Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-16-2013, 09:52 AM   #1
umbagog1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 3
Default overdrive options for 1953 f100

I have a 53 f100 with 8ba flathead v8 and column mounted 3 speed. Trying to find the best option to add OD. I have a spare tranny/ od from a 1950 ford sitting around but it has a shorter and smaller diameter input shaft. Would it be feasible to swap the input shafts? I also have a spare 55 ford trans case with correct holes for overdrive, if I rebuilt my current trans into that case, would it be poss to bolt the OD unit to it? I already have a spare driveshaft ready to cut down. Any thoughts?
umbagog1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2013, 10:06 AM   #2
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

The transmission gears were redesigned for the 1951 model year. Gears will swap in the transmissions for 51 up to a certain degree but not in all applications. The R10 and R11 Borg Warner electric overdrives were used clear up into the 60s. The R11 was solid enough to work with the FE block motors and are the strongest of the series. R10s work just fine behind flatheads. Any of the transmissions from 1951 up to 1956 or so would be good candidates as long as they have the correct input shaft to work with the 8BA type clutch.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 06-16-2013, 10:21 AM   #3
blucar
Senior Member
 
blucar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ventura, CA
Posts: 2,464
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

I am not well versed on the actual mixing and matching of the later model (49-53) trans/OD gears, etc..
I can attest to the application of OD transmissions in F1/100 pickups.. My father purchased a new '52 Ford, V8 w/OD.. That was one neat truck.. He/we worked the truck pulling trailers up to 35' through the mountains of Idaho, and the Nevada deserts.. Never had a problem with it.. In '54 dad bought a new F-1, six with no OD, I hated that truck.
I have had a couple of F100's with V8-OD, the last one being a '59.. Never had a problem with the any of them.. The '59 F100 had a 3.89 rear end, where-as a normal ratio for a F100 was 3.71.. Generally speaking, a factory equipped OD will always have a low gear ratio.
My thinking is, why re-invent the wheel, when the factory engineers have already done that...
Of course if a person is so inclined to think automatic, in lieu of manual, then the way to go is to use a Ford C-4...
Which ever OD option is used, keep in mind that the rear axle will most likely have to be re-geared to a lower ratio in order for the vehicle to be operational on the highway in OD.. I know several people that have added OD's to their vehicle with no thought about the rear end ratio, my brother is one, he can't drive his '54 on the highway in OD unless he keeps the mph above 70...
The early Ford V8's, '35-48, are a whole different can of worms, the normal rear end ratio is generally 4.11, which works well with an OD..
__________________
Bill.... 36 5 win cpe
blucar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2013, 10:50 AM   #4
Charlie ny
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,019
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

umb,
In '53 I thought Ford trucks went to the passenger car style trans ,4 bolt ,big
steel bell housing....from your description I'm guessing you have the trans with the
big circular bolt pattern typical of the early Fords. If you in fact have the trans with
the big circular bolt pattern a '49 and '50 Merc OD trans will be just the ticket....Vic
might have one....he'll be here shortly.
Charlie ny
Charlie ny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2013, 11:18 AM   #5
Mac VP
Senior Member
 
Mac VP's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 1,356
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Charlie...53 was (to the best of my knowledge) the first year that OD was available on the pickups. Plus, the input shaft was still the big 1-3/8" x ten spline that the trucks had always had. They also came with the 4 bolt mount to its bell housing. They were R10's until later on in the 50's and 60's when the bigger truck V8's came along with R11's.
__________________
VANPELT SALES LLC
Cincinnati, Ohio
Office: 513-724-9486
www.vanpeltsales.com
www.classictransmission.com
Mac VP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2013, 11:29 AM   #6
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
The remote control (3 on the tree) F1 & F100 were all light duty transmissions pretty much the same as used in passenger cars from 51 through the mid 50s.The rear axles in pick ups of the era were all either Dana 41s or 44s. 3.92:1 was a normal ratio for most cars light duty pickups with overdrive. A pickup will pull better with 4.11:1 but will work with 3:92s OK for light work. There are still new gear sets available for the Dana 44 series since they were used for so many years.

The 1-inch input would work with the 9.5" Long type 8BA clutch. Its not as strong as the 1 3/8" used with the Mercury 10" Borg & Beck or old style 10" Long F1 clutch input but it should work OK.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 06-16-2013 at 11:36 AM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2013, 10:03 PM   #7
tiquer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Kamloops B.C.
Posts: 392
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

