I was just trying to gather some information on this old Zephyr three speed that was in my dads parts stash. He said he thinks it was out of a '39 or so. I asked on the Chevelle website I belong to, and they said this is the place to seek info. I'm wondering a couple things, the main being would it be worth much of anything in working order? If so, where would be a good source of parts? Things like gaskets, seals, bearings, and small parts. Essetially a whole rebuild kit. I'm not even sure if the gears are any good still. It has been sitting with the side cover off since about 1966. There is rust on the gears, but from what I can tell no actual pitting. The down side is I can only see one side of the gears because the trans is froze up. I won't really know anything until I get it disassembled. At the very least I know the case, tail housing, side cover, and bearing retainer are unbroken. If it ends up being a lost cause ,as far as rebuilding goes, is there much of a market for the parts that would still be good? Any info would be much appreciated.
May not be the case. '39 was a still a stick on top, but it bolted up like a side cover. OP: Can you post a pict or two? To answer your question: Depends. If the trans has the LZ 25 or 26 tooth gear set, then yes the gears can be worth some decent money. As with anything, condition is a major factor. If the gears are pitted, they may not be worth anything. If they'll clean up, they could be worth something. Need more info. I'd fill the trans case with kerosene or fuel oil and let it soak real good before you attempt to start taking it apart.
I thought about that after I posted. It occurred to me that I've only seen the gear sets and never a whole transmission. Good to know.
The 38-39 LZ trans used a unique side cover with a shifter stub sticking out of the top front of the side cover. They came with the regular Ford type 39 style gears. You absolutely have to have the unique LZ shifter lever that went with the trans...regular top loader levers have a different stub and will not work. This link shows the gearbox case: http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_transID_3speed-options.htm Sounds like the gears may be rusted beyond use, but cleaning them up will tell. Value is limited....not many people want this set up in hot rods. We've built a few and I have one in our shop now for a rebuild. The shifter housing is tricky to reassemble.
Mac (FortyFordGuy above) is THE man to ask questions and get parts from for these old transmissions. I highly recommend his book as well for any rebuilds you will attempt.
Thanks for the info guys. Here are a few pictures. After using some WD40 I was able to get the trans to spin over, albeit very stuff. I still won't know the condition of the gears until disassembly, and glass beading. They look pretty rough. They may be too far gone, but who knows. I've seen some pretty cruddy looking stuff be brought back.
Can't help with value for I'm not familiar with these. Do these later Lincolns have the same cogs as the later ones or did they change over like Ford did with the '49 model year?
T-85 Warner parts mostly interchange. Lincoln, Ford, Pontiac, Checker, Mercury, even a few Chevy pickups used them.
My first thought was T85, but the tail housing is a little bigger. Would it be worth trying to save if the gears are still good? If so, what would be a fair asking price if it was rebuilt?
I f you want to see a 38 / 39 Zephyr transmission check out my website at frenchysrides.com and click on the 32 roadster and you will see a few pictures of the transmission I have in the car. Thanks Frenchy
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