I slide the shrink wrap tube up the wire before soldering. Then after solder has cooled then slide it down and heat it a bit to shrink it. Since this job was done, I have purchased a heat gun making it easier to shrink wrap.

Most 9" diff may be too wide for a "65 Mustang, but some earlier ones may fit without narrowing them. Check this web sight . It can tell you more than I can. www.fordification.com/tech/rearends_ford03.htm

Yes! The core is worth $150 cd. I delivered a trans axle personally to avoid expensive shipping charges. Now, it just so happened that I was going to be passing by AVR Import Specialties in Abbotsford British Columbia and they took the core in and handed my $150 cd cash on the spot. Maybe if you check around you may be able find a VW parts supplier closer to home. This the guys in Abbotsford BC. avrparts.com/ The next link is for California Import Parts in the USA. www.cip1.ca/ Check around on the internet and maybe you will find some air cooled V-Dub parts people closer to your home. Good luck! P.S. Reverse is the weakest gear in a VW transaxle. Always treat reverse with respect. ranchotransaxles.com/

@@AxelPowersGarage Thank you so much for that information. I will research if there is anyone in my general area. I’m somewhat near St.Louis.

The 9" would be the best choice for the full size cars. The 8" is intended for smaller pony cars and mid size cars.

@@AxelPowersGarage I definitely agree, my question is will it be a straight swap or will it have to be cut and welded?

They do come in different widths and the mounting hardware varies depending on the type of suspension. If you can find a diff from the same car you are working on, it will be a simple bolt in application. All the information can be found on the tag. Check a web sight called fordification.com for more information.

The new transaxle was around $2600.00.

The gasket would definitely be different. Check out part 2 video for the socket test. It doesn't lie.

Haha! Yes, that can be a problem. Most often I scrape some of the paint off the wire to see what color(s) they are and check some with a test light and some wiring diagrams. Mostly, an experimental procedure. There is a guy on KZbin that knows far more about these heaters than I do. Also, I found some wiring diagrams that help. I chose to remove the gas heater completely as my Bug is only driven in the summer time. My heater boxes are in mint condition, so I can pull enough heat in from the engine to get me through those cool summer nights.

This guy, Jason Weigel seems to know lots. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5ird6Gva6qspZY

I have a service manual on my computer, But I may have post it on my Face Book page or something to share it.

Neither of these are 8.8. That is a newer axle that replaced the 9".

Yeah, why didn't you think of that? A large number of people just take that pesky tag off and throw it in the scrap bucket.

Take the measurements to your local spring shop and have them custom make to suit your needs. That's probably more economical than shipping costs from a big box store. Very affordable and good insurance to help keep your rear axle from rolling out from underneath your truck.

Oh yes something else. My understanding is that any Ford F100 9" between 1957 to 1972 "should just bolt into your '53 pickup ".

I'm not sure what year this one is. The tag was missing off it. I do know that it is between a '57 to a '72 inclusive. The previous owner upgraded the spring pads to match the wider leaf springs in his '53 F100.

9" narrow F100 version.

I'm not sure about a '47. but a 9inch Ford from a '57 to a '72 Ford F100 pickup is basically a bolt in swap for '53 to '56 Ford F100 pickups. There are a number of other rear ends that will be suitable for your '47 with minor modifications as well. Maybe check the links I have attached for more info. www.ford-trucks.com/articles/1953-1956-f100-rear-end-selection-and-rear-suspension-lowering/

www.fordification.com/tech/rearends_ford03.htm

www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rear-end-swap-into-47-ford-truck.941564/