As much as you love your Bronco for the amazingly capable machine it is from the factory, you probably love to rip stuff out and improve it even more. For many of us the stock transmission is fairly high on that upgrade list.
The 3 speed manual or C4 automatic that came stock in the Bronco serve their purpose, but they’re not the best to be had. Some people want a stronger, more reliable transmission with ultra low gearing for those tough trails. For others, street performance is more important and a highway friendly overdrive becomes essential for those long commutes. And then there are some (all?) of us that want both!
Luckily there are several choices for transmission swaps into 66-77 Broncos. In fact, there are so many that it can be confusing trying to keep them all straight. The aim of this article is to compare some of the more popular swaps so you can decide which best fits your needs and budget. This will be a two part article. This issue will tackle the manual transmission choices available and the automatics will be covered in the next issue.
The information below assumes a small block Ford V8 engine is being used and the Dana 20 transfer case retained. It also assumes that your Bronco already has a manual transmission. If you’re converting from an automatic there are several additional factors to consider, such as finding a clutch assembly, bellhousing and clutch pedal assembly. The pricing shown is very approximate and conservative. There’s always the guy out there that picks up a NV4500 for $200 from some uninformed junk yard, but the prices shown assume that you’re not quite that lucky.
Use the following links for individual transmission pages:
