The Ford Barn

oj · 06-06-2014, 12:59 PM

I just tried to reshape my '39 toploader handle, I used a tubing bender to make my first bend about 8" above where it goes into the transmission and the thing broke off! I looked at the break and there is a steel rod surrounded by mystery metal, the mystery metal is what makes the taper. It was my bad luck to bend right where they joined the pieces - at leats that is what it looks like.
Anybody comfirm this? Steel rods butted together, not welded and surrounded by dissimilar metal - looks almost like a cast metal.
My camera is broken or I'd post a picture.
I always thought the sticks were a 1pc forging.

rich b · 06-06-2014, 01:15 PM

Strange lever you have there, I've heated and bent a bunch of levers and cut and welded others, never came across anything but solid steel. Some pictures would be interesting.

alchemy · 06-06-2014, 01:49 PM

I seen plenty of levers and have never come across anything like you describe. Just solid steel.

AnthonyG · 06-06-2014, 02:02 PM

Yep should be all steel, solid. I put a '39 tranny in my '35 and had to rebend it to the '35 config. Used a conduit bender and a pattern to match up. Went well. I've seen them with the top cut off and new piece welded on and ground rto match and they even looked pretty good in case you find yours is steel weld a new top on it.

Mart · 06-06-2014, 02:13 PM

Sounds like yours has been "got at" by a previous owner. I just bent and reshaped a 39 gear stick and it bent quite nicely cold.

Mart.

oj · 06-06-2014, 02:21 PM

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I wish I had my camera, if you look just above the top of the tranny the shaft is 1/2"ish until about 8" up where it gets large right in the sweep of the lower curve. That is the spot is broke cleanly - I was using a conduit bender - it didn't take much effort at all. The steel shaft looked like good Ford steel but the thicker part looked porous like broke cast iron.
The break was where the taper ends in the curve as it is going into the shifter tower.

lonewolf · 06-06-2014, 02:22 PM

Re-production part?

Tim Ayers · 06-07-2014, 05:23 AM

What ever you have, doesn't sound stock.

AnthonyG · 06-07-2014, 07:43 AM

I know few like ebay but there is a reasonable $65, 1939 shifter http://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-FORD-TR...f758dd&vxp=mtr

oj · 06-07-2014, 09:06 AM

No this was a Ford piece, all original. I bet it was broke and repaired, the 'casting' was an old old weld of somesort to join the 2 pieces.
How on earth do you break one of them? That is a serious chunk of steel. It ain't like somebody broke it hanging a heavy second gear in a race!

AnthonyG · 06-07-2014, 10:55 AM

Out of curiosity was the top piece that broke off tapered to match the bottom piece? If so I cant imagine where who ever modified it would get a cast piece like that.Can you get a picture of it yet? I think someone either tried to weld and did a lousy weld or brazed it which would be a weak point.

oj · 06-07-2014, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnthonyG

Out of curiosity was the top piece that broke off tapered to match the bottom piece? If so I cant imagine where who ever modified it would get a cast piece like that.Can you get a picture of it yet? I think someone either tried to weld and did a lousy weld or brazed it which would be a weak point.

I wish I had a pic of it to share. I looked at the one on ebay and mine was different in that it came up out of the shift tower about 1/2", about 8" up it changed size to about 11/16ths and tapered to the shift knob. I thought they were all like that and the size change would fall at the top of the shift boot or something.
It was at the change in size that it broke.
I have shortened, rebent and welded it back together and now just finetuning the curves.

AnthonyG · 06-07-2014, 03:20 PM

If the bottom half is the part that you know is solid steel and you have access to a lathe you could get a piece of round rod cold roll steel the dia. of the shifter bottom and match the taper then clean up the bottom half where you need to weld and weld them together then dress with file. Give your self a nice chamfer on top and bottom pcs for weld. I had a guy send me a tranny with stick cut in half to fit his box the tranny was in and I had to weld halfs together and blended with a couple of files and it looks great.

ford38v8 · 06-07-2014, 07:46 PM

About 8" up? Yep, that was my old shifter from my '39 Tudor. I cut it off and threaded it for my new handle, the reverse gear cutoff from a cluster and brassed in. My Dad did the brass and threading, I did the smoothing and sanding. Heavy bugger, made speed shifting easy as pie, just a flip of the wrist. Wish I had that Tudor today.

