Hello! I recently purchased a toploader for my '66 F100. The guy that sold it to me said that it was from a mid-late 80s pickup and that it was a 3spd with OD (so, 4spd with 4th being OD). The truck now has the original 3spd and I'd like to give it some better highway legs. I'd like to ID the transmission definitively before I start tearing things apart. Here's what I've got: The tag reads RUG FH GC01 (first line) E2T RAAA 1846 (2nd line) Aluminum case Internal linkage DS speedo cable 10 spline input Input shaft 5 5/8" Can anyone tell me definitively what I've got? 2nd group of questions: Do the input shaft dimensions match those of a stock factory 3 spd (ie. do I have to replace the clutch plate? Same question with the overall length (ie. will I have to have my driveshaft altered?) Based on what I've read, I'm aware that the 3spd/OD transmissions are NOT super strong, which is fine. The truck is bone stock - 352 2bbl - and I don't plan on it being anything other than a decent driver. Thanks... Chris Monroe, CT
RUG SR-OD Single Rail 4 speed overdrive: 1978/83 F100/150; 1978/89 E100/250. Those from what I've read are ok for a stock motor. Any abuse or towing and they will give up, they where the predecessor to the T-170 rts TOD, that was much better. I have a T-170 and they look different. The T170 rts:
OT - Thanks. After the post, I continued digging and was able to ID the tranny as a SROD transmission. I'm aware that they're not the strongest box out there, but I'm hoping that it will live ok behind a stock 352 2bbl engine assuming I won't hammer on it, which I won't. The 352 is rated at 208hp/315 ft/lbs of torque. Does anyone know if the input shaft is the same length and spline count as the stock 3spd in the truck now? Thanks... Chris
Last comment - Anyone out there have a truck shift lever for this transmission that they'd be interested in parting with?
The SROD was the weakest of the converted 4-speed ODs that Ford used in the late '70s/early 80s. If you're planning on any towing or hauling weight, DO NOT use the OD as the cluster gear bearings are the weak point on all of these, with the case flex inherent in the aluminum case version contributing a bit 'extra' to the problem. Ford specifically said to not use the OD under those conditions. It's not the HP, it's torque that kills them. Your 352 puts out more torque than the 300 sixes these were generally found behind. It IS direct bolt-in to a '65-up truck bellhousing.
CS - Thanks for the input. The 300 6 put out about 225ft/lbs of torque vs. 315 for the 352. It's a fairly significant difference but I won't ever be hauling or towing anything with this truck other than its own weight, and there are no burnouts in the truck's future, at least not while I'm owning it. Hopefully I'll be ok. I did NOT lay out big dollars for the tranny, so if I end up grenading it, I'm not out a significant amount of money. I guess the next step after that would be a T5. Chris
Those are not considered to be heavy duty transmissions, as others have stated here. They usually have a large ratio gap between 2nd and 3rd gear, which is a little annoying under certain driving conditions. Having said that, I had one in the 57 Ford Custom that I used to own. The overdrive gear sure was nice at highway cruising speeds. I ran it behind a fairly stock 292 with the 4 barrel carb. I didn’t have a backup transmission for the car so I never really tested the sturdiness of the SROD.
The Jalopy Journal
