How strong is an old Ford ******

In 1950 I put a 1949 Olds 88 in my 34 coupe and busted 3 transmissions in 2 days. It took every tooth of the cluster when I hit 2nd. Put in a Lasalle and had no problems after that. G.M.
 
For what it's worth, the '36 and '37 Zephyrs had Ford transmissions with 4.44:1 rearends and 110 hp. The one difference I've noticed is that my ****** case has an extra reinforcing "rib" along the bottom, going from the back to the front of the case.
 
I still have the original heavy-duty 3 speed in my 1949 F1. At one stage I had a 272 in front of it and, being 19 at the time, wasnt particularly sensitive with my right foot ... or my left for that matter. This gearbox hasn't been touched since new and is the only thing I haven't touched in the 38 years I've had the pickup. I wouldn't go with anything else.
 
That heavy duty three speed pickup trans is an entirely different animal. Can it be adapted to a torque tube drive? Anybody know?
 
40 Deluxe....Going back to when I was young and shearing teeth constantly, a pick-up transmission was readily available at the local scrap yards. What is done to put them torque tube style was to simply exchange the open drive center shaft, along with the rear mount and you were back in business. If I remember correctly, the first gear ratio was low, being a pick-up truck and not very good for us. They are definitely not stronger....we blew those just a fast.....I still have a few of those in my stockpile, but none have the lower case full reinforcing rib making the set-up stiffer under load. FYI....Robert
 
My first car was a 51 Ford car with a truck trans open drive for the effect of the floor shift,and I needed a 11" clutch.Well the clutch would rip the teeth off 2 nd gear and cluster gear.
Trying for 2nd gear rubber,and you were limping home with another bad trans.They are good just don,t hot rod it.
When i put a 312 v8 in the 51 I used a 55 Mercury trans then I couldn,t keep a drive shaft in it. the Old spring would wind up and twist and brake the u joints.
I then put the engine in a 57 Ford car and that would burn rubber all day long with the 55 Mercury or T bird trans.
That was one strong 3 speed trans.
 
As a teenager in the `50's I owned a `40 deluxe and a standard two door sedans at different times. The transmissions were the weakest link. $20 bought a junk yard replacement. The cluster gear was usually the culprit for me. Changing the shifter over to the left side of the steering wheel and slamming it from first into second didn't help matters...

Chevy, Plymouth and Dodge had tough transmissions but weak engines. As a kid I thought a Ford engine in a Plymouth would be a perfect car. The bottom end on a flathead Ford was brutally tough and would take the abuse.

Shadetree
 
My 39 coupe has a 283 230 hp, 300 ft/lb motor coupled to 39 trans. No squealing of tires, no power shifts, no problems in 1600 miles. Unknown mileage on non original box (no I.D. marking, probably late forties pickup box as these were unmarked) probably built when car was hot rodded by previous owner in mid-eighties. I doubt any tricks were employed as this was his first car project. I too remember guys blowing these transmissions in the sixties with OHV motors, but I guess the trick is to not abuse them. Mine does see hard acceleration in all gears after they are engaged.
 
I have bursted more than my share with a olds and 40 Ford. I have always believed that a 3:78 or lower rear gear helped contribute to stripped transmissions. Raced dirt track cars with flatheads for years and never tore out but one trans and believe that was a fluke. Eliminating that end play in the cluster and getting a good tight fit in the imput shaft would be key to a good trans. I have found a lot of input shafts riled out where the roller bearing goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top