3 replies to this topic

[nutstang]

Hi all!
This is my first post here.

I just got a 78 F-150 that has a 68 bronco 302 and a c4 tranny.
I really don't have room for another vehicle...but...the price was so right. So I got it thinking I would just pull the engine out... as it runs good and was recently rebuilt. The 9" rear also rebuilt. Has headers and a few other goodies.
I was told the tranny only goes into Reverse, Neutral and when in Drive it only runs in 2nd gear.
So I was just gonna pull the engine and call it good...but the truck seems to be in real good shape. It was the guys daily driver and over all seems like little rust etc...

But I cannot run the truck right now because although this truck has 2 fuel doors on drivers side. There is no rear gas tank and the one in front has a knife or screwdriver hole in the bottom of tank where someone helped themselves to the gas that was in it.
So...this brings me to several questions and options:

1 - I could just pull the engine and tranny out and a few other parts and junk the rest of the truck.
2 - I could find a gas tank somewhere and see if I can get this truck back on the road.
I was thinking about looking in a junk yard for one. What years fit? Should I look to just replace the front one? It that one the one that is long and inside the frame? (I guess I can look under the truck when it stops raining)

3 - I have friend number 1 that has a 79 f-100 custom short bed truck that is super nice except he has no engine or tranny. It originally had a 302 and a c6. Could I just take the running 302 out of my 78 and put it in the 79? Then either rebuild the c4 or find a c6 or a AOD?
Will a c6 or a AOD hook up to my 68 302 engine? Will the crossmember in the 79 work with a c4 or AOD (cuz it had a c6 originally?) OR would I have to pull ALL the gear off the 78? The engine, c4 tranny, drive shaft...rear end...and put it in the 79?
4 - Friend number 2 has a 78 long box that originally had a 351M in it. (not sure of the tranny...but I would guess a c6) Could I put my 302 in that truck and call it good?

What do you guys think?

Bruce in Oregon

[79FORDLOVER]

Hi all!
This is my first post here.

I just got a 78 F-150 that has a 68 bronco 302 and a c4 tranny.
I really don't have room for another vehicle...but...the price was so right. So I got it thinking I would just pull the engine out... as it runs good and was recently rebuilt. The 9" rear also rebuilt. Has headers and a few other goodies.
I was told the tranny only goes into Reverse, Neutral and when in Drive it only runs in 2nd gear.
So I was just gonna pull the engine and call it good...but the truck seems to be in real good shape. It was the guys daily driver and over all seems like little rust etc...

But I cannot run the truck right now because although this truck has 2 fuel doors on drivers side. There is no rear gas tank and the one in front has a knife or screwdriver hole in the bottom of tank where someone helped themselves to the gas that was in it.
So...this brings me to several questions and options:

1 - I could just pull the engine and tranny out and a few other parts and junk the rest of the truck.
2 - I could find a gas tank somewhere and see if I can get this truck back on the road.
I was thinking about looking in a junk yard for one. What years fit? Should I look to just replace the front one? It that one the one that is long and inside the frame? (I guess I can look under the truck when it stops raining)

3 - I have friend number 1 that has a 79 f-100 custom short bed truck that is super nice except he has no engine or tranny. It originally had a 302 and a c6. Could I just take the running 302 out of my 78 and put it in the 79? Then either rebuild the c4 or find a c6 or a AOD?
Will a c6 or a AOD hook up to my 68 302 engine? Will the crossmember in the 79 work with a c4 or AOD (cuz it had a c6 originally?) OR would I have to pull ALL the gear off the 78? The engine, c4 tranny, drive shaft...rear end...and put it in the 79?
4 - Friend number 2 has a 78 long box that originally had a 351M in it. (not sure of the tranny...but I would guess a c6) Could I put my 302 in that truck and call it good?

What do you guys think?

Bruce in Oregon

HEY BRUCE.......SO MANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.....LET ME START WITH TRANNYS THAT WORK WITH THAT 302 ARE THE C-4 OBVIOUSLY,SMALL BLOCK C-6 AND IT ONLY CAN BE A SMALL BLOCK ONE(300,302,OR351C)AND THE AOD...THE BEST ONE THAT HAS PROVEN ITS SELF TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS THE SMALL BLOCK C-6 ITS SO MUCH MORE TOUGHER THEN THE C-4 OR AOD.AS FAR AS WHAT YEARS THAT ENGINE WILL FIT IN IS AS MANY YEARS AS THE 302 WAS PRODUCED THEY DID NOT CHANGE THE BACK OF THE ENGINE BLOCK ALL THE YEARS THAT THEY WERE MADE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE(AND IVE SEEN ALOT OF THEM)AS FAR AS THE CROSSMEMBERS WORKING FOR THE DIFFERENT TRANNYS I AM NOT 100% SURE BUT IT SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR ALL THE TRANNYS.AND NO THE 302 WILL NOT MATE UP TO THE C-6 OF THE 351M. TO ME THE EASY WAY WOULD BE TO FIND ANOTHER GAS TANK AND PUT IN ANOTHER TRANNY IN THE TRUCK THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE....NOT GO SWAPING STUFF OUT OF IT INTO OTHER,LOTS MORE WORK AND TRUCKS APART!!! HOPE THIS HELPS YA......

[nutstang]

Here is an update:

I patched the gas tank for now and it hold gas just fine.

I did a complete tune up and flushed the radiator and changed the oil and the truck started right up.

I put a few quarts of tranny fluid in and I drove the truck away.

BUT the tranny is bad or messed up. It will not shift into 2nd or 3rd...just stays in 1st.

But I only had to move it like 2 miles.

So I decided to pick up a C4 to swap in.

So now I am looking for a C4 that will just bolt right in.

I understand that it has to be a C4 out of a small block engine truck? (302 or 351W) Or at least a larger car with a V8?
With the bigger bellhousing?

Is all this correct?

What years C4 should I be looking for?

Edited by nutstang, 04 February 2008 - 11:07 AM.

[highboy73]

not all c-4's will fit they did make a big block bolt pattern.Any year c-4 would fit.c-4 is all aluminum with a removeable bellhousing.don't confuse it with a fmx that is a cast and alum. trans.the c-6 doesn't have a removeable bell housing.

are you sure the trans is bad?check the modulator valve on the trans that has a vac line hooked to it.