Shifting Tower Installation
 

Hi everyone,

I've been looking all over, Model A mechanics handbook, internet articles, videos, etc., and I can't figure out exactly how the gears in the transmission box have to be situated in order to install the shifting tower and forks correctly in my 1930 Model A Coupe

I don't want to screw it up and wind up having to pull the tower off, put a new gasket on, etc. Any help would really be appreciated.

Thanks

John

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

You want the shift tower in the neutral position and then carefully slide the 2 sliding shifting forks into the slots in the 2 gears

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Here is my tower rebuild YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BCIpZuxoLpQ

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Sorry for the novice question, but what does the neutral position look like on the tower?

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Thanks for the video, Bob, but the tower is already assembled, I just need to install it on the transmission, and need to know the position of the forks and gears for installation.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Answered by # 2. Neutral position, the forks caging the shift lever ball end.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Quick lesson for yourself. When you are sure you are ready to instal the tower, just line up the gears so the tower will fit down evenly to the top of the transmission, Install a couple of bolts to hold it and try shifting through the gears. Do this without a gasket and if it is wrong and you can't shift into all gears, pick the tower off the tranny and make changes so both of the shifters drop into the slot on the two places that have a slot. If the top will fit down and you can shift into all four gear positions and nuetral, carefully lift straight up and install the gasket. Make sure there is no obstruction to keep the tower from moving totally forward on the tranny top. Easy lesson and you will see what we are telling you as you slowly do it. Once done, you have that down for life. You cannot do anything wrong if you get all the gear positions before tightening things down.
Well there may be some that will drop something into the tranny and cause a problem, but you will be carefull not to do that, right? I jack the rear clear of the ground so I can run the engine after I have got it all together and make sure everything sounds good before reving her up for some road testing.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

You shouldn't need any sealer on the gasket, so it can be reused.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

An old trick is to use a little thick grease on the gaskets so that they can be re used.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

The 1st/reverse and 2nd/high sliding gears should be slid by hand into neutral. A person may have to rotate them a bit to align the gears or dogs but they should move without too much force both in and out of mesh. Neutral is the half way point between gear mesh or mesh of the dogs between he input shaft and the 2nd/high gear. If the gears rotate freely then they should be in neutral. Set the shifter to the middle neutral point where the little ball end isn't engaged in either fork slot then the forks are ready to drop into the grooves of the sliding gears.

Re: Shifting Tower Installation
 

Neutral + neutral = slips right together.