adding a 4 wheel drive AOD to a 72 ford F100

[woodyp]

I’m getting ready to install a 5.0 EFI and AOD in my 72 f100. I just ran across a 71 4x4 for sale and it got me thinking about going to 4wd. Can anyone summarize what it would take to drop a 4wd AOD and transfer case in my 71. And would there be an advantage to purchasing the 4X4 truck as a donor for the frame? Is there anything I would even need from the 4x4 since I’m not going to use an FE block? Or maybe the questions is, is there any difference between the 2wd and 4wd frame?

[theskytoucher]

I have never personally dealt with a 4X4 but this question has been asked before and the general concensus is to use the 4x4 frame!!!

[averagef250]

The frames are completely different as well as many other components of the trucks. You are far better off starting with a nice 4x4 than trying to make a 2wd into a 4x4.

If you put a 4x4 aod in an older ford 4x4, you will want to mate it to an NP205 T-case if possible and not the BW 1356 that they came connected to. The BW1356 is wider and requires frame notching to fit early narrow frames. Other than that, there is no difference between putting an aod in a 2wd and a 4x4. You will have to do all the same mods.

[woodyp]

what were the Np205's used in.

[averagef250]

Mated Ford NP205's were in all 77.5-79 4x4's and many 73 to 77.5 F-150 4x4's (all that didn't have the in and out t-case).

[averagef250]

Also, make sure your 4x4 aod has 32 splines. I believe autos belong in the dumpster and don't fiddle with them much, but atleast in thier manual transmissions, ford used 31 spline 4x4 transmissions in thier F-150's in the 80's and 32 spline transmissions in 80's 250's and 350's and all '92 and up trucks went to 32 spline.