Hello, I am looking for a donor truck. I have a Landcruiser wagon with a 4.2 straight six in it. The engine is about ready for overhaul, 273,000 miles, but the cost is ridiculous. A good shop locally wants over 3500 with some new parts. :eek:And that is if I pull it and deliver it.
So, I am looking for an upgrade. I want a 300 six with fuel injection, a strong 5 speed with a low first and a decent overdrive, and a 203 or 205 attached that I can use an adapter to fit my split case for a doubler set-up.
I am basically a noob when it comes to fords made after 1980. My first truck was a 77 highboy with a hot 351. I have not owned one since, about 15 years.
So, school the noob. What year, make, model would be best?
Thanks, Jason

they started fuel injection in 1987. So find a 2wd F150 and gut it. but whats wrong with the carbed version?

I like this idea.... Fuel injection for the 300 started in 87. Stay away from the 87. Ford didnt have all the bugs worked out of it till 88. So anything from 88 up. i think mass air flow started in 94?

a truck or van will work, but be aware van plugs are all square and truck are round.

as for the trans it sounds like you want the zf 5 speed. started in 87 i think. they are pricy though... around 8 -900 on ebay. and you may have to get an adaptor to mate the two.

some 300s came with 5 speeds, but they were actually made by mazada. they were weak and had a high first gear.

my np435 (4 speed) has a super low (6.68:1) first and 4th is almost an overdrive (1:1)

need to know anything else?

Id love to see this project

My cruiser is a carb model. If I do a drivetrain swap, I want FI.
Is there any 5 peed that is better than another?
I also am looking for a doubler, so are any of the years ,models better than others as far as t-cases go? I would only be using the range box.
I would like to get a truck that has all of these. Is there one?
Thanks, Jason

Thanks Wes, I was hoping that I could find a truck that came with all the goodies. It sounds like I may have to scavenge parts. Bummer. A five speed landcruiser tranny, the h55f, costs over 2,000. then you need the shifter, clutch blah, blah, it ends up over 3,000 pretty easy for the swap.
Were there any 3/4 or 1 ton rigs that had a 300 to zf 5 speed to 203/205?
Thanks, Jason

3000 for a tranny? damm....
I know ford had the 300 in the 3/4 tons. I have never seen your ideal combo before, but it doesnt mean that ford never made it. ford made just about one of everything. If that cambo was produced, i would say its rare.
The zf 5 speeds are normaly found in trucks with 460s or desiels. Best bet would be to check the bone yard, ebay, etc.

If i kick up some parts around my house that could be of use to you, ill give you a shout

I want to see pics of this!!

Thanks Wes, I'm looking to do the swap this summer so I figured I better start looking now.
Does anyone know if Ford had a good 5 speed behind the carbed 300?
Thanks, Jason

ideal donor truck is a '87-up f250 or f350 with a 6cyl/5 speed. Rare truck, expecially a 4wd one.

carbed trucks had 4 speeds. 87 was the first year for FI and 5 speeds. Half ton = weak 5 speed. 3/4 and 1 ton = ZF = good 5 speed with low first and OD.

the 300-6 has a smallblock bellhousing pattern so you could find a donor truck with a small block/ZF combo and just source a motor.

Thanks for the info!
So, I am looking for unobtainium, or a donor and a motor. Doesn't sound too bad.
I better start looking.

Yeah, you need parts from 3 trucks since Ford never put the ZF behind the 300/4.9. I put one in my truck that has a 4.9, it came from a '92 F-250HD. GVW is the key to what got a ZF and what didn't. They were behind 5.8s in F-250HDs and F-350s.

As to a NP203 or NP205, Ford dropped them somewhere about '84 but they will still bolt to ZF, might need to grind for the shifter rail?

Edit: The 5 speed that came behind the 4.9 was a Mazda, it's ok for small trucks but I'd stay away from it for what you want.

Ford definatley put the ZF behind the 300, because they damn sure didn't put the M5OD in anything over 8500 GVWR, while the 300 could be had in a C&C Dually. A 5.8L truck will be MUCH easier to find however.
As for fitting up a205, Ford last used them both in 79, but, as previously stated, they will bolt up, you just need to notch the adapter for the one shift rail on the 205. Due to the 5 speeds being aluminum case/aluminum adapter, you need to support that big chunk of cast iron well to keep things from getting broken.

IIRC 300 uses smallblock bellhousing so any smallblock zf should work
why not a V8?
300 is a big motor, get your tape measure out to see if it will fit

Ford definatley put the ZF behind the 300, because they damn sure didn't put the M5OD in anything over 8500 GVWR, while the 300 could be had in a C&C Dually.


But I think only 2wd, to get a 4wd ZF it would be behind a 5.8. Could be wrong about that, there was a thread here not long ago about this.


As for fitting up a205, Ford last used them both in 79,

Ford started using the NP208 and BW1354 in '80 but sporadically used the NP205 for a few more years.

IIRC 300 uses smallblock bellhousing so any smallblock zf should work

Correct

I have never seen any evidence to support the 205 being installed after 79, never ran across a truck with one factory, and they are not in the factory shop manuals. That's not to say there aren't some 80's running around with them, I know of a former U-Haul 79 body F350 C&C Dually with a 4/80 build date, weird things did happen...
I ran across a 96 4x4 C&C Dually with a 300/ZF not too long ago on e-bay, that said, somewhere in the early 90's, the 300 became a delete option in the 250HD/350, and therefore are VERY rare.... Just like the C6, it was still around until 96, but, as a delete option. They're so uncommon that they're not really even worth arguing about, but, nonetheless, they do exist.

