Manual transmission in a van?

[Oldcarnut]

Modern day theft deterrent. DO IT!!! Less people can drive a stick these days. Would LOVE to convert mine over but my money is needed elsewhere more. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Justgosurfin]

I really like mine. The unusable space between the seats kinda sucks but the fun factor makes up for it.

 

[nomad_games]

following. I love having an auto for regular driving, but my transmission gets REALLY hot when I go offroad, so I've been considering this. I have a 460, so it's not like I ever run out of power, though.

 

[broncobowsher]

I thought the last year of the manual transmission option in the vans was '84 or '85. The 5-speed didn't come until the late 80's in the trucks. So I am not sure where you are finding a 5-speed vans? Were they converted sometime in the past?
I really doubt that your fuel economy estimates are going to happen either. 1, maybe 2 tops.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

I thought the last year of the manual transmission option in the vans was '84 or '85. The 5-speed didn't come until the late 80's in the trucks. So I am not sure where you are finding a 5-speed vans? Were they converted sometime in the past?
I really doubt that your fuel economy estimates are going to happen either. 1, maybe 2 tops.

The M5OD and ZF5 were both factory installed by Ford into vans as late as 1991.

Fuel economy estimates are just that, estimates...for now

 

[goin camping]

I'd do it just to have the trans for downhill engine braking. The anti theft feature would be cool too.

 

[Kneeboarder1025]

That would be a interesting Combo, and I'd go for it since its a 5-Spd MT. I would not recommend it if the donor van had a 4-Spd MT. We had a '81 E-100 with 4.9L I6 and a 4 spd MT w/ OD, and while it got decent MPG ( my dad reports getting 18-20 MPG highway, before the engine rebuild) - BUT it sucked to tow with, and especially pulling our ski boat up the ramp with. I don't know what gears the rear-end had, but we went thru several Clutches over the 15+ years we had it. That was the van I learned to drive a stick on, which was good, because most other MT's are much easier to drive after driving that van,

 

[Mwilliamshs]

That would be a interesting Combo, and I'd go for it since its a 5-Spd MT. I would not recommend it if the donor van had a 4-Spd MT. We had a '81 E-100 with 4.9L I6 and a 4 spd MT w/ OD, and while it got decent MPG ( my dad reports getting 18-20 MPG highway, before the engine rebuild) - BUT it sucked to tow with, and especially pulling our ski boat up the ramp with. I don't know what gears the rear-end had, but we went thru several Clutches over the 15+ years we had it. That was the van I learned to drive a stick on, which was good, because most other MT's are much easier to drive after driving that van,

Ford use a few variants of a 4 speed overdrive manual transmission. Hard to believe multiple clutch changes made more sense to anyone than an axle gear swap but with inexperienced drivers and whatnot maybe those weren't all blamed on gearing.

My parents had a 79 E-150 300 I-6 SMOD van before I came along. The manual clutch linkage and its pedal effort made an impression on my mother.

 

[VANMAN]

See my post a couple of weeks ago...was pretty easy....1990 7.3 IDI now with ZF5

 

[Bikersmurf]

I’d go for it if I hadn’t lost 1/2 my left knee... in ‘02 it was described as that of a 95 year old. But I’d love to have a stick.