Would You Swap Transmissions ?

TobbyT

TobbyT

Member
I have what I’ve been told is an all original 1950 F-3. Everything in the drive train seems to be correct for the year and is working. It has a 4 speed Non-synchronized transmission. I have a BORG-WARNER T87D-1 synchronized 3 speed transmission removed from a 1948 HD Ford. If you had the chance, would you swap out the transmission?
 
You bet! The four speed most likely has a `Granny' 1st gear. Unless you are going to pull stumps you probably don't have much use for it. Swapping transmissions became a lot easier with the open driveshaft. Just my 2¢ worth.
 
use the 3 speed, there is nothing like a syncroed trans to make your life easy, no grinding when down and up shifting,
 
I'd swap it and hold on to the 4 speed in case you want it original down the road. You'll like the 3 speed alot more.
 
Add my vote for the 3 speed. I drove my 40 Tonner for several years with the 4 speed crash box and finally decided that my experience driving an Early Ford truck would be a whole lot more pleasant if I went to a synchroed transmission. I used a 49 Merc O/D trans which also takes some pressure off the engine at freeway speeds. The swap should be relatively easy. You might have to shorten the driveshaft from the trans tailshaft housing to the intermediate bearing carrier and fabricate a bracket to support the trans tailshaft but this shouldn't present any problems with your F3 frame.
 
Those t87 heavy duty 3 speeds are TUFF! They can handle that F3. As stated you will have some mods to the driveshaft & yoke, and possibly the mount brackets. The gears inside the T87 are bigger than the regular L/D 3 speed. First and reverse are spur gears but everything else is helical cut. Go for it.
 
It is synchro'd but it is still a slow-shifting transmission by standards today. It's no T5.

What exactly did the T87D come from? That will tell what you'll have to do to swap. If it was in an F1 you've got some work to do. If it was in an F2 or F3 your trans mount will be easy. This trans is about the same length as the 4 spd so I wouldn't expect much in the way of fitting problems.
 
mtflat, Dad pulled it out of a truck 100 years ago. He's sure it was a 1948 and believes it was an F-2. The truck was headed to the junkyard and he knew the trans was good. It's been here ever since. I guess I need to do some measuring to see what all it will take to get it installed.
 
The difference is obvious. The F1's used the car-type trans mount in a shallow crossmember - even for the T87D. The F2s and bigger used the deep horseshoe crossmember with the trans mounted on a pedestal type mount.

If your trans came from an F2 it should be a simple bolt in operation and you may not even need to mess with the driveshaft.

I have a T87D that came stock in my 48 F1. I've also got a variety of F2, F4 and F6's sitting around here, most have the 4 spd crashbox.

The next synchro is the T98 but it's significantly larger than the 4spd and 3HD.
 
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