Hot Rods Columbia rear ends

I’ ve got a Columbia rear end and not real familiar with them. I collected this thing years ago and know nothing about them, other than they are two speeds. Thinking of building a T-Bucket, using this rear end. Will be using a stock 289 auto for power. Also heard there are several years or types, hope someone here can educate me, thanks in advance, Bones

 

I have my Dad's 1939 Ford - it has a Columbia 2 speed in it for the last 50 years. I do no have the dash controls - that is the expensive part to collectors. Now - a 327 Chevy and Muncie 4 speed is linked to the Columbia - before that - it was a J-2 371 Olds and stock trans and Columbia.

 

Should be a br*** tag on it that will give the year. I have one in my 40 coupe and they work real well. Before you start searching for controls take it apart and see if it is usable, some parts inside are hard to locate. It shifts by vacuum from a plate under the carb thru a valve mounted to the top of the steering box that the clutch linkage and the cable from under the dash that also connects to the speedo changer. The way it operates you pull out the knob, push in the clutch and shift into overdrive, you can't use it in reverse and you can't start out in overdrive or it will damage it

 

Here's a link for all things Columbia: http://www.columbiatwospeedparts.com/

 

They are NOT very strong and CAN’T take any hot rod abuse and parts are expensive and not easy to find. Somebody correct if I’m wrong! Flatheads Forever!

 

they are strong enough when you have one "bullet proofed" . they weld a ring around the carrier at the weak point, and they do just fine. side steppin the clutch with a 400 hp small block not recomended, but they street raced them back in the day with hot flatheads. many like a 4.11 ring&pinion, which gives about 3.00 in over drive. the original controls will require a new mortgage, but most folks use a fuel tank switch from a duel tank motor home to switch vacuum manually. the link provided above is john connely, the man to ask. pretty much all parts are available, just check to see that the thing has not been sitting full of water for 5 decades

 

Thanks guys

 

I have one in my roadster that I had bulletproofed by John Connelly. I’m running a somewhat warmed up 265 Chevy and ‘39 box. I don’t really drive it too hard but I don’t just putt around either. Driven it to Vegas three times, all over LA and it loves the freeways. I have 3.78 in it so if I remember correctly 2.9? In high. I can cruise 75-80 for as long as I want with no worries.
The ‘33-‘34 and ‘35-‘36 are pretty much nonexistent, extremely rare. ‘37-‘41 is the good one and somewhat more common. Looks like you have a ‘46-‘48 by the tapered step in the bell but hard to tell in the pic. Basically the same as the ‘37-‘41 but wider by a little.

 

Forgot to mention. Mine is all mechanical linkage with a bell crank mounted off the torque tube flange conected to a model A Ebrake lever. I made it all from model A mechanical brake parts.

 

i agree, that looks like a 42 and up wide one. not too big a deal to cut and weld on a 40 width tube. mine is still apart, but have been thinking about a mechanical linkage like you say. i would like to see some pics if you have any

 

Or that it was removed back in the day because someone ran it low on oil and burned it up.

Probably the hardest control to find is the speedometer adapter. They were made by Stewart Warner, and so far as I know, no one is reproducing them. However, the same basic unit was also used on truck underdrives. They occasionally show up on eBay and can be modified for overdrive use by switching around the internal gears (John Connelly did one for me). I've had a bulletproofed Columbia behind my warmed up flathead for 10+ years, and IMHO once you've driven one you'll never want to go back.

 

Trad27 - can you get pics of your mechanical setup for me?! I've been thinking about doing the same for my Columbia in my '35 pickup project, and haven't worked out the details yet... if yours works it'll save me many hours of pontificating!

 

It'll take quite a bit of reading but thee is a bunch of stuff here on several different threads.

They originally came in heavier cars ( for the time period) with approximately 100 horse in front of them, but they have backed up a mul***ude of different hot rod engines over the years. In a light car one should hold up well enough if it is in good shape to start with. Parts are hard to come by but in cool factor they are pretty smooth and as traditional OD goes they cannot be beat.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...mbia&o=relevance&c[***le_only]=1&c[node]=5+18

 

Someone needs to manufacture a modern, and stronger version, based off of the 9" rear end.

 

I think it's called a T5, and it's located just aft of the engine.

 

I agree, if I had the resources I would. A lot of people that build hot rods use the 9inch, if a readily available Od version was made, every hot rod could have an over drive regardless of transmission. I know that there are od transmissions available, I just think the 2 speed 9 inch would be a big seller. Just my .02, Bones

 

A little on the weak side, and the stronger 5 speed transmissions are a little on the expensive side. Don't know if it would be possible to manufacture a modestly priced O.D. add on, but it sure would be nice.

 

Sorry the pics aren’t the greatest and kinda greasy. My battery is kinda in the way but you get the idea. I removed the vacuum canester and made a lever for the linkage and used a master cylinder boot on it. The

bell crank just mounts off the torque tube with a rod running up to my what would be my E brake lever. I then used a pickup? Lever for my real E brake. Hope this helps.

 

nice job, thanks for the pics. i hope to shift right along side the parking brake, but we'll see. this is in a 34

 

Thanks! It helps for sure.

Mike

 

nice site thanks for the heads-up.
Ric