Sir, your attention to detail and instructional steps with precise video are remarkable. If folks wonder how these near century old masterpieces still travel the roads today, it is because craftsmen like you are guaranteeing their survival. Thank you for your efforts! St Marys, GA 🇺🇸
You are an effective teacher. Your instructions are very clear, revealing the purpose for each action. Thank you for your details. I do not own an "A", but watching you work makes me believe that with such great instruction as yours restoring one could be very enjoyable. Thanks Stephen in Atlanta
Hello. I have never enjoyed a video more. Fantastic and clear instructions and delivery. Very professional and visually pleasing to watch. Fantastic job...
Best video I've seen on the Model A. Thank you Mr. Bell for your time and sharing your knowledge with all of us. Wish I had seen it when I was doing mine. Best regards, Rusty Aubrey
Thank you for posting this series. I watched them several times and just completed the rebuild on my 1930 Model A My bolts to hold on the U joint cover were unusable and I went with thread locker and Nord Lock washers
Hello George - excellent video series on the A transmission - great theoretical and practical explanations and the processes well filmed and described. Thank you! Chuck☘️
George, I loved the video! These transmissions look so simplistic! Would love to find one just to take it apart for myself and see how it works! Looking forward to the installation of the trans and the shifter.
@@georgebell7103, and as you mentioned, a person could realistically do it with your video as a step by step guide. It is like having a friend there with you!
Great Video, will be very helpful on a future rebuild!! Thanks for sharing.... I encourage you to keep doing these videos on any other Model A projects you have coming up! 👍🏻
Thank you so much for your help by making this great video. I used it to assemble my transmission. I did want to bring it to your attention that putting grease inside the transmission contaminated the oil and foaming is the result. Not certain how I am going to get it cleaned out yet, hopefully after a few oil changes, it will clear up.
I was not aware of forming.. I replaced the oil after about 500 miles to remove any contamination and small metal scrapings from the new gears and bearings. Thanks for the comment.
Hi George, outstanding series! Your explanations, teaching jigs and diagrams are simply excellent. Thanks for all the hard work on this. I have a '29 Coupe recently restored but not the transmission, which makes more noise than it should, I think, and likes to be double-clutched going both up and down. Larry, another old engineer
@@larryhall4557 Hey, thanks for the comment. Video number 5 is still on my computer. I need to get that thing done, you are about the 4th person to ask.
Wonderful video. I would like to add that when using Teflon tape on a right had thread wrap it clockwise. Other wise it has a tendency to want to pull it off rather than draw it in. It's also a good idea to use some kind of sealer on all those bolt threads that go into the case if you want even more insurance against future leaks. Blue Locktite or silicone gasket sealers work great. Be sure and use some brake clean or oil free spray solvent to clean the threads first. I don't mean to be criticize Mr. Bell. I'm just trying to help. Thank You
Thanks for the comment, and good advice. You are watching very close, I noticed the tape on backwards when I did the editing... but did not think most folks would notice....
I'm a retired master plumber. I couldn't help myself. LOL The main drawback to doing it the correct way is that the tape spool leaps from your hand rolling across the floor under the heaviest item in the shop leaving it's tell tale trail neatly behind pointing the way. Keep that camera Rolling :-)
Thanks again for the very informative video. Looking forward to the installation into the car. Details are important; life is just a long series of details all woven together nicely as you do in your videos.
Another great video! Thank you so much for all your explanations and editing. You did a great job showing how it all goes together and how it should correctly function. Keep up the great work. Our hobby needs more of this! I only count 3 videos of the transmission series. Is there one somewhere else I missed?
Great video! Is there a video where you show what was wrong with the old transmission please? It would be interesting to see what parts were worn and the problems/faults with parts to look out for when disassembling. Many thanks :)
Great video George! My transmission went BANG yesterday and I lost 1st gear. I will have to do a full rebuild now and your instruction is by far the finest. Your wooden casting is a fantastic demonstration piece. I've bee reading that the cage bearings in the cluster gear are of poor quality these days and causing many failures. Do you have any recommendations to source a properly built set of bearings for the cluster or some advice on what to look for so I can avoid these poor bearings?
Thanks for the nice comment. I purchased the bearings from Snyder’s. However, perhaps you could find the correct size at macmaster carr, or another bearing supplier
Thanks for the comment. I had the same exact issues. Check out the other videos in this series, you may find them helpful as you rebuild your transmission.
Thouroughly enjoyed your lecture/presentations! You obviously have backgrounds in teaching and engineering. I have never seen a garage as clean as yours - there is no detritus or greasy stains - I really appreciate your “clean” approach to rebuilding the transmission. What ever happened to the last episode of your transmission journey? Anything new to tackle with the ‘31? I look forward to new episodes!!
Thanks for your comment Bill. Yeah I know, my wife keeps telling me I need to get that done, as well as you and about a dozen other cmmenters. I plan to film the rebuilding of the brakes this winter...stay tuned....
O rings on reverse and cluster shaft - did you add those ? The unit I am working on does not have o rings or slots for o-rings to be installed. Very much enjoying the series of videos and they have been a great help for me.
The original shafts did not have a slot for an O ring, and obviously leaked a lot of oil. I did use O ring shafts, but did not make them myself. I believe all Model A parts suppliers have them. In fact, they may not have shafts without the O ring slot. It is an easy upgrade from the original because it does not show. Thanks for your comment
George, great videos on your Model A transmission. I was recently tutored on a shift tower rebuild by Steve Mitchell (Mitchell Overdrives) and your procedures are nearly identical to the way he does it. Still looking for your installation video; did you make one yet?
