I picked up a 1976 Ford F250 Highboy the other day and I would like to modify it some.
Right now its got a 360 gasser in it and a 4 speed transmission. 4 wheel drive with a divorce transfer case.
I would like to put in a First gen CTD and was wondering if any one on here has done it.
I would love to keep the 4 speed if possible.
Is ther any ways to convert this thing, or am I just blowing smoke?
I Have heard of some adapter kit to do this, but is it true?
Anybody have any advice or comments?
Thanks for any advice or comments!
Wheelo

 

That sounds like a great project. I love those old Fords, and have had a few. I know there are a couple members here that have done conversions, and I'm sure they will show up here sooner or later. There are several websites dealing with this subject. Such as:
www.destroked.com
www.fordcummins.com
www.cummins-conversion.com
There seems to be many adapters available on these sites, and the latter is a good discussion forum a lot like this one. Good luck

 

Not really related but had to share this with you. I saw an early 80's f-250 at a marine engine shop back in the day that they were taking out the old 351 and putting in some kind of air cooled diesel. That was cool, no rad. I'm not sure if they ever got it running and if so how they got heat in the winter. It was some kind of European stationary diesel engine they had kickin' around the shop.

 

73-79 F series are my favorite, go for it that will be a cool build. I always wanted to do it with a 1-ton crew.

 

You gotta love it when people do conversions on those trucks. It's a great platform to begin with since it's got the divorced transfercase, you can run any tranny. I have a friend that had a '75 F-250. Just to irritate all the Ford fans he dropped in a 454 and slapped a Chevy emblem on the hood. The Ford fans always expressed their disgust, but you could tell they were envious.

 

a friend and i did it to a 71 350 a few years back. we used dodge 5 speed. had to make a cross member, front mount brackets. the rest was just normal engine swap stuff. oops had to take 1 in. out of oil pan to clear drag link. been several years still have truck. pulls like there is no tomorrow

 

I don't remember the year but I knew a guy that put a Cummins into a F350 dually.

His biggest problem was keeping a tranny behind it. I want to say he kept blowing clutches.

 

I always like those lockable tool boxes that were built into the side of older F series. Wish todays trucks still had them

 

Alot of the Ford guys recommend destroked...WAY over fordcummins for quality issues...Never delt with either just hear say

 

I was kinda hoping for an adapter that would fit the transmiision that is in it. I love the strength of the 4 spd, and wanted to keep it.
How hard will it be to find a doner 5 spd out of a dodge?
Thanks!
Wheelo

 

You may be able to keep the NP435 (or T18/19, whichever it has). They all came with removable bellhousings. The 351M/400 had the same bellhousing pattern as the 429/460. Fordcummins sells an engine adapter to use a 460 tranny. So if you got the 460 adapter for the engine, and a bellhousing from a manual that had a 351M or 400, they should mate up. I guess you'd have to figure out the input shaft. Ford was 1-1/16" 10 spline, and they use the dodge clutch, which is 1-1/4" 10 spline.

 

Wow go figure......I have a 76' Highboy that I've been tossing around the idea of doing the same with. Although I want to use a 600 series Cummins instead Not sure I'll ever have the time to do it, but it sure would be cool! Plus it'd beat the heck out of my 390 I have



~Nick

 

how can I tell if the transmission is a T18/19? Where do I find the tag on these things?
I do know that the transfer case is NP something.
Thanks!
Wheelo

 

NP435 has an aluminum top cover, the T18/19's are cast iron. The T18 and T19 are basically the same, but the 19 has a syncronized first gear. I think those were a 79, or early 80's unit. The NP and T18 were more common. Both real strong. T-case should be a divorced 205, unless its a full time, then a divorced 203.

 

You probably have the NP435.

Early 90's I swapped in a 6.9 to a 75 highboy. I originally ran the 435 but ended swapping in a T19D because the gear spread and the 6.9 did not play well together

I have been driving a '78 F250 SC 4x4 for about 1 1/2 years with a 12 valve in it. I have a bunch of in progress pictures on fordtrucks.com and fewer pictures on TDR. I go by "Scot" there.

Pm me if you have specific questions.