A little OT, but funny none the less. Ever notice that just like every stinkin Chevelle or Camero has a "Vette engine" in it...every old souped up Ford has a '39 box in it?
Even back in my drag racing days fixing broken stuff wasn't much fun. Today it's REALLY not fun. The last thing I want to do is work on a broken trans. I need my car(s) to be a "get in and go, whenever, wherever" vehicle. Using 'em, not working on 'em, is where it's at for me. Which is a big part of my dislike for old Ford mechanical systems. But....we all get something different out of our affair with old cars so....Viva the no power and crash box crowd. I'll even stop to give you a lift when you're broken down along side the road. No offense intended. Just IMHO.
I replaced gear sets from the 41-48 side shifters into 37 cases and only had to use different size shims.
'39 trans really was used as a generic term for any topshift Ford with late gears, but if you look at actual '39 transmissions, ones bearing a '39 serial number that actually left the factory installed in a '39, you find a high percentage are equipped with the early type '36-39 synchro. There are do***ents saying that standard car and commercials got early, deluxes got late, but I think the numbers of earlies seem too high for that to be true. The late ge****t with blocker ring synchro carries 1938 Ford part numbers on the parts that were new, but was apparently never installed in 1938 Fords. It was, however, used throughout 1938 in Lincoln Zephyrs.
Just my 2 cents but I only use a top shift only when I have absolutly no choice...why? cause I can adjust the rods on a side shift ****** and speed shift a whole lot faster than tryin to throw that swan neck around. plus it frees up floor space. And for the record I have in my A truck a 37 case with a 39 tower and 47 gears....those cases are still cheap and just as good as the so-called truck case. That extra rib on the bottom dont mean nothin to me.
Some people have nothing better to do with their time. I kind of like to think : It's all done now when a trans is rebuilt , I sure as hell don't want to keep working on it over and over cause it's a weak POS.
Well, I decided to put my 26 Tooth lincoln gear set in the '39 case for the roadster since they were the best set of gears I had even over all my Ford donors. I didn't have enough synchro springs and parts though, and the thrust washer on 2nd gear was too narrow so need to put in an order for a few parts before it gets ****oned up.
The Jalopy Journal
