Keith Fromme

Well after many great years with the L and all the mods I've done, I am thinking about the possibility of selling it. I'm not really tired of it any more, but I no longer have my Mustang and the L just doesn't give me that same feeling. I finally figured it out, I really hate that auto transmission. The best sports car in the world wouldn't be very fun without the manual transmission. I just really miss shifting the gears and the feeling I got from it. So I have either decided to attempt to swap in a Tremec or some manual trans or sell the L and buy a Cobra kit car. I would actually prefer to have a nice shifting 5 speed in the truck, but I don't know if I want to get into it. A mustang computer would be sweet to run on that engine and that would solve some of my troubles I've had modifying it. But man, I don't really know if it will be as easy as I think it could be to do a tranny swap. Lesee, pedals from a junk yard F-150 and a new flywheel. Hmmmmm. BTW, has anyone done this?

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oilwell1415

A manual trans will die in a L. I know there are several that say they will take 450 ft-lbs of torque, but the mass of the truck will do them in. Probably the only ones that will holdup would be something from behind a deisel. A T-56 might do the job for a while, but it's days would likely be numbered from the start. I have the 5 speed in my F-150 and it has trouble with my 6 cylinder when I drive it enthusiastically. Never mind that you have to move the shifter a foot for every gear. Most hi perf manuals also don't have truck friendly gear ratios. I think it would be sweet to have a manual trans L, but there is a good chance that it's appetite for transmissions would be huge.

Keith Fromme

Yeah, I know I thought of that too. I think a stout T-5 would hold up on street tires. I don't plan to use slicks or sticky tires. What does concern me is the weight of the truck, but hell, I had a 11 second Mustang and I put in a used T-5 and it never broke on me and I used slicks. And if I did go through tranny's alot, no big deal, I don't drive it every day and T-5's are cheap to rebuild. I'd really like to know if anyone did this though.

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MO351

Hey Keith, if you want to go the standard tranny route then look into getting one of those new 6 speed trannies that come with the Super Duty Powerstroke (since '99).

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Adam B.
1994 Red SVT Lightning #2019

Keith Fromme

That sounds cool, but I don't know if it will bolt up. In fact, I don't know much about the new trucks at all, but if that Powerstroke is a mod motor, then I don't think it will work. Or is the powerstroke a diesel?

Keith Fromme

That sounds cool, but I don't know if it will bolt up. In fact, I don't know much about the new trucks at all, but if that Powerstroke is a mod motor, then I don't think it will work. Or is the powerstroke a diesel?

Thundrn_Lightning

Keith,

It's funny that you mention this. I was having deep thoughts recently about dumping my trusty LX 5-liter (with a T-5, of course) and buying a RED Gen1 to park beside the black truck. Even got my wife's OK to do it (which was nothing short of amazing ). But it was that good ol' T-5 that stopped me in my tracks. There's just something about rowing the T-5 in that darn car that won't let me let 'er go. I drive the Mustang a bunch to and from work.....rarely run the truck. What happens? I miss the truck. So I run the truck for a while. What happens? I miss shifting that T-5. I guess I am truly blessed to have both. I don't think I could have one or the other alone. So what's my advice? GET ANOTHER MUSTANG!!!

Ok, so if that isn't an option, do you think that sequential shifting the Lightning would give you your "fix"? I believe that the Baumannator tranny controls give you the option to do this via the cruise control buttons. Just tap up to go up through the gears, tap down to go down. You can turn it off if you just wanna run it in "normal" automatic mode, too. You mentioned the Mustang PCM. There are a few of us that have some plans together to run the A9L Mustang PCM for engine controls and the Baumannator for tranny controls in a Lightning. It can be done...

Well, that was lots of rambling.....for what it's worth. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Later!

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- Kevin
Black '94 #907

Muddmann

the Powerstroke is in fact a diesel. i like the thought of a manual also, but the length of the throw may just eliminate any advantage a stick would have over an auto...just a thought

Daninwisconsin

OK, so it's not totally a manual transmission, but why not try a manual valve body and a stand alone shifter? Maybe a B&M or something like that mounted on a custom stand within arms reach. Heck, mount it in the gap right between the driver's seat and the plastic center console.

I really wonder if you can't adjust the shift firmness with radio controlled car shock absorber springs. They look exactly the same size. You can get them in all kinds of different spring rates.

The cruise control button shifting sounds like a lot of fun also.

MO351

The Powerstroke is a diesel (7.3L, 444 cu. in. V8), not a modular motor. I would think that the 6-speed would have a good chance of being able to be fitted because, heck, these H/D E4OD's in our Lightnings are what were used on the previous diesels/Powerstrokes. Not much has changed on the new motors except for the fuel injection part of it.

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Adam B.
1994 Red SVT Lightning #2019

oilwell1415

I think the E4OD was used in all the heavy trucks, not just the PSD's. The 6 speed in the new trucks is HUGE. I don't know if it would even fit in the trans tunnel. If it did it would probably suck up more power than the auto just because of the rotating mass.

Red 93 L1 #3383

I work in a tranny shop and I know for a fact that the case on our E4OD is different than that on the PSD, way different bell housing. I don't know if the 6-spd has a removable bell housing or if there is a windsor bell to fit the tranny.

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I really hate riceboys
O.E.M. isn't fast enough

Mods:
40 series Flowmasters w/ rear exit
K&N Panel w/ custom cold air
Flexlite 210 electric fans
Timing @ 12*

Shawn Schafer
Minot, ND

Keith Fromme

Well that cruise control shifting thing sounds like the next best thing, but I don't know if it would satisfy me. Something else to think about though. I did find a T-56 that is manufactured to fit the small block Ford. It's pretty much the same as the one that is in a Corvette and some F-bodies I think, but with a bellhousing for the Ford. Maybe that will stout enough. But it's pretty expensive.

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MO351

Dang! Oh well. Was a nice thought while it lasted. I do think the long shifter stick on the floor would be a negative. The shifting via the cruise control buttons is sweet. Kinda like the new Porsche 911 Carrera. Shifter buttons on the steering wheel.

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Adam B.
1994 Red SVT Lightning #2019

oilwell1415

The T56 you are referring to is the same as the f-body/Vette unit internally, it just has the bolt pattern and input shaft that allow it to bolt into a Mustang. It should bolt easily to the rear of the 351 in your truck, but the shifter will be who knows where. This is what I'm planning to do with my F150 when I have $2k to spend on a tranny. The only problem is the ratios and the strength to handle 4500 lbs of truck+lots of torque+traction.