Transmission Roller Bearings

[chrs1961815]

Just had my roller bearings fail - where can I get a good quality set unlike the problematic offshore ones?

[old ugly]

i think if you can find some original ones in good condition. but i took 6 transmissions apart just to get 3 good bearings.
i would like to know what you come up with in your search.

someone should write a book on good and bad, use/don't use parts and the places to source the good stuff. on all different types of parts.

i am a believer that not all off shore parts are junk, but is always a gamble. the suppliers get in junk and try to sell it as quality and now we just have this bad taste in our mouths.

ou

[Ruth]

When this first came to light a while back Bert's had some of the good ones. I have a set in my 'spare' transmission, but I'm sure Steve is long out of them by now. You may check tho.

I wonder what Steve Mitchell is using in his synchro transmissions??

[Tacoma Bob]

Originally Posted by Ruth

When this first came to light a while back Bert's had some of the good ones. I have a set in my 'spare' transmission, but I'm sure Steve is long out of them by now. You may check tho.

I wonder what Steve Mitchell is using in his synchro transmissions??

I just ordered a Mitchell syncro trans last week and asked Steve what he is using. He informed me that Snyder's is currently having bearings produced here in the States. Those are what Mitchell is using.

[chrs1961815]

Well now I think it is the rear end or u joint, but I do still want to know this.

[Tom Endy]

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The only way you can get some reliable roller bearings for a Model A transmission is to salvage them out of a Model A transmission that has serviceable bearings in them. Pick them up at swap meets. None of the suppliers seem to be able to do anything about this situation.

Tom Endy

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Tom Endy

The only way you can get some reliable roller bearings for a Model A transmission is to salvage them out of a Model A transmission that has serviceable bearings in them. Pick them up at swap meets. None of the suppliers seem to be able to do anything about this situation.

Tom Endy

A while back, it was impossible to get a decent tube. I won't blame the Chinese because no matter where they were made, they were rubbish made out of recycled materials. IMO, the ones made in Europe were the worst. I think it was Brattons who had some made from virgin materials and they were good. They did quite nicely out of them till others found they couldn't sell their rubbish so they started supplying better ones. Let's hope the same thing happens with these bearings and a few other notoriously poor repro parts.

[Russ/40]

What is the min / max price the market will bear for these bearings? I have a machinist who could produce these in quantity. What is the Rockwell hardness necessary?

[JKY]

Originally Posted by Ruth

When this first came to light a while back Bert's had some of the good ones. I have a set in my 'spare' transmission, but I'm sure Steve is long out of them by now. You may check tho.

I wonder what Steve Mitchell is using in his synchro transmissions??

He's out. I called a year ago and he didn't have them any longer, can't find any more.

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by Russ/40

What is the min / max price the market will bear for these bearings? I have a machinist who could produce these in quantity. What is the Rockwell hardness necessary?

Russ, I think Bert's was asking $20 each when I bought them. I would probably have paid more to get my car back on the road and have the peace of mind my transmission that I just installed ~$800 worth of parts in would hold together.

Originally Posted by JKY

He's out. I called a year ago and he didn't have them any longer, can't find any more.

DANG!!! Was it that long ago already!!

[Pete W.]

How did you discover the roller bearings were going bad?
Grinding? Shifting problems? Noise? I'm having sudden issues with grinding while shifting into second and into third at about 25,000 miles after a rebuild.

[chrs1961815]

Originally Posted by Pete W.

How did you discover the roller bearings were going bad?
Grinding? Shifting problems? Noise? I'm having sudden issues with grinding while shifting into second and into third at about 25,000 miles after a rebuild.

As I said in an earlier post, it has turned out to be the rear end so I can't really answer that question. Something in the back of the drive train can amazingly sound like it is in the trans.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Sometimes you have to read the whole thread as well!
See post 4

[updraught]

Originally Posted by Chuck Sea/Tac

Sometimes you have to read the whole thread as well!
See post 4

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/P...ission-3-speed

Looks like a Chinese one to me by the price.
I'd do my own research on that ...

[rotorwrench]

Another person to check with is Mac at VanPelt Sales. The model A transmission roller bearing types were carried over into the V8 era light duty 3-speed transmissions under part numbers B-7118-A and B-7121-A for those folks that may need them.

Mr. VanPelt's business is transmissions and I'm sure he would steer a person toward the best possible replacement parts for these bearings. He may not work on a lot of model A gear boxes but he likely does now and then. If nothing else, a good set may be found in a later Ford light duty 3-speed transmission as well.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

I recently went through roller bearing failure for the third time. It seems they last 30,000+ to 40,000 miles, which means removing the transmission every 30K just to replace them, hopefully pre-emptively. That's a lot of work for a $10 bearing. These were the type with an axle that seats in a hole, not the dimpled type which fail in 300 miles. Nevertheless, even these repros only last apparently 30K miles, unlike original Ford bearings which usually outlast some engine components. In the past I've seen these thin, flimsy cages fail and get wrapped around the rollers. This time three rollers came out of the short bearing cage when the tips wore off, and the spacer wore into the cage of the long bearing, releasing three of the rollers in that one. Then one or more of them ground up the cluster shaft (a new repro) which gives me pause about the correct Rockwell hardness of these repro shafts. When the cluster dropped down, it unevenly ground the teeth on the drive gear, ruining it and a recently bought MARK cluster gear. Not an inexpensive repair nor is it the easiest job on a Model A. Meanwhile, I rebuilt the transmission with some beautiful original Ford rollers I happened to find in a gearbox I disassembled to send off to Mitchell for conversion to syncro. It sure would be nice to be able to buy reliable gears made to original specs. I would pay quite a bit more for a well made bearing to avoid costs like this every 30K miles.

[Synchro909]

I can't for the life of me understand why people think they are saving money by buying those (or any) cheap components. For the sake of a very few dollars, they put in junk bearings, hen have to do the whole thing again when they fail. That's the very definition of false economy IMO.
The price of quality is long forgotten by the time it wears out.
I might make that a future signature line!!

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by pat in Santa Cruz

Meanwhile, I rebuilt the transmission with some beautiful original Ford rollers I happened to find in a gearbox I disassembled to send off to Mitchell for conversion to syncro.

I wonder what bearing Mitchell is using if the "good" bearings are not available? Or does their transmission use a different bearing??