Hi guys, im new one, im from Croatia. I need help with my 1953 Ford Customline 2door Coupe with ower Owerdrive. Original flathead engine is gone,i dont have it anymore. Ii have original transmission Borg Warner R10 with Overdrive. And i have two engines: 302cui ford,and 440cui ford. Can i connect any of them to olld 3 speed transmission? Any help aprecciated! Thanks!
The 3 speed should be the same bolt pattern as a later toploader 3 and 4 speed. Just need a mid to late 60s car bellhousing and it will bolt on.
The original 3 speed would have the narrow bolt pattern that Ford used up to about 64. A 302 bell would have the wide pattern, and a narrow pattern would be a 5 bolt bell. I am not aware of a 6 bolt bell that had the narrow pattern. Calling @Crazy Steve I put a 302 with a 3 speed toploader in my 53.
Yes, you can. But, no, you shouldn't. The transmission absolutely will not survive the power of those engines! I replaced 5 transmissions with flathead sourced transmissions before moving up to one from a 1956 Ford. The originals were very weak.
Thank you guys! I will not taste luck, if you say gearbox can be broken,shame os to destroy one, i will try to find something stronger, but since im in europe it is wrry hard for me. Any advice of good shop or private seller apreciated!
The Borg-Warner R10 will handle the 302 easy. I had a 351w with a stock 6cyl 3spd trans (dont remember the model) in a truck and it handled the power fine. My cousin has a 6cyl 3spd behind a built 460 Big Block in a 63 Galaxie and it has lasted a few years before making noise, so he upgraded to a Tremec.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/engine-transmission-in-‘53-ford-victoria.1125159/ Post three lays out most of the issues involved, but with you being in Croatia finding any of these parts will be extremely difficult and probably horribly expensive. One thing I didn't cover was the various OD transmissions Ford used in that era. There were four versions; a light-duty Ford trans/BW R10 OD, a medium-duty BW T86/R10 OD, the heavier-duty T85/R10 OD and the strongest version of the four, the T85/R11 OD. They can be identified thusly: the Ford trans is a side-loader and has a square side cover. This trans won't suffer abuse, but if treated with kid gloves can hold up behind a very mild 302. The T86 is a top loader with a four-bolt top cover, is sturdier, but again won't like abuse. The T85 is the strongest, the R10 OD will be the limiting factor for power, the R11 can take big-block power up to a point but either will be adequate for a 302. These are side loader transmissions with a curved lower edge on the cover for identification. And as much as I hate to admit it (being a Ford guy), a small-block Chevy swap will be easier. Vintage Chevy V8-to-49-64 Ford transmission adaptors still show up used for this swap. If the OEM trans is still there, it's very likely the light-duty Ford/BW OD.
Hi, again, i didnt know there is four types of gearboxes,i will post foto of mine,maybe you can recognise type.
That is the light-duty Ford/BW R10 version. Given the difficulties in using this transmission behind a newer Ford motor along with its limited strength it will probably be cheaper in the long run to switch to a '65-up transmission or even a T5 if you want to stay with a manual transmission.
@Skyfall join the 1952-59 FORD SOCIAL GROUP here on the HAMB. Those guys know their stuff and will give you the advice you need.
@Zax , i will try, but i think my privilages are restricted, so i think at the moment i can not join.
Hi,again. Is there a chance that someone is selling flathead v8 engine in running condition? If there is one iđ interested of buying one.
Finding a newer 302 should be the easy part, getting someone to crate it and arrange shipping might the issue. Many folks are not interested in the labour involved. Are there any import restrictions regarding used auto parts? Are you close to a major sea port?
Hi,thanks for answer, i know people wont bother with shipping, but ofcourse i will pay that. Im living in city of Zadar, first international sea port is Split, 90 miles from me. Im sure you know how hard is to find car parts from USA in the EU.
I'd suggest that the next time you can get to Split that you look for someone that manages imports from the US, if they exist. That person could then tell you who, and where, their contact is in the US. Freight costs have gone up considerably post-covid. No reason for someone on the West coast to ship a crate to the East coast these days if the same engine is available close to the port city.
If you want a flathead you might be able to find one of the French flatheads used in military vehicles a bit closer to home.
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