<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --> On our '39 coupe I have a 3.78 rear end with L78-15 tires, a '40 flathead with the sleeves removed and Offy heads, dual 97 2B carbs and dual exhaust. I need to rebuild my tranny (broken main drive and cluster gear), but having difficulty finding stock replacements. I am seriously considering Zephyr gears, as I found 1st gear to be lots of rpm with not much mph. Ops, almost forgot to mention, also have a Columbia 2-speed. Should I go with the Zephyrs or stay with the standards? Comments? <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________
You might try a search on "Zephyr Gears".........recents thread/posts on this topic. A synopsis is; the jury is out on the repro'd parts. Ray
I'm not sure what your level of knowledge is on this subject. are you aware of the other gear sets that will fit that trans?? basically any gear set from 39-48?? do you know what ratio you currently have?? there are a couple different sets that have an even lower first gear than what is considered standard. Have you looked at mac van pelts website?? he has many original parts for sale as well as all of the information you need to know what you have and how to fix it.
I am sort of a newbie, unaware of other options but anxious to learn. I do have an experienced builder doing the actual job. I can tell you this: the box is a '35 (stamped number 18-1516608), 16T main drive gear and 28-24-18-14 cluster gear. I have looked at the other threads and found them to be very polarized. I have also looked at Mac VanPelt's site and it has been very informative. I just didn't know if my combination of things, especially the engine and tire combination, was unique.
Mac VanPelt published a book on rebuilding the transmission you currently have. I would highly recommend it. It helped me put a '40 gearbox together correctly.
the case doesn't really matter much as pretty much any topshift case from 1935 to 39 car and 35-48+ pickup (forget how far up they used the same case) can be used for a closed drive transmission. the shifter from 39-48 must be used with the later gear sets because of the difference in sincros. all of this information is available on Mac Van pelt's web site. I suggest even if you don't do the work yourself that you buy his book to get an understanding of what the interchange is. you could have just about anything in your case for style/year gears! I tend to look for a good complete side shift box to get a gear set from. most of the time they have the correct ford gearset I'm looking for.
Try Dennis Carpenter, and / or Sacramento Vintage Ford. The last catalogs i saw still showed the top shift Ford trans pieces. 4TTRUK
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