Projects New project: 1959 F-100 short box shop truck

Love this truck!!

 

my first choice would be a 57 but all the square bodies are cool...

 

Well, picked a new clutch up and had the flywheel turned, for home from work and put it all together and got the bellhousing on. I did the grease packing trick to get the old pilot bushing out...man that works slick! Cleaned the oil off the back of the block, this thing is really clean and shows it was probably somewhat fresh.

Still waiting on transmission parts, once those show up I can put it together. Still need to swap columns for a column shift unit, and will have to wait til we are all said and done to determine if any driveline Work needs done

 

that should make it way better to drive I bet... I was watching Discovery last night and see GMG is building one these for Shiner Bock Beer ( well built already ) wonder what the finish truck will be like. Your truck is looking great Chris !

 

Well, get the trans together but somethinf didn’t feel right. Popped it apart not once, but twice before I figured out it was a broken synchro key (I think anyways). Damn .50 part holding up the rest of it. Oh well, hopefully I can track one down tomorrow. The good news is, I’m getting pretty good at putting this together by now!

 

So Friday I went to a buddies house who does transmissions and rear ends...luckily he had a couple spare synchro keys from a T10. Took them home and got the trans out together. Bench shifts like butter!






Yesterday I got the trans in the truck. I had to mount theslave cylinder on the back of the bellhousing and shorten the slave cylinder push rod a couple inches.



The drive shaft is about an inch too short, so I will have to address that. And I have to still swap in a column shift column I have, but I had to order new shift linkage bushings. So a couple things to button up and hopefully I’ll be doing wheelies in the front yard. In the meantime I rolled out a new floor mat to see how it fits

 

Love them ol' "Fridges" and Y-blocks! Subscribed.

 

So, Chris...are you going to make up a spacer to go between the driveshaft and trans? Seems the cheapest/easiest way to solve the problem, eh?

 

love the truck is that trans for a 2 piece drive shaft it looks like it has no slip yolk

 

I have the driveline in the back of my truck, I’m going to take it to a driveshaft shop to see what it would cost to make it the correct length. This driveshaft has a slip yoke, and that picture is it extended all the way out...so it needs to be about an inch longer to be correct. If I make a spacer it will probably have to be aluminum as I’m not sure if the extra weight/mass would do the rear bearing in the trans any favors

 

The driveshaft has a slip yoke. The long bed pickups had a two piece driveshaft with a Carrier bearing. Short beds had a one peice drive shaft. I think this driveshaft is out of a newer pickup...maybe early 60’s ford short bed? Because the diameter of the tube is larger then the stock 57-60’s had. Which probably explains the slight length difference

 

Very cool truck!

 

Well that was easier, and cheaper, then I thought. Driveline shop had a new yoke that’s about 1.5” longer. Easy-peasy

 

back in business ! coming along nice

 

glad that it all worked out it isn't that easy often

 

You aren't lying. I asked what it would have cost if it did indeed need lengthened. He said roughly 200.00. I would have been whittling out a spacer instead more then likely.

 

Well, the longer yoke worked perfect. Just waiting on shift arm bushings and I’ll be back in business

 

Finished up the trans install by swapping columns and hooking linkage up. Everything works as it should and it shifts well!

 

Finally got a chance to take the truck for a drive with the new trans and shifter installed. Drives great...however the noise that I thought was the old 4 speed is still there. So now I need to look into other issues... it only does it in top gear, and it’s a low howl. Any suggestions?

 

Ring and pinion?

 

I am thinking/hoping? It is noticeable in 3rd, and the faster I go the louder it gets. In a big metal truck its really hard to tell where the noise is coming from. When I push the clutch in the noise goes away...so it may be when the 3rd member has torque applied to it? I checked/greased the U joints when I had the driveshaft out and they seemed good, the 3rd member is one I put in it and it felt a little sloppy but who knows? The trans I obviously just had out and apart with new bearings. This noise was in it before the trans so I really do not think it is that. I think its just about gotta be 3rd member or driveshaft.

I may get the back on jack stands and try to locate the source of the howl.

 

Wow Chris, that truck looks amazing!

 

Well I drove it about 40 miles up to my brothers and back the other night. It really drives nice...with all the suspension and steering being new/rebuilt it handles great. Shifts going is and has great power. But the howling was terrible. I got under the truck, grabbed the driveshaft and could wiggle it back and forth. So the 3rd member is toast. Pulled it out and took it to a buddy that does gears. He’s going to freshen it up and put some 3.50’s in it. Should make it go down the road a little better then the 3.70’s that were in it





While in my driveway with the rear apart, I mocked some 5 spokes I just had mounted on it. I like it!

 

Looking good, dig the wheels.
FWIW, I have 3:10 in mine and works very well.

 

Nice truck, you've done a good job with it. I'm not sure I've ever seen anybody remove a 4 speed for a 3 speed column shift before, usually the other way around, but it does make the cab roomier.

Devin

 

Remember this isn’t like “oh cool 4 on the floor”, it was a work truck 4 speed with the non synchro granny gear first. Good stout transmissions but not what I really wanted in a little light duty short box. I love Column shifts.

 

Love the 5 spokes, need a lil taller front tire though if you run 'em.

 

The nice thing about column shifts, or, "Three on the Tree" as we used to call them is that they are kinda like a theft prevention device. Not too many people nowadays seem to be able to drive a stick let alone handle a column shifter.

 

I got my 3rd memeber back, it actually ended up being a broken pinion support, so the only thing holding the pinion strait was the bearing. That would explain the howling and clunking noise. So, a different case and some 3.50 gears, now drives nice and quiet. I also finally got around to buffing the rest of the truck out. Still needs some touch ups, but the paint shined up the best I could get it

 

I agree. I mounted these for my 34, just wanted to see what some Americans would look like on the truck