3 speed toploader

[Finn Flatty]

Been searching for a top-loader and finally managed to get one which to my eye is a combination of different year parts.
I would appreciate your help to identify it.

The case seems to bear 78 casting as much as I can see. Inner sides are completely square where the bolts are situated. All housings that I have seen are rounded around the bolt holes and this one has straight inner sides.

The mainshaft is straight cut. The gears include a combination of straight cut and helical cut gears which to my knowledge and to Hamb member comments are pre 36'. No brass syncro rings etc.

The rear mount is clearly the type which was introduced in 42'.

Shifter lever is a 36-37' model with a single gentle curve.

Casting number starts with 99.

Happy New Year!

-Pasi

[Juergen]

If a 37 shift lever works, the gears are not the 48- type used in 33-34 (with the slanted shift top) and some 35s. They are late 35/early 36 before Ford introduced the helical 1st/reverse helical with the wide spacing. The 37 gear set had a much narrower helical spacing.

You probably have a single detent shift top introduced in late 35 with a 68-casting. It takes the later shift lever with a bigger reach to the shift forks. A double detent would have an 81A- number introduced in 1938.

A casting number of 99 I think refers to the rear mount, which was first used on 39 Mercury.

There were a lot of different 78 castings. The early ones had a 48 cast inside left side; It would not lower the 39 tooth cluster far enough for the 15 tooth input to be inserted with its main bearing.

[Terry,OH]

Look for the Ford serial number stamped above the clutch inspection cover, this will identify the year of the case or see the prefix of the casting below the rear bearing retainer (mount) This will only give you the range of years the case was used. The shifter also has a part number embossed into the casting in front of the shift tower. The gear set and syncro appear to be 35 the case could be also, the shifter tower appears to be 36-37 because it is straight.

[rotorwrench]

Many of these old transmissions are bitsa units. Yours has a good case if it has no cracks between the countershaft bore & the main input bore and the rear inner thrust area for the countershaft cluster gear is not worn too bad or galled. You can use gears out of any 39 thru 50 light duty 3-speed whether top or side shift. A double detent top with the 91A 2nd & high gear shift fork would be a good addition.

[Finn Flatty]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Thanks a lot for your comments. I enclosed a snapshot of my case, the one in the middle is a 78 and the one on the right side is a 48 model. My case seems to have the deep wide belly similar to the 78 style, and a barely visible "78" cast on the left side.
I will check the tower number in a few days, as soon as I'm back in my garage (35 miles from my home).

-Pasi