Transmission Countershaft and Bearings Question

19Fordy

19Fordy

Well-known member
Instead of using the long bearing B-7121 at the rear of the 1932-50 Ford
#7111 countershaft, would it be ok to cut and shorten the split spacer tube and install 2 short bearings (B-7118) instead of the one long bearing? I am thinking that increasing the actual amount of bearing surface for the shaft would be beneficial.

It's just an idea?
 

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19Fordy said:
Instead of using the long bearing B-7121 at the rear of the 1932-50 Ford
#7111 countershaft, would it be ok to cut and shorten the split spacer tube and install 2 short bearings (B-7118) instead of the long bearing?

It's just an idea?
Click to expand...
537405
 
Interesting idea. I don't see why not, but would like to hear other reasons we may be overlooking. When I did mine, I shortened the spacer in order to use two long bearings for the same reason you mentioned in your post.
 
Is the ID of the cluster gear machined to the bearing OD all the way through, or just in the area the bearing is supposed to run on?
 
Tim Ayers said:
Interesting idea. I don't see why not, but would like to hear other reasons we may be overlooking. When I did mine, I shortened the spacer in order to use two long bearings for the same reason you mentioned in your post.
Click to expand...


I just measured the dia. of the countershaft. It's .748in. dia. along its entire length from end to end.
The reason for this this idea is twofold:

1. to increase and utilize the bearing support surface.

2. CW MOSS reports that the repro. bearings are of low quality and they won't sell them. Therefore, I was thinking using 2 good condition used Ford bearings would be a safe bet.

 
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The rear end of the gear may have had more load on it than the front. Ford had some reason but I'm no engineer so I can only guess.
 
Will Kimble said:
Don’t think the cluster is machined to accommodate that
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Mr. Kimble is correct. I just measured the internal bore of the cluster gears 68-7113 and 022-7113-A and both are machined internally at both ends to accomodate the Ford specified roller bearings in their correct OEM positions on the shaft.
My idea won't work. THANK YOU Mr. Kimble.
 
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The guy's on my jeep forums take the cage apart, get rid of it, and then fill it with rollers all the way around like the newer version of counter shafts. You then need the hardened washers between the end of the tube and the needles. Same size shaft so that stuff would be available thru jeep places, and probably Mac VP also as the Fords did this in 52 or so.

I will add, I recently had my freshly rebuilt transfer case fail after only 4K miles when the chinese caged roller bearings on the intermediate shaft fell apart and then the cage and needles flopped around destroying everything. Bummer! I was so happy with the rebuild, no leaks, gave no indication of problems until it locked up 5 miles from home.
 
19Fordy said:
I just measured the dia. of the countershaft. It's .748in. dia. along its entire length from end to end.
The reason for this this idea is twofold:

1. to increase and utilize the bearing support surface.

2. CW MOSS reports that the repro. bearings are of low quality and they won't sell them. Therefore, I was thinking using 2 good condition used Ford bearings would be a safe bet.

Click to expand...

Jim:

Call Mac VP. When were there for his class, he was selling NOS GM rollers that are the same as Ford, except one of the set was longer that the Ford units I believe. He told us how to make it work and I believe it's what he uses in his builds.

This may be a good option since they are USA-made quality bearings, so no need to worry about good enough used.

Just a thought.

Tim
 
ID on the cluster is one thing , but is it a polished surface for a bearing to ride on? I would like to hear from Mac Van Pelt on this topic. It sounds like a good idea on paper but you would think hotrodders would have done this back in the day. Tim
 
Thank you all for responding to my question. Thank you, Tim for the bearing "tip" from Mr. Van Pelt. I printed this thread out. Jim
 
pistonbroke said:
ID on the cluster is one thing , but is it a polished surface for a bearing to ride on? I would like to hear from Mac Van Pelt on this topic. It sounds like a good idea on paper but you would think hotrodders would have done this back in the day. Tim
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My visual inspection and internal measurements of the cluster gear bore clearly shows that the entire length of the internal cluster gear IS NOT a machined polished surface to accept more caged roller bearings that what Ford specified.
 
cadillac512 said:
Jim, when I rebuilt my '41 trans I put Koyo B1212 bearings in the cluster gear. They are a needle roller in a drawn cup and pressed into the cluster. Full complement of rollers and specs for load looked good. 26,000 miles on it and all is well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3946382136...HUNExg42azTQsmEJ7f04QrlRMavU|tkp:BFBMlPveuL9j
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Cadillac512: I just measured the ID of my cluster that fits a 1941 Ford and it's 1.124 in. That is a lot larger than the 1 in. od of the Koyo B 1212 bearing How were you able to make that Koyo bearing fit securely as it's OD is too small for a press fit?
 
Apparently there's a " cartridge" type bearing bearing replacement that Macs sells,
What you could do/is a inner race that sits on the shaft&the B7121 sits on the inner race/sleeve therefore eliminating surface wear, or use machine needle roller cage that has a built in inner race/sleeve these are called NU type needle roller cages.
 
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