Hi All, I've flipped through this site a few times for info on my 1959 Ford F-500 and never noticed this particular forum. I think its time I tear down and restore my old truck, it was a cattle truck on my grandfather's ranch with a 12x8 flatbed with a custom built rack on it. It has the small MD 292 engine with a T-98A transmission, and an eaton two speed rear end. The drivetrain has passed 120,000 miles on the the orginal cluth and transmission, engine was rebuilt 30,000 ago.To make the truck more interesting and more powerful, I was thinking of using period-correct parts, even if ford never installed them. I like this idea over going a modern driveline route. I'm a CAT diesel technician starting out, so I can handle working on big engines and transmissions (in my schooling we rebuilt 3406B truck engines). To try and shorten this long post up, I'm wondering on the possibilty of swapping a SD engine in my truck with the clark OD HD transmission that my shop manual lists, or the fuller R-46 8 speed. Will the clark bolt up to these bellhousings, or do you need the heavier 8 speed? Money is not so much an issue, as I have an indefinite period of time to do the total body off restoration on the truck, and i'm willing to spend over twice the cost of rebuilding a 460 here, since I've got the time, is this swap feasible? The narrow frame rails on my truck worry me, not sure how much wider the 700's and up were.

 

Haha, after reading most of the "transplant" threads in this forum, just as a note, I realize these engines are not pick-up engines, I'm not interested in modern convience and power, just more interesting and more power than my small 292, It doesn't have to go fast, it doesn't have to get good gas mileage, just be cool and a heck of a puller at the same time. I found long block prices online at: http://www.precisionengine.com/rebuilt-engines/ford-lincoln-mercury/index.html

$3500 (incl core) doesn't seem so bad for an antique monster.
I may not qualify as too smart anyways, I just put 3000 into rebuilding my 6.2 diesel in my blazer, a non turbo diesel! I just like being different I suppose.


PS Before I changed out the carb and went through the ignition system on my truck, it was getting about 5 mpg, it will probably still only get 5 mpg with 10,000 lbs of cattle and rack on the back, with an additional 12,000 lbs of loaded trailer in tow. We've worked her hard, she never let us down, and I want to make the old girl a little more interesting

Also on of my front leaves has a crack in it, so I will be going through at least one of the packs, so if necessary I could have a set of custom front springs made. We've got a good large truck suspension shop in town that can build me anything I need.

 

The 59 F 900's had the option of the Super Duty V8 I think it was a 401ci
Some had clark's ,Newprocess ,Fullers @ spicers For transmissions. As far as a
simple swap go's the easiest to do is to upgrade to a 391 FT. Back in the good
old days we would swap 352/390 car engines in these trucks. The car engine swap was OK but the HD truck engines lasted a lot longer. As far as power goes
the swap to a FE/FT is a good one, noticeable improvement on the hills, much
less shifting.
Have A Good Day------ Hotwrench