Help - 47 Ford manual transmission repair needed

baceves

baceves

Member
Greetings all,

The 2nd and 3rd synchronizers are broken in the manual transmission of the 47 Ford. Currently I can only use reverse and 1st gear only. I took the car to a transmission shop, and they told me that they can rebuild my transmission, but they won't remove the transmission for me. He also warned me that when I do find someone to remove my transmission make sure they don't shortcut it and cut the crossmember and weld it back. He said the right way to do is to remove the whole engine and transmission (I'm unsure how true that is).

I live in Los Angeles County, and you would think I should have no problem finding a repair shop to work on my car. Wrong. Every shop I have called (i have called around 20 or so) they get scared when I tell them that the car is a 47 ford and it's a manual transmission. They tell me no; they don't work on these types of cars. At times the reaction I get makes me feel like I'm asking them to work on a space shuttle or something.

I have called the Early Ford store in San Dimas, but they couldn't recommend anyone. I also checked with the Early Ford community in Southern California, and they also were no help.

Can anyone on this forum recommend an auto repair shop in Southern California that is willing to work/rebuild my transmissions for a 47 Ford? My last hope is to call AAA and see if they can find a shop for me.

All I want is to do is get the car back on the road again.

Thank you, Brian
 
Brian
Give the Early V8 Garage a call. They are located in West Covina Ca. Phone # (626) 338-2282. Richard and Dennis Lacy are the owners. They specialize in brake conversions for early fords,are experts in Early Fords and may be able to help you. I have used them for brake related projects in the past and they are easy to work with. They have a website earlyv8garage.net.
Good luck, Bud
 
You got lucky. If they are that reluctant to remove the transmission they probably wouldn’t know what to do with it once it was out. My suggestion would be to contact the local chapter of the Early Ford V8 club and see if they can recommend someone. This is probably their website: http://www.socalefv8.org. You might check the Early Ford V8 Club national site for other nearby local chapters, https://www.earlyfordv8.org/index.cfm.

The only business I know of that I would trust to rebuild an early Ford transmission is Mac VanPelt (http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_home.htm) but you would have to remove the transmission and ship it to him. There is probably someone closer but I don’t know them.

Charlie Stephens
 
I second the idea to call the Early V8 garage - they know our cars and all the components, so if they can work you in - they'd be who I'd go to.
 
I agree with contacting the Early Ford V8 club. Also call Vanpelt, he has all the parts and also rebuilds the Transmissions. http://www.vanpeltsales.com/
I recommend having the transmission case "O ringed" and using modern oil like MT-90 by Redline.
I have done this on my transmissions and ones I have done for friends and they shift supper nice and do not leak. If you are going through all the work of taking it out, now is the time to do it right.
Best of luck!
 
If he has tools, an engine lift, some good jack-stands and basic mechanical know-how it is not that bad of a job to pull the engine/trans as one unit. Of course I'm assuming a lot with that statement! ;)

From start to finish it is probably a 1/2 to a full-days' work - as long as you do your homework and are clear on the process.

For someone like me who has done a lot of this, it is probably a 3 hour job or so. Of course, I have a 2-post lift, which does make the process easier (getting the torque tube undone, exhaust, linkages, etc).
 
I’d unbolt the rear axle and remove the floor board over the transmission. Once the torque tube is unbolted from the transmission and the rear axle is unbolted you can slide the rear axle back far enough to remove the transmission through the floor. Lot of work but nay as involved as removing the engine. Done it many times.
 
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