Technical 1939 Ford transmission alternative

Hello, my apologies if the subject has already been explored.

Because '39 trans are hard to find and very expensive, I wonder if an alternative exists.

For example, is it possible to use 1940 gears into a 1934 housing ?

Or do you have better suggestion ?

Thanks.

 

Yes, you can put the 40 and later gears (basically the same gear set as the 39) into an earlier case. You may need to assemble them in a slightly different order, or possibly grind a little more clearance into the bottom of the case though. But the kicker is that you will still need a 39 and up shifter and double-detent housing with the wide fork. The big money is for the shifter housing and fork, not so much the actual 39 transmission case.

 

or you could go with a T 5

 

Scattered through this thread are enough tips to allow you to pillage the swap meets intelligently:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/39-ford-transmission-prices.91515/

Updates on that...you can now buy the shift fork, which was getting hard to find, and of course prices for Ford stuff keep climbing.

From here Visit the magnificent Van Pelt parts site for your assembly manual: http://www.vanpeltsales.com/

This Hamber's book is the best.

And if you don't find the right pile of parts, '36-39's with the earlier synchro are perfectly good transmissions.

U

 

They are getting hard to find because I am hording them. I think I'm at almost 40 "39 toploader" style transmissions...

I could be talked out of one for someone in need. But I'm sure shipping to Europe would be a killer.

 

I didn't notice that you are in Belgium. Europe in general has a heavier concentration of V8 60 cars than the USA,
and I am not sure which trans was most used! In the USA, commercial 60's and taxis got the BIG transmission with 60 case and regular passenger cars got the small one.
Big 60 case has same gear case as 221 and 239's. Main difference is a little canister that shelters the 60 starter... this will not trouble you at all. I think if you try the little case and gear set you will blow the trans as you back out of your garage...this stuff looks like the insides of a pencil sharpener!

 

How about 1960's Ford 3 speed top loader with jeep shifter tower bolted to it.. They came in Mustangs, Falcons, Fairlanes, and others.. There are threads on here about the conversion....

 

They are moderatly accessible from both The Uk and Sweden .
Im guessing the uk is easier easier for you on shipping than Sweden . Bob Froch (www.bobfroch.co.uk) can probably help you out .

If you really don’t want to run a 39 trans a T5 is probably the next most sensible choice .

 

You never mentioned what flathead you are using. The reason I ask is if it's an early engine, one option is the overdrive trans used in '49-'51 Mercs. If you are using a later engine you can use the toploader overdrive trans and stamped-steel bellhousing from a '49-'51 Shoebox Ford. Yes, it means converting to open drive and column shift but it opens up your options quite a bit for what is available in your area.

 

Thank you all for your replies.
I bought a barn find European 1932 model B, without engine.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/barn-find-european-32-fordor.1114549/

I'll put a 239 French flat in it. Keeping the K member, torque tube and mechanical brakes.
My plan was to use a Volvo M40. But a recent mock-up shows that the Volvo trans is about 3 inches longer than a 1940 used for compare. Because the rear bearing housing.
That means the torque tube must be shortened or to go to open drive. And I don't want to.

So I'm looking for another solution for keeping the torque tube.
I found a 1934 trans but want something more pleasant to drive.

Another solution gave by Edsrodshop is combining 1940-48 side loaders with F1 or 36-38 housings and F1 shift towers.

 

Hey if you want to pay for the shipping I have an extra 38 ford case with the relief in the bottom for the later gears. You can have the case for free.

 

Ok great !
Do I need a 1939 tower ?

 

Yes, if you want to use the 39-48 gears.Get pictures to make sure the surfaces on the inside (for the thrust washers)of the case are not worn or damaged.Nothing wrong with a 34 trans if its in good condition.You can get a completely rebuilt '39 trans with the shifter for about $1100 in San Dimas,CA and there is a French shipping company (Goodies and Family) that ship from Murrietta CA(not far from San Dimas,CA) every month to Europe.Their containers go to Belgium first.I had a friend just ship a pallet of Hot Rod parts and '32 frame rails to France.It was very reasonable.Create a conversation if you want more info.Sheldon

 

You need the three inch fork off of one. I'm not sure if you can put the fork in an earlier tower because the shaft on the shifter is a different height.

