Columbia rear questions

trainguy

trainguy

Well-known member
I just go my 46 Merc. conv.runnings.It has a columbia rear.It works but seem slugish shifting.Sometimes it will be in between gears and needs ecoragment to get into gear[put clutch in a rev motor]I read in the instructions that the piston seals need oiling every 10000 miles.Can you Barners enlighten me,do you have to dissaemble the cylinder? what kind of oil,they recomend 3in1 oil? They engine is a rebuilt 33/8x 41/8 59 ab.Isky max1 59ab heads ,single 94 carb.Thanks Phil
 
I have used Marvel Mystery ,remove both hoses shoot some in the cylinder canister and try shifting a few times,make sure you have good vacuum connections and a good solenoid.
 
As 37 said MMO in both sides of the vacume cylinder will soften and lubricate the leather piston seals. Remove both hoses, if you see rear oil in the hose closest to the rear the shaft seal on the vacume canister is leaking. This seal can be bought at Napa or a bearing supply house. This allows air and oil to be sucked from the rear and vacume is partialy lost making shifting out of Columbia sluggish. Vacume to the cylinder closest to the wheel shifts out and vacume to the side closest to the rear pulls it in Columbia. The shift shaft on the rear pushed toward the rear is in. I put about 6"s of MMO in a clear plastic hose and with LOW air pressure blow it in the cylinder through the hose connects. After it is in both side blow LOW air into each side a dozen times to saturate the leathers. You only need 3 or 4 lbs of air or you will blow the MMO out or damage the leather seals. G.M.
 
silvalms01 said:
Are all columbia rears vacum operated or did some have levers from the factory? Thanks,Pete
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I believe the Columbias used for Ford Products were all vacuum operated.

I have seen cases where a person has fabricated a lever mechanism for shifting.

If the vacuum system is in good condition, they work just fine.

Chris
 
37 Coupe said:
I have used Marvel Mystery ,remove both hoses shoot some in the cylinder canister and try shifting a few times,make sure you have good vacuum connections and a good solenoid.
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The way I made sure I have good vacuum connections was to add hose clamps to each connection.
 
Something else you might try. I went to the junk yard and got a approx. 4 inch globe shaped vacuum reservior. I hid it under the dash and tapped it into the vacuum line. Shifts smooth as silk.
 
Sometimes when I first shift into overdrive I get a high pitched gear grinding sound,always have,shifts after that first time are usually noise free. I have always wondered what gears are doing this, transmission?, rear itself ? happens too quick and too infrequent to ever track down,anybody else experience this? Mayby not a complete shift and more MMO needed in canister or just not enough vacuum at a certain point to shift? Or something to do with clutch not completely allowing freewheeling?This is control valve manual shift no solenoid.:confused:
 
I have found you have to drive 4 or 5 miles to warm up the gear oil before they shift smooth. After that they are OK. G.M.
 
trainguy said:
The vac reserve tank souns like a great idea,did you put a check valve in the inlet?Phil:confused:
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Nope, saw it at the junk yard and thought what if !
 

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I would make sure i did NOT have 140 gear oil in the diff first off.
use 80-90 or 75-140 to make sure everything can move easily when the gearoil is cold.
 
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