Didn't want to muck Hotwheels' post with this, but just how many of the parts between years are actually compatable between boxes? Here's why I ask. I have an F1 box that came with my frame. The entire bottom - and I think the side cover - was removed (gone) and the steering shaft was bent and cut off right above the opening. I basically ended up with a box, sector, and bent steering shaft. I****umed it was junk and like all pieces of useless scrap, I kept it. Placed it on a shelf in my basement, forgot about it, and continued the search for a "good" steering box. Do the Drawings on the vanpeltsales site have the original Ford part numbers? If so I see nearly everything I need being compatable from '37 through 48 with some main parts continuing up through '50. Steering shafts and sectors share the same part numbers. There's a pretty big swap this weekend. I can be looking for a decent 37-48 car box and basically swap the main casting, correct?
Here's da scoop: Ford numbers have a root number in the middle:# 3590 is a pitman arm period, and I think a 2004 police Ford will have the same #. It won't fit your Model A... Sometimes, as with trans cases, the # changes by a digit because the part is only sold as a partial****embly, like a case that comes with a bushing already pressed in. The number in front, simple in the early thirties, complicated as hell in our time, tells the year of intro for that part and what it fits: A-3590 is A, B 3590 fits B and 18. They are not interchangeable... In later years, this gets real complicated as more and more varieties of engines and car lines emerge. Part numbers are kept in action as long as they are used in production (although all A parts still in use in 1932 got changed to B numbers), so you will see B part numbers still in use on '48 Fords. Sometimes a later # is supplied to replace an earlier, and the early number vanishes from late catalogs. Then there are suffixes...B-3590 A and -B are early and late variants with change in design, and sometimes you see A2, A3 etc. Suffixes also cover parts that come in different oversizes or colors.
Passenger car #s: A=Model A. B=1932 four plus any parts used on both 4 and V8 40='33-4 48='35 69='36 78='37 81A='38 91A='39 01A='40 11A='41 21A='42 31, 41 are wartime stuff, some postwar parts reworked to fit earlier cars. 51A=46 6A, 7RA were used in '47-48. Everything went to hell after '48, so who cares...
Hmmm....is there anyplace I can find the full part number to cross reference and find out what interchanges? And on a side note, that "78" that denotes a 1937 year of manufacture, is that the same 78 that appears on the "good" trans cases? I figure they all get called '39 toploaders the same way all juice brakes are called "40 Ford".
Grim If you don't have any luck before morning find Sonny Rogers at the swap. If he doesn't know he'll probably know who does, he's where I always start when I can't remember. Ya got my cell? give me a call in the morning and we'll hook up for coffee and donuts. I'm no expert but I kinda thought that all the F-1 boxes were the same internally. The PknBner
Same 78, the year of intro, used through 1952. The goodest shifters carry an 81A. You need the 1928-48 parts book, fountain of all wisdom and several mistakes...
Also, the concepts of compatibility or hot rod interchange are different from Ford's notion of what interchanged. Ofttimes a study of small parts or gaskets will clur you in on aomething useful--noticing, for instance, that all spindle bushings are the same might lead you to the conclusion that spindles can be swapped around.
Why is it that Grimloks posts are always so kick****?! No***** kev, I look at any post by you right away.(wait a day to respond though )
37 -48 pass car internals will fit in the 48-51 f-1 box, steering shaft will be for a keyed wheel and the truck will have splines....thats the only differance, you will need the f-1 case and cover the rest you can steal from a pass box.. hows that for cutting through the B.S.???
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