Dad's Truck Build

[Frank Wyatt]

Your method on the document your doing is looking great to me. On the truck all I can say is WOW. It's going to be a knock out once you get it complete. You must have many many hours spent on it so far with many more left to do. Congrats to you.

[Ford F834]

Gary Lewis wrote

The transfer case that was rebuilt, with lots of mod's, but which uses linkage that goes through the floor - and I don't want to cut the floor, so will use it in Big Blue.

Gary, I think you can use the later transfer case with the Bullnose shifter and linkage and you DON’T have to cut the floor. The main difference is that the Bullnose era transfer cases have the lever pointing down, and the bricknose and later have the lever pointing up. When you put the Bullnose shifter on the later transfer case it does mash the lever too far forward in 2H, but it does work. Lengthening the linkage rod would fix that... and would be a lot easier than cutting a hole in the floor to retrofit the shifter that goes in the side of the tunnel. I never got around to lengthening mine, and I’ve just been living with it, but it wouldn’t be hard to fix. Granted mine is just a late model 1345 vs. early model 1345, but it did come from a bricknose truck with a side shifter and from what I can tell the 1356 looks identical to the late 1345’s in the way the lever on the side of the case is oriented (pointing up). Check into it, even if you end up using it in Big Blue. It should still save you time trying to convert to the newer shifter. And different tunnel cover and carpet etc.,


^^^1982 Bullnose 1345^^^


^^^1989 Bricknose 1345^^^
(Using 1982 shifter/linkages)


^^^Shifter in 2H/Bricknose T-case^^^


^^^1356 note lever position^^^

[Gary Lewis]

White Knight - Thanks!  The documentation approach is something for which I've been looking for quite a while.  I knew that the vast number of posts in the large number of threads was going to make it difficult to figure out what I'd done.  So now I have a way to gradually sort through the various threads and glean the bits that I want to save.

As for the truck, thanks also.  I do have countless hours in it and really do need to change how it is insured.  No one would pay for what I've got in it, but still....

Jonathan - Thanks much for that!  I'll probably then install the 1356 on Dad's truck as the engine and tranny go in, and sort out the linkage issue later.  I already know one way to make an adjustable linkage.

But, does the up vs down linkage not change the shift pattern?

[Ford F834]

Gary Lewis wrote

But, does the up vs down linkage not change the shift pattern?

Double check your 1356, but no, it didn’t on my Bricknose 1345... and I think the shifters all have the same pattern. I thought I would have that problem but evidently it shifts with counter clockwise rotation instead of clockwise. I got lucky as it never even occurred to me when I was pulling it. It also has a longer input spline “snout” than the 1982 unit, so there were some strength improvements made also.

[Gary Lewis]

Good to know.  Thanks.

Hmmm, if the 1356 is stronger then should it go in Big Blue with the 460?  But, that would mean his 1345 has to be rebuilt and painted, and that means it can't be installed when the tranny goes in.  And it would sure be nice to install the t-case from the top when the cab is on the lift.  Plus, I could then install the drive shafts.

Oh wait!  The E4OD is several inches longer, so the drive shafts will have to be redone.    Hmmm, maybe I should put them in Big Blue and buy new ones?

[Ford F834]

I keep hearing this... that the 1356 is stronger... but is it? I know it has a magnesium case instead of aluminum and the chain is supposedly beefier... but it has a rear slip yoke which is weaker and more prone to wear and problems. The failures that I am aware of for both the 1345 and 1356 had to to with the pump anchor chewing through the slot in the case. Personally I wouldn’t rate the 1345 as inferior in terms of strength. I have read that the 1356 shifts more smoothly on the fly, but I have never had a truck with one in it so I have no idea if that is true or enough of a difference to care about. I like the 1345 minus the unobtainable speedometer gear.

[ArdWrknTrk]

When I swapped the '91 Zf5 and 1356 into my truck I had to use the linkage from the old T-19 to avoid cutting. I also didn't have the boot or shift stick from the '91.

The linkage was a direct swap.

If the E4OD is much longer you may need a linkage specific to it.
Certainly you need to extend it.
But IDK if the mounting bosses are the same.

[Gary Lewis]

Jonathan - I thought you said the snout is longer and that there may be other strength improvements on th 1356.  I don't know.  But here's what I found back in July of 2015, as posted here on FTE: (I'm really liking having the index of what's been done on the truck!)

The opinions vary from some who say the 1356 is just a bit stronger than the 208 to those who say it is much stronger - but no one anywhere says the 208 is better. Those who say it is just a bit stronger include two of the pro's I've talked to here in Tulsa, but they both did say the 1356 is the better of the two as it has an updated planetary design and an oil pump. And David at Harmon's said if he were doing it on his "baby" he'd do the 1356.

Jim - The E4 is several inches longer, so I will surely have to get creative on the linkage.  But, if I can use the original linkage and modify w/o cutting the floor then that may be the way to go.

And, y'all, I forgot that I got the driveshafts with Huck, which is where the E4OD itself came from.  So I should be good painting them and replacing the u-joints to use them on Dad's truck.

