1951 Ford Shifter

I have a 1951 Ford transmission I'm trying to bring back to life. I got all the gears free and the shifter to move around. But reverse is another story. I can't get the shifter to slide the reverse gear into place. The 3rd pic shows a bolt blocking out reverse. Why is that there?

 

Does anyone know how the shifter is supposed to move the gear into reverse?

 

I was told that the shift partern was like the fith pic. with the R, 1, 2, 3. is this correct?

 

I have been looking at the transmission again and have noticed that the slider that moves the reverse gear into place is blocked out. It is blocked by a bolt that seems to be original. Has anyone seen this in their transmission?


Yanked that bolt out last night and now I can shift into reverse. The only thing that’s got me now is why was the reverse slider blocked off from the factory? It seams to be a four speed with a reverse not a tree speed with reverse. Can any one help me out with some advice?

 

Did Ford make 4 speed transmissions in 1951?

 

My advice would be to find a p***enger car trans. That truck trans you got there is toast.

 

That's a "farmer four" or a whining four straight cut gear four speed. Keep the bellhousing adapter and chuck the transmission. No value there for a rod.

 

302 GMC and RPOPE have the answer: Its a heavy truck 4 speed with no redeeming features for use in a rod. However, as a point of info, it may have originaly been equipped with a lever operated reverse lockout. Is that really a bolt or is it a sliding pin? Many truck 4 speeds had a small lever and linkage attached to the shift lever to operate the lockout. It was there to prevent accidental engagement of reverse.

ote=dnnflamess;3779107]I have been looking at the transmission again and have noticed that the slider that moves the reverse gear into place is blocked out. It is blocked by a bolt that seems to be original. Has anyone seen this in their transmission?


Yanked that bolt out last night and now I can shift into reverse. The only thing that’s got me now is why was the reverse slider blocked off from the factory? It seams to be a four speed with a reverse not a tree speed with reverse. Can any one help me out with some advice?[/quote]

 

I got this reply from 52 F3 on Ford Truck Enthusiasts:
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4/speeds were common.

There should be a spring loaded plunger in the reverse fork to make resistance when shifting into reverse. Is this what you removed and was it rusted up so it wouldn't move and let the lever engage the reverse fork?

Ther final gearing (4th gear) would be direct with the main shaft locked up straight through. (1:1 ratio)




I think all of you have hit the "BOLT" on the head. I will go back and clean the bolt and see if I find whats left of a spring.
Also just to add to the chuck it opinions. Thanks for the info I won&#8217;t feel bad in getting rid of it then. I am just trying to see how these things worked they seem to be very simple, not to many parts.
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I am adding this just because I'm a smart***.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I think it would be very easy to make the ****** shift through the gears in reverse.<o></o>
If you add a "slide shifter" to the reverse slider thing and block out the reverse side of the shifter, you should be able to make the ****** in to a 4 speed forward and 3 speed reverse transmission. Anybody have any thought on this? I know! "What for?" No reason I'm just that way. Just because I can.

 

I think the resistor spring is very likely...earlier versions of this 4-speed trans had a latch with linkage running down the shift lever to keep reverse locked out till latch was deliberately pulled. From the only book I have here at work, that doesn't exist on yours, so making reverse stiff would seem a good subs***ute. I ***ume reason for all of this is that it is easy to pick up reverse instead of second??

 

And the winner is......
The spring.
<O</O

I went back cleaned the bolt and found no spring, and then I looked at the shifter again closely. The place that housed the bolt was hollowed out and that&#8217;s where the spring was rusted in place!
I cleaned and greased it up put the bolt back in. It was not that easy to do with out taking the shifter apart, but I got it. Now the shifter is a little stiffer going into reverse.<O</O
Thanks to every one.<O</O
<O</O