As for shoving a 300 into that criuser, that may be interesting, and is 150hp/265 ft/lb going to be worth the conversion? Fuellie 300's don't particularly respond that great to major deviations from stock.

Ive seen 4 300/zf combos in the junkyard.All of them 4wd

300 has the same bellhousing boltpattern as the small V8s (302,351 0r 5.0, 5.8 in metric) so any tranny that bolt to them will bolt to the 300-6.
The ZF came behind the small V8s although I think the 460 and diesel versions are more plentyful.

the diesel/460 version :
Close Ratio
1st Gear: 4.14
2nd Gear: 2.37
3rd Gear: 1.42
4th Gear: 1.00
5th Gear: 0.77
Rev Gear: 3.79

small block version:
Wide Ratio
1st Gear: 5.72
2nd Gear: 2.94
3rd Gear: 1.61
4th Gear: 1.00
5th Gear: 0.76
Rev Gear: 5.24

These trannys are a 2 piece case design, where the bellhousing is integral to the main transmission housing. The rear case half also comes in 2 versions, 2wd and 4wd.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk253/DirkSteffens/Parts/ZF-S5-42-4x2.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk253/DirkSteffens/Parts/ZF-S5-42-4x4.jpg
internal view:
http://www.drivetrain.com/transills542.html
Worst case pick up 2 of these, and uses the small bell front part and the 4WD rear. I have seen several of these on http://car-part.com with cracked bells or wrecked internals for cheap.

Ford uses a hydraulic master/slave setup which works well (once its bled) which should be very easy to adapt to any vehicle.

Good info, thanks everyone.
The 2F inline six in my cruiser is rated at 135 hp and 210 ft/lbs. That was new.
The ford engine has better hp and torque, plus the ability to be rebuilt by any machine shop. I think if I find one I will do a mild overhaul, mostly stock, maybe some head work and a little bump in compression.
If you look at the cost of a rebuild on a 2F you see how much I will have to spend, and then I still will have a carb and four speed. I think for the same money I can have a fresh FI 300 and a five speed. Then hopefully a range box that bolts directly to the zf, then an adapter to my Landcruiser split case.
I have been looking for a doubler set up for my truck. I live in Montana and I find myself on very steep trails, and have often wanted lower gearing.
I like a straight six, always have. I think the 300 is a big upgrade to the 2F.
Sounds like I need to find a good boneyard. I was hoping to find a perfect donor. Then I would have all the wiring harness and mounts to modify. We'll see whats out there. Thanks, Jason

instead of having a shop rebuild a 300 i wonder if you could find a truck for sale that had a recently rebuilt one. Part out the rest and you would have a pretty close to free motor. Just an idea.

IIRC

87-95 ish EFI 300 6cyl's were speed density. The better mass air models were in 95-96 trucks/vans.

If you are lucky you could find a 5sp F250 4x4 with a 300 6cyl in it. That should be a ZF tranny. If not, you need one that was behind a 5.8L. The NP205 will mate up to this tranny but you may need an adapter housing.

Does anyone know which transfer cases came with the zf?
Can you split them like a 203 or 205? I would only be interested in the range box. Thanks, Jason

All of the 80+ units are chain drive units, and you can't just unbolt the reduction box like you can on a 203(You can't do that on a 205 either) But, the 203 should bolt up to the back of the ZF, just the same as a 205 would. People have built doublers out of the later boxes, but, it isn't a simple bolt together affair.
A ZF should have a BW-1356 behind it.

You cannot get an adaptor bellhousing as the ZF Bell is Integral = 1 Piece transmission.

Edit: Even if your talking about a trans to tcase adaptor your still wrong.

You cannot get an adaptor bellhousing as the ZF Bell is Integral = 1 Piece transmission.

Edit: Even if your talking about a trans to tcase adaptor your still wrong.


That's funny, but you are correct. :D With these big Fords there really aren't transfer case adapters, they are transmission adapters. The t-case input and bolt pattern is always the same, what changes is how it bolts to the trans, except the ZF of course. All the other transmission I can think of use an adapter.

Yeah I agree but arent they all 31 spline with the round pattern?Im pretty sure they are.I just swapped an E4OD for a ZF behind a 302.It was fun to say the least.Im going back to jeepworld.Anyone know what wire are for reverse in the E4OD harness?

its too bad you are so far away. svt still has the hopped up 4.9 sitting out in our shop.

it had higher miles ( 160k ? )- but had a new ported and polished head, ported intake ( upper and lower ), flow matched injectors, bigger TB, MSD, and some other shit i cant remember. it would spin 39s into 2nd, and it was the most powerfull 4.9 i ever drove.

after a local wheeling trip it started to run weird, it would buck and jerk, then be fine. then it just ran bad. it pissed him off enough to buy another truck :D - i think the computer took a crap ( no inner fenders and exposed ecm connections )

he has the mazda tranny, and it held up to the abuce better than i thought it would. he killed the t case a few times, and the 8.8 - later the 9" - but no trannys

to bad shipping might suck - he might give it to ya :grinpimp:

Thanks for all the good info. I don't think I want a Built motor that is a basket-case. Even if it is free. I will keep looking, I have a little time before this needs to be done.
I figured I would do my research before my 2F quit.
If anyone knows of a donor truck like this within a few hundred miles of SW Montana, let me know.
Thanks again, Jason

fine fine ill take