Newly purchased ‘36 five window coupe, 58ab engine. 39 transmission , vacuum activated Columbia rear. Was reluctant to try it but did today. Curious about the proper sequence. Clutch in , flipped the toggle. I was in 3rd gear. Instantly sensed a bit of grinding and put it quickly in neutral. Seemed fine then. I was a bit amazed how the rpm’s dropped. I would be grateful for insight on how /when to engage and disengage. Thanks!
Columbia rear. How to engage.
- Thread starter Roadstah
- Start date
TJ
Well-known member
I believe most parts vendors have copies of the owners manual for the Columbia. It will give you all the info you need to know about shifting the unit and servicing it. It would also be good to contact John Connelly in Arizona. He sells Columbia parts and is one of the experts on Columbia rear ends. His # is 951-719-4077.
38 coupe
Well-known member
Do you know if the Columbia axle has been gone through in the last few decades? There is a shifting mechanism inside the axle with a clutch built into it. Columbia experts warn that the original clutch material can stick, causing harsh shifting and breakage inside the axle. A kit is offered to replace the friction material in the clutch, detailed information here: https://www.columbiatwospeedparts.com/A-32-synchro-clutch.cfm
Multiple experienced owners in Texas advised me to shift into and out of Columbia in second gear. When shifting a Columbia, everything has to change speed from the clutch disk in front of the transmission all the way through the transmission, drive shaft, ring & pinion, and through to the planetary gears inside the rear axle. Leaving the transmission in second gear and shifting into or out of Columbia at around 20 to 30 mph puts less shock load on the Columbia parts compared to shifting at 50 to 60 mph.
Multiple experienced owners in Texas advised me to shift into and out of Columbia in second gear. When shifting a Columbia, everything has to change speed from the clutch disk in front of the transmission all the way through the transmission, drive shaft, ring & pinion, and through to the planetary gears inside the rear axle. Leaving the transmission in second gear and shifting into or out of Columbia at around 20 to 30 mph puts less shock load on the Columbia parts compared to shifting at 50 to 60 mph.
glennpm
Well-known member
I had excellent original cork clutch material but I would get a loud clunk when I engaged the unit so I decided to change it with a kit from John C.
He provided instructions but not methods for replacement with an assembled and installed unit. He ignored my query so I went after it myself and found that it is possible to change the clutch pack by removing the right side housing only. My notes are in the attached pdf. My original BARN post is here too https://www.fordbarn.com/threads/columbia-inspection.265327/post-1919790
He provided instructions but not methods for replacement with an assembled and installed unit. He ignored my query so I went after it myself and found that it is possible to change the clutch pack by removing the right side housing only. My notes are in the attached pdf. My original BARN post is here too https://www.fordbarn.com/threads/columbia-inspection.265327/post-1919790
fortyfords
Senior Member
I noticed that the manual says to not start out in overdrive, any reasons why?
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Definetly look up Columbia 2-Speed Parts LLC. He has the best info with photos in his revised manual. The vacuum system varies by year groups and it's not as simple as one may think. The clutch and speedometer are integrated into the control system. It's good to be well informed about any of the early overdrive systems in order to maintain them in good working order.