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Ford 8 Speed

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15 years 7 months ago #3695 by Inta ACCOs
Ford 8 Speed was created by Inta ACCOs
Hi Everyone,

I spent my youth driving dad's cattle truck, it was a 1974 Ford D series 1210 with the 100hp 365 slant 6. I hated it then mainly because it redlined at 83km/h and I did a lot highway & hill driving (this was only in the early 90s). One thing I did like about it was the 8 speed gearbox with an air activated range change, better than any 2 speed diff setup I tried. I also saw them in the later Cargos.

We bought it a clearling sale and the previous owner told me it was a Road Ranger. Was it? I'm just curious, it seems like the perfect gearbox for a 7-8 tonner, particularly back in day when trucks had considerably less horsepower. I guess they were probably more expensive.

I must admit now that I'm older I look twice when I see a D-series on the road. I have driven a later Cargo with the turbo motor (1515) that drove very well but it felt much more European than English. I would have liked to have driven a D series with the turbo 360 slant six (1314 or 1414). I'm sure it would have been as good as any other truck on the road in the 70s.

Cheers,
Joe

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15 years 7 months ago #3696 by huppypuppy
Replied by huppypuppy on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
Hi Joe,

I've never heard of a Ford 8 speed - not unless it was made for Ford under licence by ZF! The farmer might be right - the gearbox would have been a 9 speed Eaton RoadRanger, not an 8 speed as you mentioned! Mercedes-Benz used the ZF 8 speed gearbox in selected V-Series models - the way to ID a ZF 8 speed is the reversed "H" pattern and the backwards shifting, just like the Spicer 6 and 7 speeders used in some Denning coaches!

Joe Hupp

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15 years 7 months ago #3697 by kennymopar
Replied by kennymopar on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
yep the Zf 8 speed is a nice box(& rather large) i had a couple of D series over the years both 300 canadian 6 powered..the D series wasnt much more advanced than the model T i think

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15 years 7 months ago #3698 by atkipete
Replied by atkipete on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
Eaton also have a syncro 9 speed, ie crawler and 1 to 4 in low then 5 to 8 in high. Similiar to a 9 speed roadranger but not that durable.

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15 years 7 months ago #3699 by Andy Wright
Replied by Andy Wright on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed

the D series wasnt much more advanced than the model T i think


Build quality leaves a bit to be desired as well apparently.

Andy&&&&Whatever rubs your buddah.&&&&Got Bedfords? http://bedfordtr

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15 years 7 months ago #3700 by huppypuppy
Replied by huppypuppy on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed

Build quality leaves a bit to be desired as well apparently.


Andy,

I know a bloke who has a bobcat and tipper business in Dubbo - not dropping names here - who used to have a early model Ford D1210... he had to get rid of it because he wanted to upgrade! Now he has an International Acco 1900 series with the unbreakable V392 V8 engine on gas! Atkipete, correct me if I'm wrong, please!

Joe Hupp

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15 years 7 months ago #3701 by kennymopar
Replied by kennymopar on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
i hope the 392 isnt hook up to a roadranger ..it might be straining to turn over the gears :-/


. lol

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15 years 7 months ago #3702 by podge66
Replied by podge66 on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
Ford 8speed was a big flat gearbox that you could undo all the bolts and lift the half the gearbox case away to expose all the gears. The six speed was a copy but different ratios. The second part about a 392 v8 with Roadranger was a magic combination with only having to rev and pull gear after gear and the down chage just drop 500rpm and drop a gear. Podge

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15 years 7 months ago #3703 by Inta ACCOs
Replied by Inta ACCOs on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
This is turned into an interesting post.

My dad had a 510A with 345, I was too young to ever drive it on the road but he had a particular disdain for it. I think the problem was that he kinda nursed it all the time, he never really worked the motor and hence never got any torque or power out of it. I remember it struggling with a full load and also swaying from side to side a lot on the skinny 7.50 x 17 tyres. He doesn't have any these problems with his Jap 5 tonner now.

As I said, I never like the D series mainly because they were seriously underpowered, the were originally designed for small suburban runs in the UK. I would have much prefered a 1700/1800 ACCO at the time with any motor in it. Even if a 345 or the original Perkins wouldn't have been much chop, it was and still is to my eyes, a sharp modern looking truck compared to the D series.

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15 years 7 months ago #3704 by kennymopar
Replied by kennymopar on topic Re: Ford 8 Speed
i sold my 510a last month to a mate (345 with extractors & 4bbl gas carby hooked up to a 4 speed with 825/20" tyres) ..shes a reasonably quick old girl but she suffers on hills a bit ..also the tiny springs & brakes makes them a bit dodgey with a decent load.. i reken the full size accos(apart from the 1610a)were a decent truck although the early ones lacked power..but that was rectified with the correct motor..ie turbo perkins or even by putting a hairdryer on a neuss

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