I picked up a 1939 Ford Transmission case, 78-7006 in a parts lot. It’s an actual 1939 with a *18-4685152* It has a crack and broken bolt boss. What do you think, repair, build or s****.
S****. A nice one can usually be found for under $50 at many swap meets. Any case from 36-ish to the 53 pickups is the same. The myth that the rib on the bottom makes them much stronger is blown out of proportion.
I've got to go with Alchemy on that one, there are too many good cases floating around for reasonable prices to want to put time, money or effort into repairing that on a hope it works deal.
It might be neat to practice cast iron welding techniques on, but all the pro’s I’ve asked about that have always said don’t bother. The risks of cracking again after make the effort of rebuilding it into a transmission a potential lost cause, and the cost per inch to s***ch cast iron is “adult money” as my buddy would say.
Cracks in cast iron will keep creeping longer. Drill a hole to stop that, then weld, bla bla...all a waste of time get rid of it, they are not that rare
Pretty sure I see two cracks in the front bearing retainer opening, plus the major chunk of casting broken off one of the bolt holes for the shifter housing. These are just the flaws I see in the pictures…. Good 78 series cases can still be found, and in most situations you can use a good 48 series case for a rebuild. Your time is better spent with another case. We’ve s****ped out better examples than this one.
Your time, effort, and money are better spent elsewhere. Plus the work of R & R when you find out that the crack / leaks are still there.
I'd fix it only because I enjoy fiddling around with junk. Practically speaking, as others have said, it's a lost cause.
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