Cluster Gear Quality

J

jsilvestri

Member
Fellow Model A'ers,

I'm looking for a cluster gear for the trans....and I noticed there's a large swing in prices. +

Mike's Affordable has a price around $160 and says his CG is made in DENMARK and that they've had "good luck" with them.

Snyder's CG is at least $60 or $70 more and is supposedly USA made.

The entire transmission (new or rebuilt) with all the gears etc carry huge differences in price, too.

Any experience out there with this issue? Obviously, I'd like to spend less, given similar quality and performance.

As always,

My thanks for your input. :)

John Silvestri
 
MARK AUTO, a manufacturer and wholesaler, has provided made in USA transmission gears to dealers for about 50 years and they are tried and true. They are marked MARK USA and many "A" dealers sell them. There may be other USA sources as well, but I have not heard of Denmark gears before and until they establish their own reputation I would stick with USA made gears.
 
I just rebuilt my transmission with the USA made cluster gear. I ordered it from Sacramento vintage since the price was better from them vs. elsewhere. I've only put about 20 miles on it but no complaints so far. It appeared to be well made and runs quiet and shifts well.
 
USA. Transmissions are too much trouble to R&R to cut corners on quality and cost. I put all new USA gears in my Tudor and it is a like new trans. In my coupe I combined new USA gears with what looked like good used originals, and the trans was a little noisy at first, but seems to be settling down. I'd put all new USA in the coupe if I was doing it now.
 
I too highly recommend the US Mark gears. I completely rebuilt a transmission for my 30 coupe using all new Mark gears, new shafts, and new bearings. I have put at least 8000 miles on that transmission and it runs quiet, and is solid as can be. I actually bought one of the Denmark transmissions a few years back and it has done OK in one of my cars (not installed now), but the machining workmanship is not up to that of Mark's. Plus I would like to put a Rockwell hardness tester on those "Danish" gears...
 
Forgot to mention: What it all comes down to is for the cost of a Danish transmission you can buy all new Mark gears and associated ****** guts and install them in an original case. The Danish case I had was brittle and cracked...nowhere near the metallurgical quality of Henry's foundry.
 
I've always had good luck with good used originals. I figure that they are better than the new repro gears, no matter where the repro gear is made.
 
I've also only used good original gears and haven't had a problem finding them. In fact I bought an NOS cluster gear about 7 years ago. I was at a swap meet about 8 years ago and one guy had 4 complete transmissions for $5 each. Foolishly I bought only one.
 
Anyone know where Mark Auto is located. Would like to talk with them about having other gears mfr'd.
 
Mark is in Layton NJ.

If you would like their phone #give me a call before you call them.

Steve Becker
Berts MOdel A Center
800-321-1931
 
A couple years ago,I bought a grungy trans at a swap meet for $5.It was like new inside so I cleaned it up & put it in my S/W sedan & its nice & quiet.Still some good bargains out there.
 
To hijack this thread, I would like to know restorers' thoughs on using original transmission gears, unless visibly damaged, and replacing only the bearings. Most of us think the Model "A" was over-engineered in certain aspects (thank God) and many individual parts seem to have been made to last a long time. And weren't the transmission gears made to extreme tolerances by the factory for fit?
 
Eric,
I think the original gears are best if they are good. And by meaning good I mean no pitting/gauling, chipped or broken teeth. They will run the quietest.. The repro gears are generally noisy, especially used mixed with originals. Pay very close attention to the run side of the gears, the engagement side ( both sides of 1st /reverse) and I dress with a light emory flapper wheel on my dremmel if necessary the edges if sharp or need a little clean up from wear and engagement. Way back when I put a cluster gear in my '30 Tudor that had one pit in the 2nd gear. Wishing I wouldn't have done and thinking it would be OK. I can still hear that spot in the gear! Use... look for the best good used original gears you can find. If unavailable use the repro if you have to. Just fit and inspect all very carefully. Attention to detail is the key. Don't forget to "restore" the shift lever tower/gear shift. Everyone always forgets/doesn't know how to do them and if it's all done correctly the shifting is so much better.
Larry Shepard
 
ericr said:
To hijack this thread, I would like to know restorers' thoughs on using original transmission gears, unless visibly damaged, and replacing only the bearings. Most of us think the Model "A" was over-engineered in certain aspects (thank God) and many individual parts seem to have been made to last a long time. And weren't the transmission gears made to extreme tolerances by the factory for fit?
Click to expand...

I never replace any good used original parts, including bearings and gaskets. My early 29 ****** sounded like a cement mixer filled with hardware, but the only part I replaced was the small bearing between the input and output shafts, and the gear oil. A couple rollers were bad on that bearing. It's perfect now.:)
 
The quietest trans I have is in the sedan, made from a NOS Cluster I got from Terry Oberer, and some really nice used gears I found digging through a box of gears at a swap meet. Its really smooth in all gears. I have rebuilt several with their good original gears, replacing only the bearings.

Its important to check the fit of the slider gears, especially the second/third slider, to the main shaft. I found the fit to the shaft varied from one gear to another if they were used. Too loose, and it will pop out of second. Another critical point is the diameter of the main drive gear to flywheel bearing pilot. Wear tolerance is only .002, and many are worn beyond that. Greater clearance than .002 risks popping out of gear. I cannot remember the original spec off the top of my head, but its listed in several places. I use an old Ford factory transmission book, but I think the diameter is even listed in Brattons catalog.

ericr said:
To hijack this thread, I would like to know restorers' thoughs on using original transmission gears, unless visibly damaged, and replacing only the bearings. Most of us think the Model "A" was over-engineered in certain aspects (thank God) and many individual parts seem to have been made to last a long time. And weren't the transmission gears made to extreme tolerances by the factory for fit?
Click to expand...
 
I wonder if finding good transmission gears has anything to do with geographic location. Here in new england, where dirt roads and lots of hills were the driving experience for many years, it is difficult to find a good transmission. My town did not have telephone until 1937, and electricity came after that, and paved roads after that. I guess second gear was used too often.
A few years ago my brother came to visit from Vermont, and as he does not see well, he is limited in what he can do. I put him to taking apart transmissions to find good gears. He took apart 7 transmissions that I had collected, including one that I had lugged around for 40 years, and not one transmission was any good. I saved a few sliding gears, but everything else was junk
 
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