FE Conversion Question

[Thumperbird]

Hello,

Eyeballing a 63 F100 with a straight 6 and 3 on the tree.
Anyone have experience with this or can point me to info. on a conversion to a FE and 4 speed?
Wondering just how much work this swap is?

Thanks.

[cammerfe]

When I bought my '63 Effie ICB, it had a '64 390 PI engine swapped in. It was done by using a pair of aftermarket 'TRANS-DAPT' crossmembers. Both had ends that simply fit to, and bolted onto the frame.

The first time I pulled the engine, I unbolted the engine crossmember and removed it with the engine. The rubber 390 'isolator' engine mounts have a stud that sticks down at an angle and wouldn't clear the slots in the crossmember pads. I took a cutting torch and extended the slots upward before I re-installed the engine, and from then on it wasn't necessary to remove the crossmember.

I used several fender washers at each end of the trans crossmember to adjust for proper engine/trans angle to the rear end.

The guy I bought the truck from had installed it using '63-'64 427 long exhaust manifolds. This made it necessary to modify the factory crossmember at the firewall that takes the rear ends of the parallel front leaf springs. He notched the crossmember underside considerably and  fishplated the bottom to make holes the exhaust pipes could run through. Otherwise, the exhaust manifolds dumped into the forward face of the crossmember with about three inches clearance.

Those are the 'catch-points' to the installation. From the hood emblem, my truck was also a '6' from the factory---with an automatic. The 'z'-bar wasn't in perfect alignment when I got it and I re-worked it a bit for use with the Top-loader and used Heim-joints and steel Hurst shifter bushings to take the slop out of the clutch linkage. I also used a Lakewood scattershield.

KS

[Thumperbird]

Thank you very much for the info..
Since the 63 has a straight axle among a few other drawbacks compared to a 65 that was optioned with a 352 I think I need to keep looking for a 65.  They are very hard to come by in a step side but worth the wait maybe.

[GJCAT427]

I have a 56 F100 that I put a 427 with the long cast headers in. The frame structure is very similar to your 63. I had to remove the rear frt spring crossmember the same as Cammer fe did. I also had to build the tranny crossmember. You will want to modify the rear spring hanger to clear the cast headers by making a dropped member from 2" square tubing 1/4" wall. The frame needs the strength there to keep the frame from flexing, and the springs aligned Ask me how I know! The tranny crossmember can be tubing or 3" channel with side drops of 3/8 or 5/16 flat with pieces welded to the channel so you can bolt it to the frame. again it keeps the frame from flexing. Carful planning with the engine and tranny installed temporary will result in a strong and semi factory look.

[cammerfe]

My '72 E-150 had a suspension like the '66-up F-series. I believe I'd rather have the beam axle.

I ultimately put in a Volare bolt-in front suspension. The back mounting points require only drilling a pair of holes in the frame rails. The fronts are a little wider and it was necessary to weld simple 'outriggers' to the frame to attach. The Volare offers disc brakes and torsion bar springs. It also gives you power steering, but the box is big and ugly so I threw it away and used an Omni R-'n'-P steering. It's simply necessary to shorten the outer tie-rods a bit. Must have taken almost a hundred pounds off the front of the truck.

(I also got rid of the stamped A-arms and used tubular ones sourced from a circle-track catalog. Cost about $20 each. )

KS