Technical 59 Fairlane 500 Galaxie Motor swap

Hello everyone,

I have a 59 Fairlane 500 with a 223 and three on the tree. I picked up a 1964 352, which is pretty much a bolt in for this car. My question revolves around using my existing trans with the three on the tree shifter. I think I can bolt my bell housing to the 352 but would only use four of the bolts vs the five on the 352.

Can I use the 223 flywheel, clutch and pressure plate?

Thankyou

 

Existing trans

 

No, you'll need an FE bellhousing and flywheel. Your 3 speed will bolt up to an FE bellhousing. Ford transmissions from 49 to 64 will work. You'll need the FE starter as well.

 

Ah okay thanks so much

 

IIRC the 6 cylinder transmission was a lot lighter duty than the FE version. Might want to research that or go easy on it.

 

Anyone willing to point me in the right direction. Looked on ebay, parts websites etc and I am unsure what to get. I have a 1964 352 fe with an internal balance.

Need. Bellhousing for my ford 3 speed manual
Flywheel/bolts
Clutch/pressure plate

I went on napa and none of that stuff seems to be correct

Please help, I am new to this and just don’t want to continue ordering the wrong parts

Thankyou

Jason

 

FE manual trans bellhousings for cars are getting very hard to find and expensive, although the '58-64 ones will be marginally easier to find. There's a lot of '65-up truck bells out there for cheap, but car transmissions don't work with those due to the truck bell being a bit 'deeper'. And your trans won't bolt up to the later bell in any case.

If you're trying to do this on a low budget, I'd recommend trying to find a '65-76 FE truck three-speed set up. This gets you a full syncro heavy-duty toploader three speed and the late starter design (much better...), with the only fly in the ointment being the trans will probably be a short tailshaft version. That can be converted to a long tailshaft with the right donor trans or you may luck out and find one. The '65-72 long-bed trucks used the short tailshaft and a two-piece driveshaft, the short beds used the long tailshaft, I believe they all used the long tailshaft after '72. Behind a 352, that trans will be bulletproof. I had one in a '58 ford years ago and that was the only drivetrain part I never broke...

Your existing trans is the Ford-design three speed and was the lightest-duty one used in that era. With careful moderate use it'll live behind a FE, but if you beat on it at all you'll spit it out onto the street.

An alternative trans choice could be a later-model truck toploader four speed OD trans with the iron case (stay away from the aluminum-case version). These can still be found and have the long tailshaft, try to get the linkage with it as that's getting hard to find. These tend to have bad cluster gear bearings from use but rebuild kits are readily available and not expensive. You'll have to cut a hole in the floor for the shifter.

As with any swap, there will be minor details to address; you'll need some clutch linkage bits, but you can modify what you have or build them. You'll likely need a bigger radiator as well.

Very nice '59 by the way; I've always liked that body style. Good luck!

 

Thank-you Steve. I appreciate your time and input. I was trying to maintain use of the three on the tree but I am hearing that it may not be possible.

 

If you can find a truck three speed setup, you can retain your column shift. There may be a bit of minor mods for the shift linkage, but it shouldn't be anything too tough.

 

Is that the 65-76 3 speed set up. So I’d need the bellhousing, trans and a new driveshaft? And this would use my three on the tree?

 

Wish I could actually type. I'm a hunt-n-pecker with 2 fingers. Typing class wasn't an option for Men when I went to High School. I have posted this info several times over the years here. You need a first gen FE Bellhousing to get it right. That being 1958- 1959. Ford repositioned the Fork opening in 1960. There's more to it, use the Search menu and find one of the complete posts I put up. It's all there. Yes I've done it many times. Here is 2 of my current vehicles, both FE powered (not that that matters). You can actually bolt together a many year span of these parts and not ever get things working right.

 

You'll need the complete clutch/bellhousing (including the tins)/flywheel/throwout arm/starter, the trans, and probably the trans output yoke. The driveshaft may work after swapping the yoke, depends on the front u-joint and any possible length change. New yokes are available if need be. If you can get the inner z-bar mount/pivot that may help, or you could make one from your existing pivot. Your existing z-bar will probably need to be shortened on the engine end; any V8 swap will need mods to the six clutch linkage to work. You may have to alter your existing trans shift arms but I don't think so.

Wizzard, I installed a complete '66 full-size Ford FE three speed setup in a '58 and had zero issues with the clutch linkage using stock parts. The truck bell looks the same, the only difference I know is the added depth; I'm assuming they made up the difference in the input shaft. The issue these days is finding the parts....

 

Nice car!

 

I put a 3.03 toploader in my 53, and kept the column shift by modifying the shift rods slightly. The set up came out of a 1973 F100 long bed. Crazy Steve is right, the cheapest find would be donor parts from a pickup. I would look for a 73-76 F100/ F150 long bed truck with a 360 motor. Earlier long beds will have a two piece driveshaft and a short tail shaft mostly. I do have one with a long tail shaft, but it was behind a small block and the input shaft diameter is smaller. The truck bellhousing is slightly deeper, but not enough to cause any issues. Nice 59.

 

I have a FE starter here I’ll never use. Off a 390. PM me your address I’ll send it to you for postage. It should fit in a flat rate box, and get something off my shelf to boot


I think it was from an auto trans , not sure if there’s a difference?

 

Thank you so much. The guy I got the wngine from gave me a starter as well. If it doesn’t work I’ll take you up on your offer.

Jason

 

Thankyou for all the replies. I am on the hunt.

 

Thanks

 

Pulling engine tomorrow. I will reply back once I see what all I have to work with. Thanks again

 

Haha okay, yeah the bellhousing is the thing I am having the hardest time finding.

 

Not sure what part of the Country your in so shipping is a big deal on heavy parts. I know a guy in Van. Wa. that could fix ya up. 360-687-1216 Leave Stan a message and he'll call ya back.

 

Ah will do thankyou

 

Those '59 six-cylinder three speeds have a very low 1st gear. I used one behind a built Y-block and ahead of 3.89 gears in the rear end. First gear was something else... it would beat my brother-in-laws big block OT camaro out of the hole and through second gear. At least until the transmission scattered itself all over the road.

That is a nice '59 btw!

 

Steve; Something I'm sure you've found after being here on the H.A.M.B. for a long time like myself is that for everything we are sure of someone else will not agree with. What one person is willing to call grate, another will look at you like your Knutz. Bottom line is there are several levels of good enough. I can accept that. What I do know is that in 1961 the Clutch fork comes out of the Bellhousing at a different clock point than the 58-60 units. This changes leverage. Changing the length of either arms of the Z bar changes leverage. Sometimes ya gotta just make do. I prefer to go the extra mile and often spend a little more $$$ not to cut and modify if there's a way to do that. Other times I'll walk through the Shop and pick up anything close and make do but not very often. Sometimes close is good enough, specially if we don't know what done well is.

 

Haha cool, I may try it tomorrow if I can get it mated up. Starting to think I may be better off getting a four speed and a floor shifter. My original goal was to maintain the three on the tree but may not be worth it.

 

Mine has 356 gears

 

She lives, runs like a top. Just gotta sort the trans situation

 

Pm me we see if what I have will work.

just checked, it won’t interchange sorry dude would have worked out great.

 

Crap. Thankyou anyhow