[Ford F834]

Gary your quote is comparing the 1356 to the 208... and I would agree that the 1356 is a lot beefier than a 208... but much less different than a 1345. The input snout difference I was referring to was actually 1982 BW1345 vs 1989 BW1345, but the late 1345 input snout looks just like a 1356...





Unless someone chimes in with a considerable driveability advantage of the 1356 shifting characteristics (that might influence your decision), I would chose the already built one for Dad’s just because it is upgraded and ready to go. Either transfer case should be plenty strong for either truck, I would think. I am getting ready to throw north of 800 ft. lbs. of torque at mine... (1986 BW1345)

[Gary Lewis]

Jonathan - You are right, it was comparing the 208 to the 1356.  I didn't know the 1345 and 1356 were so similar.  So, that makes the decision easier.

What I'd like to do is to install the t-case while the cab is in the air as I'm pretty sure I can manhandle it into place w/o having to use the tranny jack.  That'll make it much easier as getting a t-case on the tranny jack at the right angle isn't the easiest thing to do, and it is even harder to do if you are trying hard not to scratch the paint.  And, playing with the linkage will be much easier with the cab in the air.

Plus, I can test-fit the driveshafts and, assuming they fit as they surely will, then I can refurb them and install them.

Sounds like a plan!  

[1986F150Six]

Gary Lewis wrote

Sounds like a plan! 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=I+love+it+when+a+plan+comes+together+YouTube&view=detail&mid=0D84BC4811F34499B27D0D84BC4811F34499B27D&FORM=VIRE

[Ford F834]

That would be the easiest route, for sure... to put everything in with the cab off. However, I will say that there is an easy way to install a 1345 without a jack. Place a piece of 2x4 wooden block on the ground under the transmission output shaft. Position the transfer case such that you can rotate it onto the block with the input shaft up and the case straight up and down. You may need a little more or less wood block depending on your tire height, but for me the 2x4 put the input and output shafts pretty darn close to even. I was able to wiggle it onto the splines, rotate it until the locator pin lined up and done. Very little muscling or physical effort. It almost seemed too easy after fighting with it on a floor jack and having it twist and slip and fall off over and over as I tried to engage the splines. You may not need it, but in case you do it was sure a snap compared to trying to balance it on a jack.

[salans7]

Gary Lewis wrote

  I'll probably then install the 1356 on Dad's truck as the engine and tranny go in, and sort out the linkage issue later.  I already know one way to make an adjustable linkage.

Gary, if for some reason the Bullnose shifter gives you issues, keep in mind that 1987 Broncos and F-Series trucks still used a top mount shifter rather than the side mount that came in 1988. Unfortunately I can't find any of my pictures online from when I had this exact shifter setup (that I no longer have ) , however I remember that it was from a BW transfer case and had a shifter cage similar to the Ranger/Bronco II that mounted very close to the transfer case adapter and the shift lever itself was bolted to the shifter stub. Obviously a hard to find option, but maybe it is an option that somebody can find for you if the right people are looking. Maybe I can pull up my old pictures from the F150 and find the photos I took on my C6 with the 1987 automatic adapter.


**EDIT** Couldn't find any pictures of the shift linkage, I may not have taken it even though I had the lever, and here is the picture I have of that.

[Steve83]

Do you mean this?

[Ford F834]

Trent has a 1987 F250... I thought he said the shifter was the same as Bullnose but I’ll ask. Maybe he can take pics if it was a 1 year deal. His truck is a T19 though, not auto.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Mine's an '87.
The stick bolts to a stub of the linkage and comes out the top of the tunnel.

I had no idea it was a unique system, but I can take pictures tomorrow if it helps.

[Ford F834]

The 1987 linkage is unique... Trent says he’s parting the truck out so if you think you may want this, send him a message on FB:

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  Was gone most of the day with eye doctor appointments, more on later, and things go bonkers.  Thanks, guys!

I've messaged Trent, whom I've been messaging with in the background re a DS-II conversion on a 90's truck, and he says he won't want much and will get me better pictures.  So, we sorta have a path forward.

Thanks again, guys.  

[Steve83]

I missed a bunch of posts...

Ford F834 wrote

I keep hearing this... that the 1356 is stronger... but is it?

Yes.  The 1356 was used in 7.3L PSTD F350s & heavier.  None of the older t-cases could stand up to that.

Ford F834 wrote

...it has a rear slip yoke which is weaker and more prone to wear and problems.

The pickup version has a rear slip yoke, but Broncos have both fixed yokes.

Ford F834 wrote

Personally I wouldn’t rate the 1345 as inferior in terms of strength.

BW seems to, since it was never supplied for F350s.

Ford F834 wrote

I have read that the 1356 shifts more smoothly on the fly...

Than what?  I can't tell a difference in the 2H-4H shift from the NP208F to the BW1356.  I've never driven a 1345.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

If the E4OD is much longer...

It's the longest, heaviest, and strongest transmission in these trucks, and for many years later (probably EVER in a light-duty pickup).

ArdWrknTrk wrote

...you may need a linkage specific to it.

There's nothing special about the various link bars, other than length, which is easy to adjust with a welder.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

But IDK if the mounting bosses are the same.

If you mean the t-case mounting surface: yes, they're the same for virtually all fullsize Fords.

[salans7]

Steve83 wrote

Do you mean this?

Exactly that.