So here's what I have. A late "32" V8 rear with a 3 1/2" wide center section. Rebuilt ( bullet proofed) Columbia Two speed with shorted axle housing for the 3 1/2 " center Halibrand 201 Q.C. 3 13/16 wide. Set up to use a torque tube. What's the best way to make this work? Take 5/32 off each axle housing and reuse the "32" axles. Upgrade the axles and bearings from Hod Rod Works? Look for a Halibrand 101?. What about the torque tube? I may just go with the Columbia and skip the Q.C., it would certainly simplify things.
I think it would be really cool to have a QC and Columbia OD. I have a V8 QC with F1 pickup axles and axle gears. F1 axles are too large a diameter to go through the center of the OD unit. Possibly would work with stock tapered axles. Greg
Have you checked the bolt pattern of the axle housings on the QC? I know the H101 uses the Model A pattern and the 201 fits the '35 & up trumpets. But I don't know anything about Deuce rear axles.
A late 32 rearend won't fit a Halibrand 101. The 101 only fits Model A and the early 32 unsupported rears. I don't have a solution to your problem.
That being said, I think that shortening the trumpets 5/32" is likely the best solution. If you part it off in a lathe you can probably cut the proper amount out and simply reweld it back together. Henry must have had some tolerance. I might try assembling it as is and see if 5/32" is really the magic number. Let us know how it works out. I have pieces to do a V8 QC/Columbia but it's on the back burner right now. Bruce
After doing a little research you and Alchemy are correct, early 32 centers are 9 3/4", later 32's, which I have are 10", so using a 101 is not going to work.
I made a decision. Considering I spent a long time last year chasing down a cracked intake. Once the car was running well, I enjoyed running the shit out of it. Installing the Q.C. would be a major expenditure of time, with pulling the body, modifying the rear cross member and fuel tank. So installing the Columbia will be my goal for now and save the Q.C. for another time. Thanks for replying.
Eventually I will. It's an evolving project, never ends. There's a couple of other things that need to be taken care of. Lighten up the flywheel, new clutch, pressure plate and go through the Tranny. If I get into installing the Q.C. it wont see the road for a while.
I saved this one from the HAMB years ago. I think it is in an A roadster . Dream of finding and affording a Columbia one day.
It looks kind of like a torque tube clamshell on the outside. If I remember correctly that car was in Australia or New Zealand Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Looks like he's manually shifting the Columbia. Hard to see, but there's no vacuum can. I'd like to see the linkage set up.
My friends '32 three window, shifted manually and has a full floor in the trunk with a extra gas tank and spare tire along with the stock gas tank in the stock location.
I found this looking for something else relating to Columbia vacuum shift schematics. That red car (32 roadster) is down here in Australia.
I have one under a 1939 Ford with 4.44 gear. This car was my Dad's from the 1950's - this rear was a junk yard find in 1958 for $25. Do not have working vacuum canister system. The can was taken off the vacuum shift and a bolt threaded in as a "handle". Dad would crawl under and shift manually when the car was stopped. I would love to see a manual shift linkage - or been thnking about linear elect. actuator.
Thanks for that, I turned that into a pdf to make it easier (for me) to store and read. Anyone want a copy, here it is.
Columbia's are the tits man. Put one under my '35 pickup with 3.54 gears and I love it. I hadn't thought about adding QC gears though... that would be real slick. I've seen some folks use A brake rods to make a manual linkage to the e-brake lever, but then you have to figure out what you're dong with the brakes to make that work again. Maybe a dash mounted e-brake lever... Oh, and it seems (like many old things) the more you use it, the better it works. The vacuum can works great, but can be slow to actuate if it's been sitting for a minute.
Sorry no pictures, but he used a morse cable with a bell crank to get the right ratio for the pull (cable alone wont give you the correct pull). He made a bracket that bolts to the four bolts the canister bolts to mount the bell crank to and used the lever from the canister to attache the cable to. The shifter also has detente to keep it locked.