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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 8BA in 1941 Ford Tudor Transmission Questions

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 8BA in 1941 Ford Tudor Transmission Questions     wilsonsk 09-20-2022 @ 8:07 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 57 Joined: May 2022 I have a 1941 Ford Tudor, I'm no expert on flatheads, this is the first one I've owned. It has an 8BA '49-'53 motor in it, I'm not sure what transmission is in it. Did 1941 cars come with column shift or floor shift? Or both? Mine has a floor shift and it appears someone cut the hole for the shifter to come through the floor. Is it possible that this is a truck transmission? It is a 3 speed, very long throw, almost touches the dash in R and 2. It also grinds a little going from 1st to 2nd, fine going from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd back to second, if I go real slow into 2nd it doesn't grind but still feels like it's binding or something a little bit. I'd love to put a column shift with overdrive in it, that should bolt right up to my 8BA, shouldn't it? Do I need to convert to open drive shaft? Thanks!!! Steve This message was edited by wilsonsk on 9-20-22 @ 7:40 PM carcrazy 09-20-2022 @ 11:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1669 Joined: Oct 2009 All 1941 Ford passenger cars came with a column shift system for the 3-speed manual transmission. You are right, the 1949-53 Ford passenger car 3-speed transmission with overdrive should bolt up to the back of your 8BA engine. Use of this later transmission will present some issues that you will have to deal with: 1) A different clutch actuation system will be required, either a modified mechanical linkage system or a hydraulic system using a clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder setup. 2) You will most likely have to go to an open drive shaft unless you modify the back of your transmission to accept the torque tube. 3) There may not be room for the O/D solenoid between the transmission housing and the floor of the car or the car's frame. 4) You will have to fabricate a rear mount for the transmission. 5) You may have to split the rear wishbone to provide room for the transmission or you may want to eliminate the rear wishbone and mount parallel longitudinal leaf springs to support the rear axle. With all of the changes required to provide an overdrive with a column shift, it might be more advisable to go to a Chevy S10 Pickup Borg-Warner T5 5-speed floor shift transmission. 42wagon 09-21-2022 @ 3:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 585 Joined: Oct 2009 I think this problem is being over complicated. From 49 on Ford used an open driveshaft and a rear end with parallel leaf springs. Wouldn't it be simpler to go back to a 46 to 48 engine with a column shift transmission. Ford authorized an overdrive unit to go with these transmissions and rear ends that must just bolt in. A question for another day is why this car has both a hot water and gas heater in it. wilsonsk 09-21-2022 @ 5:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 57 Joined: May 2022 That sounds like more than I want to tackle to get the 49-53 OD. What about going to a period correct side loader column shift 3 speed (no OD)? OD would be nice, but not a hard requirement, it’s pretty happy running ~60 on 2 lane roads, it shifts like a truck and second gear is a long reach with that truck tranny. T5 would require a bell housing to bolt it to and open drive shaft conversion, correct? Regarding the 2 heaters, it appears having both was not uncommon in my part of the country (Minnesota/Wisconsin), -30 in January for a week or so Is the norm here. Keeping one of these warm in that weather couldn’t have been easy. carcrazy 09-21-2022 @ 10:14 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1669 Joined: Oct 2009 Yes, going with a period correct Ford Passenger Car 3-speed column shift transmission would be the simplest solution and very easy to do. Going with the Chevy 5-speed transmission will require an aftermarket bellhousing adapter, after market clutch disc and going to an open driveline. My family once owned an early 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Tudor that had 3 heaters! It had a hot water heater, a hot air heater and a Southwind gasoline powered heater. wilsonsk 09-21-2022 @ 11:54 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 57 Joined: May 2022 Thanks for the info, that is the path I'm heading down. The more I drive it with that floor shifter the less I like it. I'll start collecting parts, I need the column shift rod that goes along the column, the rods that go to the tranny, and the tranny. Looks like trannies are fairly abundant. The shifter parts I don't see as much of. carcrazy 09-21-2022 @ 2:04 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1669 Joined: Oct 2009 One of the best ways to find the parts you need is to advertise for them in the Parts Wanted section of the classified ads on this website. I have successfully used this method several times.

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