Hey dudes, I am wondering what transmissions can be adapted to the Model A 4-Banger to make it highway speed capable? Where would one get such an adapter? Are there adapters that don't require machine work/or extremely hard to find parts? I would think that the Flathead V-8 3 spd. w/od transmission would bolt up to the 4-banger....am I correct or on crack? Just looking at some options. Also, for the last question... some tips for quick hop up and reliability on 4 bangers. Thanks much!! John
Soon as I get hold of John (Coleman), I'll ask him, he's quite the "A" afficianado. Am diggin' up his # info for ya.
There is an adapter to a V8 Ford trans, also a T5 . Antique Auto has some cool 4 Banger stuff, and the V8 adapter. Dig around on the web, you will find tons of shit for the Banger. Mill the head, add 2-2bbls, and put a real long open pipe on it. Should be fun.
Let me just add If you really want to drive this thing, Pull the rods and insert them. You dont have to pressure the engine or drill the crank. The rods work just fine dipping oil with the inserts, and you can run it 80mph and not have rod troubles.If it were me I would also change the cam alonge with the other things. I have a five speed mated to mine, but I did a lot of machine work to fit it.--TV
TV- care to elaborate on what adapter and rearend you used? I have a Stock '28 Tudor I would like to drive at more than 50mph. Have the 5-speed laying there, would very much like to know what you did. Thanks Jim
Jim, What I did was buy the adapter plate from Antique auto and just used it as a pattern. Because I am going to race mine at Bonaville, I needed everthing in bullit proof steel.So I made a bellhousing out of a chevey scatter shield and then had to make a new adapter plate that was an inch and a half thick to maintain proper spacing. The original adapter plate is out of 1/4" plate. When you do this you have to go to open drive line, so you either use an f-1 rear end or convert yours to open. If you buy the complete kit from Antique they give you the convertion for the rear end. He gets about $795.00 for his complete kit.{ouch} But it sure makes a nice package.--TV
Those forums are so tough to read compared to the HAMB. And the one on Ford Barn ONLY talks STOCK- no hop ups allowed!
There are a lot of things to do to make the Model A go down the road a lot better. I am talking 55 not 85 or 90. 12 volt elec. system with an alternator High comp head- 6:1 with the babbit bearings Modern Ford points in the dist. Down draft carb-97,94 (better) A "B" cam in good shape works wonders Overdrive or change the rear end ratio These are really fun cars with a great deal of low end torque. Get the car "tighten up" and safe and have a ball! They are fun to work on and fun to drive. Everything you do to them up to a point get you better mileage and more fun. You should get 20,000 plus out a babbit motor with a little care and keep the comp ratio at 6:1 and the reves to 3,000 max! All this from a Model T guy!
One of my bosses is a long tme Model A afficionado. He told me the Pinto 4 cylinders bolt up to the A trans. I'm guessing with the proper clutch disc to match. Not sure if the reverse would be true, but it's something you could look into.
How about whacking a Laycock d'Normanville o/drive out of a 60's Volvo or Triumph etc in the tailshaft. I gather you can get a kit to do this to early v8s. You don't have to change to open shaft or mess with adaptors or clutches,but it does involve shortening the torque tube. All you see in the cab is a switch and the o/drive is tucked up in front of the diff in the tailshaft. Still looks "Old skool". For whitemetal bearings, changing the oil often (~500 miles) helps them last.
Guys in my old club (the Modesto Area A's) used to run the Studebaker overdrive... My dad had a counter balanced A crank, high compression head, balanced motor, downdraft glassbowl Holley, Mallory dual point, and his own modified water pump with rubber seal and roller bearings that he made up. He also was adapting F-100 boxes to the A-bones with another club member for other people... worked real slick. Anyway, he could buzz down the highway all day long at 55mph... and top 65 if he zinged it... no overdrive. You have to remember... these are tractor motors (no wait, they had four mains) that put out 40hp stock... topped out at 50mph... and were not made to drive at our hwy speeds (75-80mph). There has also been some buzz about running inserts without full pressure oiling that needs to be doped out by someone that is doing it. Long story short... Banger motors aren't a cheap hot rod (antique hot rod) motor unless you got deep pockets... a guy in the Dukes just got his back from being built... $12,000. OUCH! My advice would be to find a good running stock motor... BUILD THE CAR... get it running and driving... and THEN modify it internally. Just my 2 cents. Sam.
