my 79 f800 has a 5 speed spicer tranny with three speed auxillary (brownie)
and single speed rear end. just cant seem to get the hang of shifting the brownie. considering doing a swap. My truck is a dump 34,000 GVW with 450 motor. Any tranny suggestions.
thanks all

 

That's going to cost you.

"450 motor"? Is this a Ford gas engine? Possibly a 477 or 534?

Look for used transmissions here:

Fuller Transmissions on VanderHaags.com

Can you change the trans yourself, removing the main and aux. boxes?

If not, I can't imagine you could have a shop remove your existing setup and replace it in less than 15-20 hours. Add the clutch and driveline work, and I would be surprised if you could do this for less than $5000.

What trouble are you having shifting your existing set up?

 

yes I would do it myself. Problem I,m having is not with the transmission it is the operator. I dont usually have any difficulty upshifting the brownie the problem is mostly when I upshift the main and downshift the brownie. cant seem to get it without grinding gears. I don't normally even think of using the low unless I am stopped with a load. so normally it is just going from the high to direct drive that gives me the problem. I have nobody available to actually drive it and show me so I am just trying to teach myself and it is not going too great.

 

I see from your posts you've had this thing a while. And several other posts etc to get it running and starting.

Your experience reminds me of a Clark crash box in an old GMC my dad had. It was a real grinder.

Serving suggestion: Go here:

Washington Chapter - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

and go to your prior posts. You have some replies fro rummer s. c. in Seattle, and there is a map there with member's locations. MAYBE you could meet up with someone, have them drive it and compare it with other similar units. Maybe it's just the way it is, maybe it doesn't shift quite right.

Anyway, imo, a different trans for this seems like a lot of money and effort. Of course, I'm not the one trying to row through those gears.

Good luck with it.

 

If you can't find a person to show you how to shift it, maybe you could find an old trucker on a web forum that could explain the proper sequence to shift smoothly. That way somebody is at least identifying what you are doing/not doing correctly. Maybe even somebody here on this forum. But a tranny swap just sounds like an awful lot of effort and money unless the one you have is trash.

 

Youtube has a vid of an older guy shifting a brownie, he made it look easy. I have only been around one, and it was years ago,,, I can still hear the grinding.

 

A two-sticker can be a hand-full if you've never been schooled in floating the gears.

I learned from an old-timer that the clutch was only used for stopping and starting. All shifts, according to him, were done by 'floating' the gears and matching engine speed/transmission speed/road speed. I quickly understood you need to 'hear' the right rpm for the gear change.

Upshifting - Main up/brownie down was done main box first.

Downshifting - Brownie up/main down was done brownie first.

The reason for that was the first shift was easy, since the engine speed would be low. The second shift of the appropriate box was done by getting the stick into N, revving up to the right rpm, then easing it in. Don't shove it into gear, try to feel the gears engaging while you gently put it into gear.

And, if you're driving an old B-series Mack, it is okay to reach through the steering wheel to shift the aux box.

Anyway, just my 0.02 USD worth.

Ray

 

Check this out.

Apples and oranges, but:


Cornbinder gas rig:


No arm through the wheel, no belly steer either: