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Well, our tour into east-central Indiana was spoiled last week when we had transmission trouble with our '41 Clipper. I think I got it into two gears at the same time while on US 40 in heavy traffic, and we came to a very sudden stop! After I got the gear linkage where it was supposed to be, it shifted fine, but now there is a nasty thump in first gear. Second and third seem fine (there is no overdrive). Anyway, we decided to trailer it home and not risk further damage until we figure out what the trouble is. Friends on the tour suggested that I may have broken a tooth on low gear. They also thought that if there is a tooth floating around in there, it could be picked up and cause more damage. What's your thoughts/suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help!

Sounds like your friend might be right. You have knocked a tooth off of first gear when you got into two gears at the same time.

John F. Shireman

Am I risking serious damage driving it this way?

I am no mechanic however if it was my car, it would sit until I found out what the problem was and repairs made.

John F. Shireman

I would imagine that the loose tooth would find it's way to the bottom of the case. I would think for short runs that the missing tooth should not present a huge problem in the short term. Some old-school hot-rodders used to cut every other tooth off so they could slam through the gears.

Now it may be that you actually bent a tooth, so the sound you hear it that bent tooth impacting something on every rotation.

BigKev, that makes a lot of sense because of the thumping. I don't know if it would thump if it was completely broken off. . . but I'm no expert, so I'm asking the questions! Would I need a new gear cluster if it's bent or broken, or can they be repaired?

They don't bend, they break and it sounds to me like you've broken a tooth; probably on the cluster. No,they are not repaired, you'll need a new gear or perhaps gears. And I'd drain the gear oil and hope to recover the broken piece before I drove it any further or you do indeed risk more damage.

Denny, after I put an overdrive in my '48 I'll have the complete trans that you can rob parts off of, I won't be needing it. I MAY be able to get you one sooner, but I won't know until this Wednesday.

Just for a little clarity, every other gear tooth is never ground off for any purpose. Every other dog can be ground off the brass blocker ring, and even the gear itself (this is where the sliding shift clutch slides over the back of the freewheeling gear to lock the gear to the shaft to facilitate that specific ratio) to effectively create a "crash box". Funny, I just went through a muncie 4 speed, my buddy was working on a Ford top loader next to me that had been turned into a crash box.

Denny, if you can fish the tooth out and decide to drive, be very very gentle in first. With that said, a friend of mine drove a car with first / reverse slider tooth broken for a very long time.

I am pretty sure you did shuck a tooth, especially if it is a perfectly timed clunk, under any amount of load.

Best of luck,
Jim

Turbopackman, that sounds great! Keep me posted. My email is: dazachrich@metalink.net