Lincoln OD Trans into a 35 Ford?

D

Dennis Jarrell

Senior Member
I can't remember what the od trans looks like in the 40's Lincoln. Does anyone know how tough it would be to install one in my 35?

Thanks,

Denis
 
I have a Lincoln trans...my visual impression is that it is badly laid out for Ford installation because of the projecting governor that looks like it will require substantial hacking of the X member.
The Lincoln stuff won't go onto a floorshift case, either, as rear of main case is different and adapting would not be easy...though I know it has been done.
Best bet in a '35 if you can get it in there would be a '40 column jacket and shifter.
 
You'll need to cut the driveshaft about 13" to start with. Clearance problems in the mount area to accomodate the rear support, solenoid and the relocated universal joint. What about the side shifters? The clutch release shaft can be exchanged ok but the transmission case for the Lincoln OD unit is unique so using the top loader Ford case may not be possible without some extensive machining?
 
The OD cases (used in Lincolns and '49 Mercs) have a different boss on the back, so OD will not adapt directly into a floorshift trans. People have made the swap, though I do not know details of the necessary added metal and of couse hole for the shift rail.
 
The rear mount in a weird one but it is set up for a torque tube, a very short torque tube. To use it as a top shifter would require a top to side shift conversion. There is a fellow that did this with a 49 thru early 51 Mercury transmission he put into a 37 Ford truck. He used a 4-speed top shifter bolted to the inspection cover on the bell and to the rear adapter bolts then set it up to work the side levers with a custom built set of shift plates attached where the shift forks used to go. There should be some pictures of it somewhere here on the Ford Barn.

Kerby
 
One guy here installed a Borg-Warner overdrive unit in a '35 Fordor. Instead of cobbling up the transmission, he had the OD installed in the torque tube well behind the transmission. This did not affect the transmission or mounts. It did however require just a little beating on the floor pan to get a little extra space.

The conversion was done by a fellow in Ohio and cost in the neighborhood of $1100.

It's not original, BUT it can be removed and an original torque tube reinstalled. The original transmission is left unmodified. It works great.
 
I have a Lincoln trans to put in my '35 coupe.. I also have another frame that has the whole center chopped out.. and a giant piece of angle iron replacing it.. to run one of these transmissions...

So someone made it work in the past, therfore it can;t be that hard to do it now.. but make it look nicer!

Thats all I know as of now... but my plans are to run a column shift. And as Bruce mentioned... it sure looks like it will take a good bit of thinking...

I believe "Nosurf" on the HAMB had a post about adapting one into a model-A coupe

Zach
 
A Model A should be much easier, since there is essentially no structure there once origin al bell housing is gone and whatever you build can match the trans.
I think a modern Mitchell now makes more sense than the old BW for a tube installation.
A Lincoln trans or another form of OD in the general area of 30% allows a real solution to all early Ford gearing angst...with that you can run LZ gears, 4.44 rear, and have excellent range of gearing for slow or fast running...but
 
I do have a 40 column and shifter. A friend of mine has a 53 od trans that I can get cheap. Maybe I will convert to open drive shaft and go this route.

Thanks!
 
A Mitchell is the perfect solution, and the Lincoln trans would probably pay for half of it!
The late Merc trans, though dirt cheap compared to Lincoln or Mitchell, requires the same clearance mods as the Lincoln (All that control junk sticking out right where the X member narrows!) and badly compromises the suspension system with the open drive...Lincoln is the preferable conversion over that.
 
Here's one way of doing it. Seems to work well, Volvo unit.
 

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Re: MODEL A UNDERDRIVE SWITHED END FOR END

I always thought of taking a model "a" truck auxiliary transmission and installing it in something. It is an under drive unit. It would have to be switched end for end to make it an overdrive. Has anybody tried this conversion?
 
Sturgis, I am in the initial stages of doing that very thing. Seems quite feasible to me. The AA auxilliary is certainly a sturdy unit, and at least it is old Ford! Brian
 
Re:MODEL AXULIARY TRANS

brian said:
sturgis, i am in the initial stages of doing that very thing. Seems quite feasible to me. The aa auxilliary is certainly a sturdy unit, and at least it is old ford! Brian
Click to expand...


Keep me informed and send pictures. What will the gear ratio be?

Thanks
 
Sturgis, initial [very scientific] check of the ratio -acheived by marking the splines and rotating, appears to be 30%. I actually asked about this on the Ford A Fordbarn forum, and was advised someone has been running this very same setup in an A Model for 40 years. Brian
 
Pardon my ignorance, I have never heard of an AA under-drive Ford auxiliary transmission. Can you post pictures of one?
 
38 coupe said:
Pardon my ignorance, I have never heard of an AA under-drive Ford auxiliary transmission. Can you post pictures of one?
Click to expand...


I will will try to get you a picture today if it is not snowing too hard. They used the auxilary transmission with the standard car three speed transmission. To shift the auxiliary transmission you stepped on a pedal on the floor. I think when ford went with the four speed they did away with auxiliary.
 
The Ford AA truck auxilliary trans is similar to the Brown-Lipe-Chapin or "Browny" aux drive units of later manufacture. These were used in trucks before the electric two speed axle was developed. They have to be shifted with a seperate lever or pedal and some of the straight cut gear types might be a tad noisy.

Kerby
 
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