Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeWiseman
In the 70's I totally rebuilt a 1963 Ford pickup, using a 361 ci engine (this is the industrial version of the 360), with a Motorcraft 2150 carb, 4 speed manual transmission and 2:1 differential (obviously from some car because it had ball bearings, not roller bearings like a truck rear end and the rear wheels tracked inside the front wheels) This was my first vehicle, assembled from components at hand (I lived on a ranch).
This configuration accidentally (I didn't know what I was doing then) achieved 32 mpg at 45 mph (27 mpg at 70 mph). This was using stock components, no fuel saving technology.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Was that the transmission that came with the truck? Do you have any recollection of what that axle came from?
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No, The original transmission was a 3 on the tree, and the mileage I'm quoting actually used that transmission. I didn't change out the 3 speed until a couple of years later. The 4 on the floor came out of a 1973 F150.
The original engine was a 352 which was thrashed so bad (teenagers had owned the truck before me) that my mechanics instructor wanted to have it as a demo model of what all could go wrong with an engine (amazing list and it still ran). He traded me for a 361 that had been donated to the school nearly new because it needed a new cylinder sleeve (they'd left out a wrist pin clip when it was originally assembled).
I'm sorry to say that I do not know where the rear end came from. I only know the ratio because I jacked up one wheel, turned the driveshaft and watched the wheel turn.
Note that ball bearings are NOT good to have in a pickup truck. I think I changed them out at least once a year. Got pretty good at snapping the axels out with a chain.