parts interchange off of a '77 to a '66?

[flyingv]

Hey y'all, I haven't been on here in quite a while and haven't worked on my truck in a while, but I'm about to get started again. I have a question for y'all. I found a '77 flairside with a newly rebuilt 302 and rebuilt c4 transmission. This truck has power steering with a column shift. The guy has made me a decent deal on the truck. My questions are, will the steering column and related steering components bolt into my 66 without any modifications? Is the frame width behind the cab wider on the 77 than it is on my 66? I'm wondering if the bed would bolt right down on my frame. The bed on the 77 looks a little different, so I'm guessing it would not be a direct fit. I haven't looked at the truck in person yet, only a few photos.
Thank you guys in advance for the information.
Ken

[Bill W]

Yes the column will work but you will need to change over the collar(the part that holds it under the dash) from one column to another. yes the frame width is different but it should be doable... new holes and adjust the gap between the bed and cab.

[banjopicker66]

Ken, there will always be some "minor" modifications, but most are easy.

Power steering - the gearbox and column bolt up fine, but the column will need to have the wiring pinouts changed. I suggest you cut the wiring harness below the steering harness connector, and tap into the original wiring.
If you use the donor for power disc brakes to upgrade, this is an excellent choice, and requires only a little modification, especially if you use the donor steering linkage.
Harvesting the wiper system in toto (no wire cutting) will get you wiper delays.
The rear frame is narrower in your truck, so you cannot use the donor tank.
Take a rear half-axle out and check the end of the shaft. If it tapers to the splines, the center third member is a 29 spline and you can transplant it into your truck, if you want the donor's gear ratio. If the axle doesn't taper, it is a 31 spline, and you cannot use it in your '66 axle (if the axle is original to the truck.) This assumes, of course, that both trucks have Ford 9" rear axle gears.
The donor rear axle is too wide to bolt up, but can be made to fit by relocating the spring perches and the shock mounts, and by using wheels with more backspacing.
The 302/C-4 combo will bolt right up. Note where the donor perches are mounted on the donor (there are 3 sets of holes on each frame side), and put them there to correctly mount the drivetrain. It will sit like factory that way.
The donor radiator should bolt right up also. You need to install a transmission cooler if your radiator does not have one.
You will need a custom driveshaft too - get a single one made.

I would also suggest that you consider harvesting the ENTIRE wiring harness, without any cutting to remove it from the donor. Two options here.
1. Use it in your truck to replace the existing wiring and get a better fuse box. It will involve some splicing for connectors that do not match, but it is no more difficult than a commercial replacement you have to wire up yourself.
2. Sell it on E-bay.

In all cases, SAVE the donor truck until you have done all the upgrades. It will save you a lot of time and frustration trying to find that little nitnoid part that you let go with the truck because you didn't think you would need it.

Best of luck to you, this is how I did most of all my upgrades.

[6166 Junkyard Dog]

one thing I would use is a wider rear assembly cause if you ever follow a 65/72 F-100 the front always been wider and by going to a 73/79 will stabilize the truck a lot in the back,, my truck has 96 rear and runs out good and handles a lot better than the narrowier rear,, Not all 73/79's have delayed but you can use the wiper motor/switch and that upgrades is greta since that wiper motor covers from 67/79 trucks

[flyingv]

Thanks guys for the information. I'm going to look at the 77 tomorrow evening. The thing I'm most interested in is the motor/trans. I hope it runs as good as this guy says it does. Course if the truck looks as good in person as it does in the photos, I may have a hard time parting it out!

[bluebolt]

The bed on these is taller than a 1972 and earlier short bed flareside. Basically it's the 8 foot bed shortened to 6 1/2 feet.

[Greg D]

Converting the bed to fit should be pretty easy - mostly drill new holes for the narrower frame.
I agree wholeheartedly on swapping the rear axle too.
The biggest noticeable difference in the beds is the top rail - early is angled - late is flat.
The later bed would look real good on a Slick IMHO.