My 53 M-100 has the 392 gears in it with the light duty three speed no overdrive. Plan to go with the T-5 chev five speed with overdrive.
tiquer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 06:54 AM   #8
Dale Fairfax
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 250
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Just change the clutch disc to one with the smaller splined hub then bolt the transmission in.
Dale Fairfax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 01:39 PM   #9
Fordestes
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 884
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Don't want to hijack your post , but I also want to add an overdive to a 53 f100, I have a nice recon. trans ,I am wondering do I need to add a rear cross member to the set up as the original trans is shorter than the overdive I have, the od I have has a longer tail shaft that looks like a car and no one so far has been able to tell me about the cross member or the lenght the trans should be, my friend has a factory automatic and it dosen't have a rear trans cross member added and he says it was bought new by a family member and nothing was changed.
Fordestes
Fordestes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 06:13 PM   #10
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

The parts catalog only lists the TAAA-5025-B cross member for the 53 to 55 F100s. The only breakdown of OD trans is for the rear OD unit only but it appears to have a mount at the front of the tail housing pretty much like the 51/53 Mercury cars that I'm more familiar with. The 52 & 53 Ford & Mercury OD tail shaft is the same part number as the 53/54 F100 OD trans. The P/N TAAA-6068-A rear support is called out for all 53/55 F100s but hardware part numbers differ for Ford-O-Matic installations. There is no mention of overdrive differences.

The 48 to 52 rear mount was real close to the transmission case since those transmissions had basically the same rear housing since back in the early 40s for light duty 3-speeds. The 53 models likely had a longer tail shaft for the different cross member & rear mount. The R10 overdrives had to have a longer tail shaft to fit the free wheeling unit & planetary in there. Most of the early ones should be about the same length. After 54 or so, the transmissions started to vary a lot more for different engine packages. A person would have to have the 3-speed remote control column for the light duty transmissions, the lock out cable set up, and all the electrical components to work the overdrive. A person should probably look for a 52 or 53 Ford or Mercury OD transmission to get the most interchangability out of it.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 06-17-2013 at 07:00 PM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 07:52 PM   #11
Ross F-1
Senior Member
 
Ross F-1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NM
Posts: 2,438
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

53-on F-100's used the bellhousing for the rear engine/trans mount on regular trannies. The OD option shows a pad for a mount, but I can't remember ever seeing a crossmember just for that. Maybe just a leftover from car production?

Like MacVP said, the input shaft from anything but a '53-on truck is going to be too short and smaller diameter.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 53-56 OD Trans.jpg (76.9 KB, 24 views)
Ross F-1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 08:10 PM   #12
paul2748
Senior Member
 
paul2748's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Midland Park, NJ
Posts: 3,965
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Depending on how much shorter the input shaft of the 51/52 trans is, you might be able to get away with a custom made pilot bearing/bushing. This was a problem with top loader 4 speeds where the big block ones had a shorter input shaft than the small block ones. The difference was not that great and a specially machined (extended) pilot bearing did the trick. You would have to check the travel of the throw out bearing.

A new clutch disk with a smaller center should solve the problem with the different diameter of the input shafts.
paul2748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2013, 08:22 PM   #13
Ross F-1
Senior Member
 
Ross F-1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NM
Posts: 2,438
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

I believe the difference is almost an inch and a quarter.
Edit:
'52 input: 8.27" long

'53 OD input: 9.30" long

Last edited by Ross F-1; 06-17-2013 at 08:28 PM.
Ross F-1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2013, 09:59 AM   #14
Fordestes
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 884
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

My trans had the input changed to the larger pickup truck shaft and retainer/release bearing set up, I didn't want to add something non original but if thre are some holes alraedy drilled on the frame I may try to saddle the rear in order to keep it from breaking the trans. case or shaking loose on some of oklahomas' washboard cow trail highways. thanks for the input.
fordestes
Fordestes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2013, 10:36 AM   #15
blucar
Senior Member
 
blucar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ventura, CA
Posts: 2,464
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac VP View Post
Charlie...53 was (to the best of my knowledge) the first year that OD was available on the pickups. Plus, the input shaft was still the big 1-3/8" x ten spline that the trucks had always had. They also came with the 4 bolt mount to its bell housing. They were R10's until later on in the 50's and 60's when the bigger truck V8's came along with R11's.
As I stated in my earlier posting to this thread.. My father purchased a new '52 Ford F1, the truck was Delux w/V8, OD, radio, heater, etc.. I loved that truck, it ran so well, especially on the open road..
Every time I see a medium green '52 F1 I get all teary eyed..
__________________
Bill.... 36 5 win cpe
blucar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2013, 10:51 AM   #16
Ross F-1
Senior Member
 
Ross F-1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NM
Posts: 2,438
Default Re: overdrive options for 1953 f100

There was no OD option for any of the Bonus Builts ('48 - '52). The OD's solenoid falls directly on the trans crossmember. Many people have tried to fit one to F-1's, the only way to get one in is to completely cut out the crossmember, at which point a T5 makes more sense. On an F-3 or larger, the crossmember is moved back and made for the larger trans, and "might" clear, but the factory never supplied them that way. Most likely your father had a '53.
Ross F-1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:27 AM.