 

I think it would work in the single detent tower from 36-39 but everyone prefers the double detent tower.

 

Just to let you know that transmission in your 32 looks like a model b trans and they are pretty sought after because you can still later gears 41-48 in them to put behind a 4 banger and the tower from a 39 will fit on it! So most likely it was a 4 cylinder car

 

Ok, so I have to look for a tower, too.
Yes, I know Goodies, my first orders are in their store. Still waiting for So-cal parts.
By the way, they changed their adress. But I didn't know it before ordering some parts.
You see what I mean ....

 

Yes, like I said above my car is a 4 banger.
Not with the 203 c.i but a smaller 123 c.i. (to pay less taxes).
Look at the space between the spark plugs.

 

This trans need the double clutching, right ?

 

Tower...for any '32 up case with late gears...as in the link I sent:
36-7 and '38---end of top shifters in pickup trucks about 1953 towers will work. '36-7 is slightly different, never owned one but can be use, be used. '36-38 towers and many '39's have the roughly 2 7/8" fork which must be swapped for original or repro late fork, used on some '39 and all the pickup towers after that. The fork you wannt carries a tiny 91A part number on originals and measures a VERY small amount less than 3" across.
This stuff will work with all the brass synchro gear set.
Double clutching is needed for downshift to first gear only on these and nearly all old three speeds in USA. Upshifting is not a problem on any year of these. And of course with sensitive ears you can downshift to first single clutching ...

 

The only time you need to double clutch a '34 trans is when going from second back to first.

Charlie Stephens

 

I drove a 37ish trans in my sedan for five years before it got replaced by a 39 (the old trans was starting to make some rattles, probably bearings). I actually cannot notice any improvement in shifting between the two. The supposedly improved syncros are not really worth the extra expense if you already have access to a nice mid-decade transmission.

 

I'ld like to tanks you all for your replies.
Now, it's clearer to me.
Last question anyway. As Alchemy said, there's not a significant improvement shifting between a 37 and a 39.
So why are 39 trans so sought after ?

 

For racing purposes the cases are stronger with a little more mass. You will have faster shifting with newer gears. The older cluster gear is a straight cut gear. Which won't shift as nice and is a weaker design. They do fine for just driving but if you ever want to go through the gears hard I wouldn't trust it for too long. Also the double detent tower provides better shifts and isn't going to pop out of gear like a lot of the earlier transmission would with a little wear. The 48-7006 cases work just fine. The only reason you would want a 78-7006 or a 99-7006 (1939 only) is if you have a really modified flathead. Most likely the gears will go before the case does on any of the cases I listed. You just can't use the 18-7006 case unless you make clearance for the later cluster which I would recommend. What kind of power is your flathead going to be running?

 

39 transmissions are what all the racers wanted in the 40s and 50s and the cad lasalle transmission. That is the only reason

 

Bragging rights? If you were racing where a fraction of a second might lose a race it might be worthwhile.

Charlie Stephens

 

Ok, now I get it. 39 was popular only for racing.
My flatty will be stock at first. Maybe some mods later like 3/4 race isky, edelbrock heads, and slingshot intake.
A nice running amble, but not a racecar.
I don't want to run a 1/4 mile. The chassis will be stock, too. Not boxed.

 

When I said I would recommend modifying the 18-7006 case I meant to say "wouldn't".

 

You should be fine running a stock 32-38 case with what you are doing. If you have the money to invest in the better gears, case and tower that would be the route I would take personally. I would say the hardest thing to find in good condition is the tower.

 

My 37ish transmission was not equipped with straight gears. The only operational difference between the 37 and 39 was the "improved" syncros and the double detent shift housing. I don't find the newer syncros to be all that much better. And my old trans never popped out of gear, so I guess the old single detent wasn't inadequate.