06-06-2014, 12:59 PM	#1
oj Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 293	How were shifter handles made? I just tried to reshape my '39 toploader handle, I used a tubing bender to make my first bend about 8" above where it goes into the transmission and the thing broke off! I looked at the break and there is a steel rod surrounded by mystery metal, the mystery metal is what makes the taper. It was my bad luck to bend right where they joined the pieces - at leats that is what it looks like. Anybody comfirm this? Steel rods butted together, not welded and surrounded by dissimilar metal - looks almost like a cast metal. My camera is broken or I'd post a picture. I always thought the sticks were a 1pc forging. Last edited by oj; 06-06-2014 at 01:00 PM. Reason: afterthought

06-06-2014, 01:15 PM	#2
rich b Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,827	Re: How were shifter handles made? Strange lever you have there, I've heated and bent a bunch of levers and cut and welded others, never came across anything but solid steel. Some pictures would be interesting.

06-06-2014, 01:49 PM	#3
alchemy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: middle of Iowa Posts: 647	Re: How were shifter handles made? I seen plenty of levers and have never come across anything like you describe. Just solid steel.

06-06-2014, 02:02 PM	#4
AnthonyG Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Pa. Posts: 2,174	Re: How were shifter handles made? Yep should be all steel, solid. I put a '39 tranny in my '35 and had to rebend it to the '35 config. Used a conduit bender and a pattern to match up. Went well. I've seen them with the top cut off and new piece welded on and ground rto match and they even looked pretty good in case you find yours is steel weld a new top on it. __________________ Nomad

06-06-2014, 02:13 PM	#5
Mart Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Solihull, England. Posts: 8,755	Re: How were shifter handles made? Sounds like yours has been "got at" by a previous owner. I just bent and reshaped a 39 gear stick and it bent quite nicely cold. Mart.

06-06-2014, 02:21 PM	#6
oj Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 293	Re: How were shifter handles made? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I wish I had my camera, if you look just above the top of the tranny the shaft is 1/2"ish until about 8" up where it gets large right in the sweep of the lower curve. That is the spot is broke cleanly - I was using a conduit bender - it didn't take much effort at all. The steel shaft looked like good Ford steel but the thicker part looked porous like broke cast iron. The break was where the taper ends in the curve as it is going into the shifter tower.

06-06-2014, 02:22 PM	#7
lonewolf Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 464	Re: How were shifter handles made? Re-production part?

06-07-2014, 05:23 AM	#8
Tim Ayers Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 6,181	Re: How were shifter handles made? What ever you have, doesn't sound stock.

06-07-2014, 07:43 AM	#9
AnthonyG Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Pa. Posts: 2,174	Re: How were shifter handles made? I know few like ebay but there is a reasonable $65, 1939 shifter http://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-FORD-TR...f758dd&vxp=mtr __________________ Nomad

06-07-2014, 09:06 AM	#10
oj Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 293	Re: How were shifter handles made? No this was a Ford piece, all original. I bet it was broke and repaired, the 'casting' was an old old weld of somesort to join the 2 pieces. How on earth do you break one of them? That is a serious chunk of steel. It ain't like somebody broke it hanging a heavy second gear in a race!

06-07-2014, 10:55 AM	#11
AnthonyG Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Pa. Posts: 2,174	Re: How were shifter handles made? Out of curiosity was the top piece that broke off tapered to match the bottom piece? If so I cant imagine where who ever modified it would get a cast piece like that.Can you get a picture of it yet? I think someone either tried to weld and did a lousy weld or brazed it which would be a weak point. __________________ Nomad

06-07-2014, 03:20 PM	#13
AnthonyG Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Pa. Posts: 2,174	Re: How were shifter handles made? If the bottom half is the part that you know is solid steel and you have access to a lathe you could get a piece of round rod cold roll steel the dia. of the shifter bottom and match the taper then clean up the bottom half where you need to weld and weld them together then dress with file. Give your self a nice chamfer on top and bottom pcs for weld. I had a guy send me a tranny with stick cut in half to fit his box the tranny was in and I had to weld halfs together and blended with a couple of files and it looks great. __________________ Nomad

06-07-2014, 07:46 PM	#14
ford38v8 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 6,646	Re: How were shifter handles made? About 8" up? Yep, that was my old shifter from my '39 Tudor. I cut it off and threaded it for my new handle, the reverse gear cutoff from a cluster and brassed in. My Dad did the brass and threading, I did the smoothing and sanding. Heavy bugger, made speed shifting easy as pie, just a flip of the wrist. Wish I had that Tudor today. __________________ Alan