yeah, that's pretty much what I'm looking at. It's a stock partially restored (not sure if the motor's been gone through) chassis and running gear. If anything, I'll prolly just put a t-5 behind it and just change a few things. I don't plan to hwy cruise it all the time, just around town for the time being. V-8 and beefy rear end are in the future for the chassis after the front is boxed. Thanks for the tips guys. john
It's hard to "just" put a T-5 behind a stock motor in this car. In addition to the adapters needed to mount the trans to the engine there's the business of converting the rear axle to open drive with all that entails. You push over a fairly long line of dominoes when you go that route. The lowest effort route, if not the cheapest necessarily, is to go with a Mitchell overdrive unit which replaces the stock torque tube without disturbing anything else. Model Aers swear by the reliability and effectiveness of this unit which has about a 30 percent or so overdrive ratio. It ain't cheap, about 2K, but by the time you've chased down all the various and sundry parts and pieces needed to convert the car to a modern trans it may well be a wash money-wise and it's a one or two day job to install with little or no fabbing required. With a Mitchell, a high-comp head, a single-carb downdraft manifold, a modern dizzy, and headers you should be able to cruise at least 60-65mph without serious strain. And you shouldn't need to go to insert bearings or full pressure oiling if the engine is otherwise sound and you don't abuse it. Do it. Rodded bangers, mild or otherwise, are seriously cool.
I just erased my post--Darwin saiditall. The Mitchell won't look expensive after you do any other swap, plus you keep fully functional suspension. Up front, consider either a Model B or early V8 trans with 1940's vintage innards for slightly better ratios and much better shifting with your new OD. There are bracket kits available for either case (either can take any V8 gear set) to keep stock brake pedals and stuff. Either is the right overall length, and the B can be a bolt in except for the bracketry needed.
I have a Laycock (Volvo) overdrive in the stupid car and it works great! Done by a couple of guys in Bakersfield. I think they get about $950 for them. Half price of a Mitchel. The 2000 Pinto (not the 2300) is almost a bolt on deal-flywheel spacer needed and run all A parts. You miss the torque of an A motor, but sure like the rpms. I run 65 all day in my coupe with 16" radial tires. Motors are geting a little hard to find and pricy to rebuild.
A T-5 will have an overdrive 5th, but the original has a 1:1 high gear (3rd). For a higher top speed, take a look at the rear end ratio. --Matt
I can tell you most of the guys that are inserting the bangers keep this to themselvs.I know that the A's use MG main brgs. in the rods, and continenals in the mains. The B's use Datsons in both rods and mains. And as a follow up post I know a guy that has run inserts on dipper rods and has over 60 thousand miles on the engine, without pulling the pan. I agree that White metal rods work fine, but you will pull the pan every 4 to 5000 miles to service them. Ok for the resto guys, but if your going to hot rod it and run it hard I think the inserts are the way to go.IMHO--TV
I've recently bought a '31 coupe stocker. I've pulled the fenders and now I'm hopping up the banger. Going to use a 94 on an Ansen and a header and I've got a Winfield head on it's way. Hotroddin' in it's purest form...
Artiki, How do say Bugs Ear, I love it. When you pull in somewhere and people jam around to look,you know your onto something.--TV
Here's a pic of the car straight after I pulled the fenders off. The paint will be sorted very soon... (what is it with restorers and paint?)
I don't know why they do some of the stuff they do, But the cars cool anyway.Has it got hydrolics and are you going to drop it? Looks like you just got new shoes,good luck man.--TV
Put this baby in it!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2476227334&category=33615 Artiki,I think that Coupe looks GREAT asis!!!!
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