new owner with lots of questions.

[Pack Rat]

Have owner lots of Ford trucks over the years. Last slick side was my first truck and that was in the 70s. Just bought a 66 from a member here. He called the truck Ol country. It is a 240 six with a three speed floor conversion. It has been sitting for quite some time. Put a fresh battery in it and it fired right up. I drove it on the trailer and got it home. Blew a brake line in the first mile. Here are the questions. What gear would have come in this truck. tag is missing. What mileage should i expect? What transmission would be easiest? I have a top loader OD a Warner t10 a Warner t5 and a 65 mustang top loader. I have a new 67 Mustang master cylinder left over from another project. Will it work to replace the single bowl? Ok, this is all for now.

[64 litl un]

Have owner lots of Ford trucks over the years. Last slick side was my first truck and that was in the 70s. Just bought a 66 from a member here. He called the truck Ol country. It is a 240 six with a three speed floor conversion.If you keep the 303 in the floor make sure you have a quality shifter like a Hurst. That Mr. Gasket stuff sort of works but that's about all. It has been sitting for quite some time. Put a fresh battery in it and it fired right up. I drove it on the trailer and got it home. Blew a brake line in the first mile. Big big mistake with a new to you old truck, a fruit jar brake system has to be checked and maintained like your life depends on it...because it does. This includes all lines cylinders ect ect.

Here are the questions.

What gear would have come in this truck. tag is missing. 3.90 to 3.70 was most common in a 6cyl manual truck.

What mileage should i expect?10-20 with 12-17 being about right.

What transmission would be easiest? The 303 3speed top loader it already has. The toploader OD would be the easiest but you will have to move the transmission crossmember and shorten the driveshaft and maybe swap it's yoke. One thing to consider, many equate mileage with a higher rear gear or an overdrive but that is not necessarily true. These trucks were low geared for a reason. That reason is a trade off between mileage and power. That six's mileage may actually suffer from a higher gear if you work the truck or are in hilly country. It also can suffer on the highway as it has to lug more to get to speed. This is especially true with a lower hp engine like a six. The overdrive gives you an option but is it worth the trouble of changing it out? Only you can say.

I have a top loader OD a Warner t10Easiest of your transmissions. a Warner t5 and a 65 mustang top loader. Is this a 4 speed if so I want it. LOL this may be a better performance transmission but it offers no benefit in millage.

I have a new 67 Mustang master cylinder left over from another project.The mustang cylinder should work fine as well as the 67 F-100 cylinder. Remember the primary or front port is closest to the firewall, the secondary or rear is at the front of the cylinder closer to the engine. You will need to use the pedal linkage rod from the fruit jar. Double check the posts here as I may be incorrect.

Now the fruit jar can be used but the system has to be meticulously maintained. The fluid needs to be checked weekly, all questionable lines need to be replaced and the brakes need to be adjusted monthly to prevent wheel cylinder blow out. With the fruit jar you have no Parking Brake, it is an EMERGENCY brake and needs to function as such. A well maintained fruit jar is as good or better than a double cylinder system especially if maintenance is lacking or if the double system is improperly installed. If both systems are properly installed and maintained the double cylinder has the fail safe. Will it replace the single bowl? Ok, this is all for now.

[deadheadno1]

The most importent part of a dual m/c was not mentioned here. You will need the distribution block that goes with the m/c that you use. It is the heart of a dual m/c and withou it the dual m/c is useless.
Tom

[unibody madness]

And by the way......... Welcome aboard

[ICEMAN6166]

You will need to use the pedal linkage rod from the fruit jar

that is not correct

you use the rod that comes with the dual mc but it needs to be shortened an inch.

[Oregoon]

Welcome from Oregon.

My '66 has a factory 3.50 rear end, and the 303 tranny. I'm getting about 18 mpg mixed driving, though I'm running a Carter YF carb and a Duraspark II distributor, which is fired off a four-pin HEI. It is a wonderful set-up and easy to install.

I too, have the fruit-jar master cylinder. I inspect it like it's a set of triple-trailers I'm about to take off Barlow Pass here on Mt. Hood. I'm a trucker by trade and I don't screw around with brakes. It's a fine system, but it likes to be looked at. I inspect mine incessantly, and I keep my ol' Slick under 60 mph. Usually, closer to 50.

Dual-circuit and front-disc conversion is the next mod for my truck. Already have about half the parts.

Best of luck, welcome again, and don't be afraid to ask questions. These guys are the very best kind of gearheads, and there really isn't a dumb question around here... Trust me, I've tried to ask a few!

[Pack Rat]

My truck has the camper special tool box. and has a g w of 7000 pounds. Are camper specials of this year marked? My 65 was a one owner and it had a three speed with electric overdrive. It got 19 mpg. PO add two saddle tanks and you could drive 900 miles with out stopping. .

[foodstick]

I would do all new brake lines,pads, wheel/slave cylinders and Master cylinder.. the first time you drive it you will be like "Dang..this thing actually feels ten times safer."

[64 litl un]

GW 7000 looks Bubba, but it could be a dealership or factory advertisement thing. I'd research it some before I ripped it off. Then I would probably take it off anyway...but that's just me.

A search shows it on the bump sides so it may be legit.

[bruceandersson]

Welcome from Ohio. I think mileage is a very subjective matter. I've driven a number of these trucks across the country and never got less than 17 MPG on the highway. One was a '66 with 240 and 4 spd. The other was a 352 with 4 spd. The 240 has 3.73 gears and the 352 had somewhere right around 3.00. I did put a good tune on each one before heading across and I did not go much above 60-65 MPH. The 352 was a camper special. These came with badges on the front fenders, heavier springs and a dana rear axel not the ford 9". I found an easy swap to get OD on these trucks is to use the 3 spd with OD that came in the 80-90 trucks. Very easy swap and you get the old school truck floor shift. I've found these for $150 or less. I do think the disk brake upgrade from 73-79 trucks is the way to go with any brake work. This is an afternoons worth of work and you can actually stop when needed.

[Pack Rat]

Just though I would up date since it has been quite some time. Still getting 10 MPg Has the wrong carb. Has a glass bowl Holley. Decided to do the 3 speed with overdrive trans this summer. Have patched the floor and installed new front cab mounts. Converted it to Mustang Buckets. I replaced all wheel cylinders and shoes and hardware. Two weeks ago I striped a 69 Camper special of every thing good. Installing the Booster out of it with new dual bowl Master. If the OD conversion dont get mileage up it will be getting 390 and c6.

and tilt wheel