Looking good.I think the "sealer tape " as you called it got wound onto the bolt the wrong way! That's about all I know about putting that trans. together! Enjoying from Westcoast Canada. Cheers
Yes, the pins I used were aluminum, so quite soft I did not show it on the video but I built a tool to hold the pins in place while I hit the ends with a punch.
Congratulations Phil, The put it back in video does not exist. Never got around to putting all the video clips together. You will need to watch the “removal” video and do it backwards…
good night, my name is Ricardo, I have a ford A year 29 I live in Campinas S.P Brazil I'm in doubt, can you help me? I need to check the point of the car's engine, remove the screw from the command cover and place the end of the screw in the hole in the command gear, which is the top dead center (I only know so far, and the rest) you can help me ?
Your second gear is likely pitted. Watch the video in this series on “Parts Inspection”. Pitted gears cause lots of noise. It is a common problem in Model A transmissions. You can remove the tower of the transmission, clean off the oil a bit and take a close look at the face and flank of the second gear teeth.
Super video, thank you very much for the detail! I've watched 4 of your series, and perhaps this question should be directed to the 1st video about accessing the transmission, but do you have to remove the leaf springs in the rear of the car in order to remove the rear end? Can you remove the read end with the leaf springs in place? I would much prefer this method to accessing the transmission than removing the engine. But, I'm a little bit shy about the rear springs.I've got a 1931 closed cab p/u that needs a transmission re-build.
Thanks for your comment. I don’t know, I have removed the transmission in several Model As and have always done it as shown in the video. You could try to remove the springs from the frame, and see how it goes. I don’t know what issues you may run into, but it seems like it would work. Perhaps ask this question on one of the Face Book pages devoted to the car. Good luck.
@@georgebell7103 Thanks for your amazingly fast reply. To remove the springs from the back, if that's the case, do I need to buy a spring spreader to keep myself from being injured? I know you made a special tool, but you seem to be much more of an engineer than myself, and I wonder if I need to purchase a spring spreader from Snyder's or other supplier in order to remove the rear end safely? I love my Model A truck, and I understand that the springs in the rear and in the transmission tower are the 2 places where one can be injured.
@@erdaviesjr If you remove the springs from the mid frame mount, spreaders will not be needed. If you chose to remove the springs as I did in the video.... yes spreaders can be purchased from Snyder’s as well as other parts suppliers. Your local club will likely also have one you can use as well.. take care and be safe
@@georgebell7103 is it OK to reuse the spacer? The rivets inside of mine are steel and I have a hard time peening because the heads are on the inside nothing to peen against, I wedged a wrench inside and it worked sum what. Thanks for getting back to me. Great videos.
@@lavertepatterson5733 I am not clear on the “spacer”. Send me a picture. PargoLongAgo@Yahoo.com The pins on mine were aluminum and easy to work. Let’s discuss via email
Excellent, Excellent videos. Very comprehensive and common sense display, a very rare combination. I don't know how any of your videos could be better!! GREAT JOB.....THANK YOU!
Thanks for the nice comment. I did not make any videos on disassembly, except for the first video in this series on the removal of the transmission from the car. My thinking is that if a fellow sees how the thing was put together, he could figure out how it is taken apart. The cluster gear is in the middle of the transmission, as you can see. So, the transmission needs to be completely disassembled to get at the thing. Also, I suspect, if the cluster gear is bad, most, if not all the remaining greats are bad as well. You might watch the remaining videos in this series to get more insight. Good luck.
All of your videos explain things clearly and logically. I've seen these crash boxes apart but have never had the opportunity to play with one and see how it worked. I've driven a Model A. It requires patience and care to shift smoothly. Nothing at all like a Honda!
@@stevethomas211 If you are serious, join a local club. The club members are familiar with your local market for cars. Cars are available in any state of repair, from perfect to junk. Prices vary according to condition.
Dear Mr. Bell, my friend was given a Model A Ford Roadster by her father, who is 90 years old and suffering early dementia and cannot aid in the maintenance of the car. I have done some repairs (changed water pump, lubed chassis, new battery, etc.) but the car will not engage in reverse gear. everything else works great. Any ideas on the issue/problem would be greatly appreciated? No grinding or noticeable sounds when trying to engage reverse, just won't reverse?
If you have seen all the videos in this series, you know about as much as I do on this topic.... I suggest you remove the transmission tower, inspect the gears, See if three is a reverse idler gear. Take a close look at the forks and tower parts. The symptoms described in your comment lead me to suspect something messed up in the tower. Good luck.
Thank your for these four videos. My son and I are getting ready to get into the transmission of his car and this is exactly the information I need. Thank you again.
Thanks for the. Comment. I have already put 2,500 miles on the rebuilt transmission. All worked very well. The video clips are patiently waiting for my editing and posting to you tube as the final video in the series... I need to get that done.
I like your spring compression tool for the tower. Nice to see safety wire done right. If you're real good , you can do all four bolts with one piece! LOL! I was a USAF mechanic so I'm a bug on wire. When you pull the tranny or put it in, take that 3/4 pipe and put a piece about 3 inches long into the drain plug hole. Take the plate off your floor jack and put the pipe through the hole in the jack that holds the plate. Put the tranny on the jack and role it under the car. Jack the tranny up into position. That way you don' t have to mess with those 2x4's. The wheels on the jack can help you wiggle it in. Thanks for a nice video and like your car.