Bell housing for 1966 Ford F100 2WD, 352 v8

[Ben]

I'm looking for someone with a '66 F100 2WD with a 352 v8 and an NP 435 tranny. I need some help to get the proper bell housing and FE bolt configuration.

I've been trying to identify the manual tranny in the truck with no luck. When I bought the truck, the original 6cyl 240 engine had been replaced with a 352 V8 (which was an option for that truck in that model year) and I've since re-bored that 352 out to a 390. It's an FE big block so going from 352 to 390 was pretty simple.

However, I'm not sure if the tranny is original or not. It's a 3 speed, column shift, but I would like to replace it with a NP435 4-speed in the floor (which was also an option for that year and model truck). What I need to know is if the current bell housing will fit with the NP435 tranny, but to be sure of that, I need to know what the current tranny is. I got the following case numbers off of the tranny (all of the numbers were on the drivers side): 6A18 (then by the shifting arm) C5AR 7006B J DIF. I'm not sure if the old bell housing will work or if need another one.

[390Nut]

You already have the correct one. As far as I know, Ford only used one bellhousing for the FE truck engines with manual trannies, so any of them will work, but keep in mind they did make a small change to the throwout fork. Early models had a wire clip spring to hold the fork in place, while the later years the fork had a flat steel spring which held it in place. The small mounting point inside the bellhousing for the flat-spring fork has a squarish hole in it, for the spring to fit into.

As long as you're just swapping trannies, however, you should be fine. Just carefully pull your 3spd, and carefully install your 4spd. Your clutch linkage wont change, or anything, you'll just need to remove the excess shifter linkage. Check your clutch, throwout bearing, etc, while you're in there.

As for which tranny you have, check here:

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/tr ... ateway.htm

Clicking on the pic of a tranny will increase the size of the pic with more info, but generally speaking, the NP435 has an aluminum shifter cover, with pins holding the shifter in place.

A T-18 (or t-19) has a threaded cap that holds the shifter in place, making for a quick ID.

[Ben]

Paul, thanks a lot. I think I may have IDed the current tranny a Ford 3.03 3 speed--which Ford apparently used on the '66 f100s with a column shift. In any case, after looking at the expense of installing the NP 435 (floor bump, new drive shaft, ect ) with only the gain of a granny gear, I've decided to just get a column conversion kit and shifter from Summit, make one small cut in the floor and be done with it. This way everything bolts up fine and I save a lot of money. Thanks again though for the information.

[72hiboy4x4]

Man, your first instinct was CORRECT! pony up and install the 435! The granny gear is well worth it for anything but a full on street truck. If you do ANY hauling or like to go slow in traffic, you won't miss the 3 speed...I've done the swap...
I replaced the (converted to floor shifted) 3 speed in my old '70 with a NP435. Couldn't have been happier. I don't remember changing the driveshaft, just pulled the 3 spd out and installed the 4 speed (Disclaimer- this was a number of years ago, so I might have and don't remember changing it)
Where are you at? I might be able to help with a few parts...

[willowbilly3]

Or find an original Borg Warner 3 speed with overdrive. I think the last one I had was a T-50N

[basketcase0302]

Ben,

With ya' on the tree-shifting.
Drove my 74 for four years in downtown S.W. Florida traffic.
I think by then my left leg muscles were about four times stronger than my right leg!

But I woulda never got the four huge stumps pulled here last winter without the help of my one ton's granny! :

Basketcase