Help Climbing Hills - new head?

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

This often brings up the question: "is 4.11 to 1 a higher or lower ratio than 3.78 to 1?"
I think 4.11 to 1 is a higher ratio, but a slower speed ratio.

I now just refer to the ring and pinion as higher speed ratio, or lower speed ratio.

Tom, thats a good point!!! it can be confusing to the unknowing. Its sorta like timing instructions that say align the rotor tip OPPOSITE the number one contact in the distributor cap body, when setting the timing. I learned the difference in gear ratio numbers when I was a teenager and take it for granted that others know the same. To clear the waters for those that don't know, the higher the number, the lower the gear ratio will be. In other words, a 4.11 is lower than a 3.78 ratio. In plain english, with a 4.11 ratio the engine will turn 4.11 times, each time the wheel turns once or there about. Power is mostly made at higher RPM. The more times the engine turns in relation with the number of times the wheel turns is what it is all about.

I believe that changeing out the ring and pinion gears in the rear end to a 4.11 would help overcome the TOO high 36% overdrive. Many use the 4.11 ring and pinion gears with the 26% overdrive in conjunction with the Mitchell syncro transmission with higher ratio first and second gears. With the Mitchell transmission with higher ratio second gear, you can shift into second for the hills and keep getting up.

Overdrives and syncronized transmissions are expensive. Being a po country boy, I feel that the original 3.78 ratio is the best all around gear for the model A. My model A's are all fun cars and I really don't care nothing about cruiseing at 60-65 MPH, its just TOO dane-jus !!!!!!! With a few engine mods I can cruise all day at 50-55 and accellerate to 75 MPH pretty quickly if needed. A completely stock model A will cruise at 50 MPH but won't have the hill climbing ability or the power to run much higher speeds if needed.