Transmission identification question

[rcb1020]

What type of mid to late 70's trans is a 4 speed manual with 4th gear being the overdrive gear ? It's from a 78 F150 and I need a drive shaft for my C6 automatic and I'm hoping the yoke is the same , I found this manual trans online , but have not seen photos yet.

[banjopicker66]

I do not recall an OD in the F series during '70s, but there was one in the Granada and similar vehicles.
A light duty one was used in the '80s.
Could be a transplant.
I don't know if the C-6 yoke will fit a manual transmission's output shaft.
I am afraid I can't offer much more than that.
As for the U-joint at the yoke, it doesn't have to be the same size as your current U-joint. They make conversion U-joints to match up dissimilar components.

[rcb1020]

I'm going to look at it on Saturday , All I know is it's a 2wd 78 F150 , the guy knows nothing about it because it was given to him. He thinks the motor is a small block , I know a 460 has 7 bolts on each valve cover , how can you tell a 360 from a 390 ?
I'm learning , I'm learning Banjo ! lol

[R Pope]

It's called an Orion trans. A modified Ford toploader, with the old 3rd gear an overdrive ratio. Good tranny if you have enough torque to overcome the wide ratio splits. Lots of F150's have them up here, as well as cars.
Pretty sure the yoke will fit a C6.
A '78 will not be a 360 or a 390. 351M, 400, 302 or 460.

[banjopicker66]

It's called an Orion trans. A modified Ford toploader, with the old 3rd gear an overdrive ratio. Good tranny if you have enough torque to overcome the wide ratio splits. Lots of F150's have them up here, as well as cars.

I learned something new!

Even though it shouldn't have an FE in it, the difference between a 360 and a 390 is the stroke. 360 = 3.50 inches, 390=3.78 inches approximately. The difference between a 352 and 360 is the bore, so you usually tell it by the year of production; otherwise you have to take it apart. 352 bore = 4.00 360/390 bore = 4.05. (You can generalize a 360 by saying it is a 352 rotating assembly in a 390 block.)

You can use both the thermostat location and the valve cover bolts to ID an engine.

302: The thermostat housing is a bulged extension on the front of the intake, and the thermostat is vertical. It has 6 valve cover bolts.

351M/400: These have a "dry" intake manifold, with no coolant flow through the manifold. The 351C/351M/400 thermostat housing attaches to the top of the block, in front of the intake manifold. The thermostat is horizontal. 8 valve cover bolts.
I mention the 351C because it is easy to mis-identify the 351M/400 engines as a more desirable 351C. The only way I know to visually discriminate between a 351C and the 351M/400 is that the 351M and the 400 block have a raised bar of material about 1 inch long right next to the distributor hold down bolt hole that the 351C does not have.

429/460: A wet intake, with the thermostat vertical to the ground, but flat onto the manifold. 7 valve cover bolts.

352/360/390 FE engines: The easiest way to ID an FE engine is to look for a seam between the intake and the head under the valve cover.

[rcb1020]

Here's a link with good info on that Orion Transmission / Ford Toploader Four-speed Transmission


http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/200 ... ure29.html

[BarnieTrk]

RCB,

Maybe its a T170FT? The T170FT (Code-RTS) is commonly known as a 4-speed/OverDrive (4spd/OD) transmission. They are also known as a TOD (Toploader or Top shift Over Drive (meaning the shifter is on the top - rather than the side -so no linkage). The T170Ft is a top-loaded 4 speed with 4th being overdrive. It has an aluminum case and shift tower, so it is lighter than the older cast-iron 4-speeds. I believe the T170FT transmissions were installed in Ford F100-F250 light duty trucks from 1984-85. There were installed into both 2 and 4 wheel drive versions. They were mostly put behind 300” 6cyls and 302 V8s. So to put one behind an FE engine might be too much for it.

Nevertheless, sorry, I don't know if the yokes would be the same as for a C6.

BarnieTrk

[66camperspecial]

I seen one of those trans in a 78 in a local junkyard and I have one that came from a 87 van which is the same trans as the 78 with external linkage,I also had the mid 80s truck version with the shifter on the top but the gear spread from 2nd to 3rd are just too much with taller gears so it got sold and I still have the van trans sitting on the garage floor.

[fire truck]

Cool, Never even heard of that before.

[R Pope]

The aluminum-case, internal shift trans is also called an SROD, single rail over drive. It's crap. The shift mechanism has plastic parts that are always worn out, and unavailable. You want to find the iron case external linkage type. They have some goofy ratios, too, but a torque engine can pull through it. I had one in a '79 Mustang behind a 375 horse 351W for 100K miles with no troubles.