1938 ford 4 speed

Picked up a 4 speed to put behind a 38 flathead the other day... I know it's not the desirable 3 speed, but what can I expect with it? A really low first gear I'm assuming... What about the other 3? It has stock gears in it

 

Rear end is a 48 banjo with 3.54 gear ratio

 

It's a truck transmission and offers nothing over a stock 3 speed passenger car trans from the era for a street driven automobile. In my opinion, it is a liability because of it's weight and bulkiness.

I would recommend either a floor shift '39 style or side shift '40 through '48 trans.

Ray

 

What to expect. Well 4th is 1:1 like 3rd on a three speed. Not sure all actually gear rations. 1st is a stump puller and you won't use it much, if ever. So not much difference till it comes to shifting. If the early 4sp then no synchros, they are spur cut gears (some synchro'd 4sp's after 48). Get used to double clutching or slow shifting. I have one in my truck and I actually like it. But my truck isn't a hotrod. It's a truck.

Parts drawing for ID help of your trans.
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_drawings_trans.htm

 

That's the advice I'm looking for. If thank you. If I built the car with this transmission and later on down the road decide to swap out gears is it possible?

 

I wouldn't put the 4sp in a car. sorry. I'd look for a 3sp. Not that you couldn't... but I think you'd be better off being (I'm assuming) it's all torn apart now. If it was a truck, i'd say go for it!

 

If the trans is the same length as the 3 speed and is also a torque tube style connection to the driveshaft, then, yes, you could swap it out later.

But why do the work twice?

Ray

 

I don't believe their are any different gearsets available for it. Its a spur gear transmission, more like what you would find in an 18 wheeler then anything else. So you have to double clutch going both up and down the gears. I've also found there to be quite a gap between 3rd and 4th, with the 3.54 rear in my truck. Kinda a pain when driving around town. All this is presuming that you have a Warner T-9
The ratios are:
1st=6.4
2nd=3.09
3rd=1.69
4th=1.0