Hot Rods 3 speed issues

I have a 1939 Lincoln 3 speed. I can not move the car in first gear. She makes a lot of noise. Second, 3rd and reverse work fine.
Do you guys think i chipped a tooth?
If yes, should i replace the whole gear set?

thanks

 

You state the car won't drive when in first gear, and makes a lot of noise (grinding) , that's when the clutch is released, correct???
Sounds like your first gear /gears are stripped, not chipped, but really damaged..
Pull the cover off and check for damage.
I would say replacement of the layshaft ( cluster) and 1st sliding gear will need replacing, possibly more have been damaged as well with the shrapnel in the oil..

 

The 39 Lincoln transmission has a unique right hand side cover with the shifter lever stub coming up from the top front corner of the cover. As far as the gears go, it's the same inside as any 39-48 Ford ge****t with the late style synchronizer. What inthweedz suggests is very likely the reason for your problem. It should come out and be rebuilt. You can confirm the damage by removing the side cover (after draining the oil) and inspecting the inside if you wish. We've rebuilt a handful of these and should have parts for it.

It's certainly possible to reuse many of the existing parts but you won't really know until you look. All bearings and thrust washers will have to be replaced as bits of steel have most likely been thrown everywhere inside.

 

And...seems like it would be pretty easy to remove the shifter and look. The slightly rotated placement of the LZ shifter should allow a better view into the lower bits of the trans than in a '39 Ford trans.

 

We are in the process of taking out the 3 speed. One person recommends to move the torque tube back. Someone else thinks it's easier to move the engine forward. Which method do you guys think it is easier??? thanks

 

Neither is real easy, I always unhooked the rear end ***'y and moved it back

 

Depends on the car. A fenderless hot rod I'd tend to pull the motor/ ****** out as a unit, then do the ******/ clutch work on the floor. Fat fendered cars I pull the rear axle. Like Rick said above, either is somewhat a PIA.

 

Better ask the owner here what year the box is, as the '38 and '39 Lincolns were column shifts. Last of the Lincoln side-floorshifts was 1937.

 

Mike, the 37 Lincoln box was essentially the same as a 37 Ford box. Although the 38-39 Lincoln gearboxes had side cover shifter housings, they still mounted a floor shifter to a stub sticking up out of the front corner of the housing......and it's the weirdest lever you'll ever see with multiple bends. Beginning with 1940 models, they were side cover (left hand side in US production) and column shifted in the traditional sense. This picture shows the typical 1938 and 39 Lincoln Zephyr transmission. The shifter stub is not in its place in the top opening on the shifter housing in this pic.