3.06, 2nd 1.84, 3rd 1.32, 4th 1.00 The BW single rail was also available in Chrysler Valiant Chargers and the Leyland P76 here is the Aussie BW single rail [they were quite easy to move the shifter position The biggest downfall was the plastic cup in the shifter [and the thread strips] I just repaired one a month ago
Crikey! I must be getting old, yes it was a single rail, dunno why l thought it was a new process; an airforce mate had one in a Valiant with a hot slant six in Darwin after the blow and l rebuilt a few in the 80s. I just looked and they are still around at a decent price and a good option behind a mild 289. Thanks for all the answers l will investigate relocating the shifter.
We fit a 302 and single rail into a Mitsubishi Galant 16L [colt] in the 80's The shifter rail [external] was cut'n'shut to shorten it. We then did a bit of grinding of the webs and welded a triangular mounting plate to the tail housing and bolted the shifter further forward. It was actually really quite simple to do. Also the nylon shifter cup that strips is identical thread to a MK3-MK5 Cortina 2.0 SOHC gearbox. But the Cortina Shifter has a metal shifter cup [just swap the whole shifter over]
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