F150 4 speed trans in a Model A

4

4bangerrodder

Junior Member
Anyone out there with a F150 Truck 4 speed transmission in a Model A? Is your 2nd to 3rd shift tough, feels like their should be another gear between them??
 
I have a F150 overdrive transmission and the first 3 gears are about like an A transmission. There are 2 different 2nd gears. I have the high one. The low one probably has more of a gap.

John
 
John: There appears to be a 3.25 first gear with a 2nd gear of 1.92 and then there is a 3.01 first gear with a 2nd of 1.78. I haven't taken my apart yet and am assuming it's the higher gear of 1.92. Do you know your ratio and how modified is your engine? Thanks!
 
4bangerrodder, I have the F150 in my Fordor with 3:54 gears in the rear end. The shifting seems just like the A with a shift speed of 25 mph out of 2nd. Yes, it seems there is a gap between 2nd and 3rd, same as the A, but when you get to 45-50 in 3rd and go into OD, its like starting all over again with another gear! I got 27 mpg this summer on a 350 mile run. The syncro's are worth the effort especially in stop and go traffic or in town. Top speed of 73 mph has been obtained but I want better tires before I go any faster. Cruising at 55-60 is easy at 2100 rpm. You need a GOOD motor to pull all of this off...
 
4bangerroder I do not have the ratios anymore. I do know that it has a higher 2cnd gear and 22-23% overdrive. This gives about 10MPH more at 55(same rpm as 45) I have inserted,counterbalanced engine 5.5 head,Stipe 330 cam,stock Zenith carb. Pretty mild but it goes good wherever I take it.
 
Here's what I have been given as the available F150 gear ratios, as well as what I believe to be the standard Model A ratios:

Gear....A........B........C.........D.......Model A
1 ......3.01....3.25....3.25.....3.01.....3.12
2 ......1.78 ...1.92 ...1.92.... 1.78 ....1.85
3 ......1.00... 1.00.... 1.00....1.00.... 1.00
OD ....0.72... 0.71.... 0.78... 0.79.... N/A
Rev ....3.01... 3.25.... 3.25... 3.01.... 3.12

Don't know how accurate that is, but it's what I have.
 
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Gents Many Thanks for the replies!! I have the trans in a 30 coupe with a Kelly inserted motor, crower rods, hhigh lift cam, headers, price/thomas head and currently a weber downdraft along with 4:11's in the rear. Lot's of power in 1st and 2nd, drops about 1100 rpm when its shifted to 3rd. The drop on the 2nd to 3rd shift is huge, runs fine in 4th (od) on the flat, but, we're about 6300 feet in elevation here which zaps some strength from the enging.
 
4bangerrodder said:
Gents Many Thanks for the replies!! I have the trans in a 30 coupe with a Kelly inserted motor, crower rods, hhigh lift cam, headers, price/thomas head and currently a weber downdraft along with 4:11's in the rear. Lot's of power in 1st and 2nd, drops about 1100 rpm when its shifted to 3rd. The drop on the 2nd to 3rd shift is huge, runs fine in 4th (od) on the flat, but, we're about 6300 feet in elevation here which zaps some strength from the enging.
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you should have more than enough power to pull the trans considering my motors stock with a weber. 1st to 2nd gears is pretty close, but the 2nd to 3rd is more spread out. and yes at 6300 feet you're getting thin on oxygen.
 
4bangerrodder said:
Gents Many Thanks for the replies!! I have the trans in a 30 coupe with a Kelly inserted motor, crower rods, hhigh lift cam, headers, price/thomas head and currently a weber downdraft along with 4:11's in the rear. Lot's of power in 1st and 2nd, drops about 1100 rpm when its shifted to 3rd. The drop on the 2nd to 3rd shift is huge, runs fine in 4th (od) on the flat, but, we're about 6300 feet in elevation here which zaps some strength from the enging.
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If you have a tach, note a few RPM/road speed pairs in each gear. That helps you find the sweet spot to shift up in each gear. I can show you how to plot them up to do that.
 
I installed one of Tim Sheridan's F-150 4 speed conversions in my 30 pickup last year and am quite satisfied with it. My only concern is that when I shift from 3rd into the 4th overdrive at 35 to 40 miles an hour, and not having a tach., am I shifting too soon and actually lugging the engine?
Any thoughts or comments will be most appreciated. Thanks.
 
MurphyJ said:
I installed one of Tim Sheridan's F-150 4 speed conversions in my 30 pickup last year and am quite satisfied with it. My only concern is that when I shift from 3rd into the 4th overdrive at 35 to 40 miles an hour, and not having a tach., am I shifting too soon and actually lugging the engine?
Any thoughts or comments will be most appreciated. Thanks.
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That's way to early. You shouldn't be in everdrive until 45-50, and at that speed you will want to down shift while going up hills so that you don't over stress the engine. If you put it in overdrive going 35-40, you are lugging the motor, and actually pounding the babbit out of your bearings.
 
Whether you can shift in to 4th gear at 35-40 verses 45-50 has a lot to do with which ratio OD gear you have. With the 27% should be no problem. With the 37% big problem. I have the 27% in 'le Coupe and shift into 4th constantly at 35mph. After 16,000 miles the babbit shows no sign of beating out. ken
 
kenparker said:
Whether you can shift in to 4th gear at 35-40 verses 45-50 has a lot to do with which ratio OD gear you have. With the 27% should be no problem. With the 37% big problem. I have the 27% in 'le Coupe and shift into 4th constantly at 35mph. After 16,000 miles the babbit shows no sign of beating out. ken
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I agree. It also depends on the rear end gear you are using. Instead of worrying about road speed you shift at, you should look at RPM.
 
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