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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1939 Ford Sedan

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Discussion Topic: 1939 Ford Sedan -- page: 1 2

RJR

05-21-2016 @ 3:10 PM

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I just purchased a 1939 deluxe four door. It was restored a few years back by a dear friend who has passed away. I took it out for a test drive and noticed it seemed to be geared low. By low I mean when I approach 50mph the car it getting to a high rpm. Seems like I should have one gear. The motor is excellent and believe the transmission is original. Not sure about the rear end yet. I know this is a pretty broad question, but, shouldn't the car be able to roll along at 50 mph without sounding like it's working so hard? Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks RJR

This message was edited by RJR on 6-20-16 @ 5:50 PM

1934 Ford

05-22-2016 @ 5:30 AM

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RJR,
Do you have a tachometer in the car? Sometimes on these flatheads with the wrong fan blade will make so much noise that it sounds like over reving a jet engine. Yes your car should be able to cruise at 50 MPH.
To test this, unbolt the fan blade from the generator and take a fast ride to see of it makes the over reving seem to go away. Then find a different 4 blade.

1934 Ford's since 1972

TomO

05-22-2016 @ 7:34 AM

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Your car looks great.

There are a couple of things to consider.

Sound proofing is not anywhere near the way it is with today's cars, so the engine will sound like it is working harder.

Your car may have a 4.11:1 rear end. Most of the Fords came with a 3.78:1 rear end and some came with the 4.11 or the 3.54
rear end. The ratio is marked on the the banjo housing.

Look for 2 numbers stamped on the bottom of the web where the driveshaft connects. They should be 9 and 34 for the 3.78, 9 and 37 for the 4.11 and 11 and 39 for the 3.54 ratio.

Your 6 bladed fan should be mounted on the crankshaft and it could be bent causing excess noise. Ford made 2 of the blades shorter to reduce fan noise on the 1939 Deluxe models.

If you have the 3.78:1 ratio, I suggest that you find another 39 Deluxe or 1940 Ford to take a ride in and compare the noise at 50 MPH with your car. The 41 Ford would be slightly quieter due to improved soundproofing.

Tom

ford38v8

05-22-2016 @ 7:43 AM

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RJR, Welcome to our world! The unique sound of a Ford Flathead engine is enjoyed by all who hear it. There is no such thing as working too hard, or over-revving a Ford Flathead. The engine is self limiting in revs, due to the design of the valve train and the ignition system. One can actually stand on the gas pedal with no ill effect other than attracting the attention of the local Constabulary.

That said, there were actually two different engines available in 1939, one of which, being smaller, was geared lower. I see that you have dual exhaust, which, while not defining the engine, is a fair indicator that you probably have the larger of the two engines, but still may have the lower gears in the differential. Take another picture or two of the engine for us, and we can identify which engine you have. Also, you might take it out on the open highway and let it out, to determine its top speed. I'm fairly sure you'll let off the pedal before you get there. Many if not most of us drive at 60 or above, conditions permitting. You have a beautiful car there, take care of it and it will take care of you.

Alan

RJR

05-22-2016 @ 6:04 PM

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Thanks so much for the replies. I did get under the car to find the numbers on the Web of the differential but couldn't see the numbers. When I get the car home I will get it on a lift.
I did use my GPS against the speedo. The speedo up to 50mph the GPS read 42mph.
No, I don't have an installed tach. Tires are 6.00-16.

Okay, now for the motor. Apparently when my friend bought this car to restore several years back it had the 59AB motor installed. So he decided to have the motor rebuilt and that's motor in the car. I hope this doesn't change the value of the car too much. It really runs great.

TomO

05-23-2016 @ 8:35 AM

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IMHO, you would have to spend a ton of money on the rest of the car, in order for the later engine to make much of a difference to the value. Someone looking for a nice touring car would prefer the 59A engine over the 39 engine. Someone looking for a 100 point car would discount the car for the wrong engine.

Enjoy your car, it looks nice and if it runs nice, that is great. Trying to make the car perfect will cost a ton of money and it will probably not perform any better.

Tom

ford38v8

05-23-2016 @ 4:51 PM

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I agree with TomO, you have a very good touring car with the most desirable engine for the purpose. Your GPS reading shows that you have an incorrect speedometer gear for the differential ratio installed. If I did the math right, your differential may be a 4.44 ratio, while your speedo is correct for a 3.78 ratio. That would also account for your engine RPM being faster than expected at that speed.

The number stamped on the bottom of the diff web is a fair indication of the ratio, but there is a possibility of it being rebuilt using different gears.

Alan

TomO

05-24-2016 @ 9:07 AM

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It is more likely that you have a 4.11:1. The 4.44 was only used on the 60 HP. Ford speedometers are known for being optimistic.

Here is a link to a procedure that will give you a better idea of the ratio.

http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/reargear.htm

Tom

RJR

06-18-2016 @ 5:29 AM

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Thanks for everyone's replies. This is a great site and very nice and knowledgable folks. So, I did get the car on a lift and found the numbers stamped right where everyone said they would be. 934 which tells 3.78s.
Now that I have drove the car for a few weeks I can tell I'm baffled. I do have a friend who owns a few 1940s and also has driven mine and agrees the car is geared very low compared to his cars. It's difficult to explain when there's no tach to validate my issue.
I live in Charlestown, NH. I'm about four miles east of town all uphill. My home is at about 1140' above sea level. I have no problem going up the steep climb in third gear. I can easily take off in second gear on the flat. Third gear really feels like a second gear.
It was stated earlier that even though the diff is stamped 934, doesn't mean someone may have changed them along the way.
Is it possible the transmission is the issue? Just trying to eliminate other possibilities before I pull the rear end out of the car. Thanks for listening.

RJR

trjford8

06-18-2016 @ 7:11 AM

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The transmission would not be the issue. In high gear you have a 1 to 1 ratio. Being able to pull a long steep grade easily in third gear tells me the rear end ratio does not match the numbers on the housing. I suspect you may have 4.11 gears in the back.

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