Ford 1950 ring and pinion?

[Cheaterpete]

Dear Ford addicts

Just bough a Ford 1950 tudor sedan and would like to change my ring and pinion, it is a 3.73 at the moment that was initially with an overdirve ( I think), it now have a regular three speed and it too slow driving on the freeway .

where can I find an other ratio?

thanks

[Cecil/WV]

3:73 is stock for a 3 spd. 4:11 was for OD. I have OD with 3:73 and like it as is.

[JSeery]

Are you sure it is worth the expense and effort to change? I would think a 3:73 would be a fairly good gear to run. I don't know, but it was my understanding that these gear sets were rather hard to come by?

[donald1950]

no one makes after market ring and pinions for the 49 thru 53 car differental. you might be able to find a 3.54 from an automatic car. an 8" ford from a maverick will fit but the peaches have to me moved and lots of ratios are savable for the 8". get an *8" form a drum brake front wheeled car. the disk brake front wheeled cars are different.. dont ask me how i know....

[19Fordy]

Pete: Wouldn't it be a lot easier and cheaper to leave the rear gears alone and install an overdrive transmission?

[tubman]

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I thought I saw a post on here a few days ago from some guy claiming he had them for sale on eBay. It looked kinda sketchy to me, and I searched eBay and couldn't find anything even close. I can't find that post now. Ir must have been determined a scam and removed by the mods. Anybody got any idea what happened?

[41LjH]

do you have any idea what RPM you are turning on the freeway at the speed you want to run? Tire height is also a consideration.
This link will allow you to determine the right gear for your application.
Good luck..
http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html

[JSeery]

Just playing around with the numbers using a 3.73 gear and 27 inch tires:

65 mph = @3000 rpm
70 mph = @3250 rpm
75 mph = @3500 rpm

This seem like decent rpm numbers to me, what are you looking for?

With a 3.54 gear you are only going to see around a 150 to 200 rpm difference. You would be much further ahead with an overdrive transmission.

[Cheaterpete]

Hello everyone, I d love to find a complete and running overdrive transmission, but most of the time, they are incomplete or non working, I have 600x16 tires and driving a 60 on the highway at 3000rpm, is a lot for a flathead, I would like my engine to rev around 2200rpm.

Some information that I found say that Dana 44 or 41 internal should work. But I will check for a complete overdrive it may be easier...

I also have a spare T5 in my garage, this is also another option, but I would like to keep the car as original as possible

[JSeery]

The flathead was intended to run at these RPMs, that is why they geared them this way from the factory. Why do you think 3000 RPMs are a lot for a flathead? It would take around a 2.70 gear to run at 2200 RPM at 60 MPH! To me that is totally unrealistic. IMHO you are just accustom to the "sound" of modern OD engines.

If it was me I would be headed the other direction, I love 4.11 gearing, but again that's just me!!!

[Cecil/WV]

Before I installed the OD, I rn my '50 at 65-70 mph all the time with 6:70 15 tires, but it is much more pleasurable with the OD. Reduces the rpm by 30%.

[chap52]

Get use to the noise, turn off the radio, roll down the window, turn out the wind wings. I have a/c in my truck and prefer the aforementioned "cruising mode", even during the Arizona Summers.
Congrats on the new car. Enjoy the adventure

[Cheaterpete]

Originally Posted by JSeery

IMHO you are just accustom to the "sound" of modern OD engines.

If it was me I would be headed the other direction, I love 4.11 gearing, but again that's just me!!!

I drive a 1932 ford roadster, with a 255 flathead engine, driving with the T5 on free way at 75 MPH with good fuel economy is a very good feeling.

Driving my ford 1950 with the original flathead yealing at 65 MPH with very bad mileage is stupidity... If i can arrange that, I will do it, with a T5 or an overdrive from ford

Thanks for your help

I'm looking for an overdrive for my ford, complete set up if possible

thanks

[JSeery]

Just a matter of taste I guess, I love the sound of a flathead "yealing" at any speed, not stupid to me!! Guess it may depend on what you want your cars for, mine are not long distance highway cursers. Some guys use them that way, but I am more into the fun side of the older cars. Do think you will be far better off with an OD transmission.

I also run a quick-change, now talk about "yealing", will maybe screaming, at speed!!

[JT FORD]

I run a 3.73 with a overdrive added. I also have a 4:10 with a factory OD. The 3.73 with OD is the way to go. You should be able to find a trans. with OD for sale, might take a few months but its the way to go....

[40cpe]

It must be nice to get up in the mornings and look out over that nice shoebox to the beautiful scenery.

[JSeery]

Some gas mileage considerations if anyone is interested.

Assumptions: Based on 10,000 miles driving a year and gas costing $3 per gallon.

At 10 MPG you would consume 1000 gallons of gas at a cost of about $3000
At 15 MPG you would consume 667 gallons of gas at a cost of about $2000
At 20 MPG you would consume 500 gallons of gas at a cost of about $1000

So if you make an improvement for gas mileage along you need to be driving a lot of miles to come close to breaking even on the cost. Very few mods are going to net you more than a few MPG improvement.

[rotorwrench]

The Mercury cars from 1949 through early 51 are a bolt up to an F1 with a half bell. If you want a stick shift instead of remote control you would have to make a set up like Xpavr did in his older Ford truck. There was a thread on that recently for a regular 4-bolt pattern Ford or later Mercury type overdrive transmission.

The Ford cars all had the different clutch & bellhousing so you have to find the 4-bolt pattern types from 49 & 50 or the later 51 through 53. The later ones have the better diamond cut gears. but should fit a 50 or earlier with some minor mods.

[Barlea]

Cheaterpete, look for a '49 or '50 OD trans for the least problems with the swap. The '49 '50 and '51 are all 24" long, but the '51 has a few differences, the mount is wider, further forward and lower on the '51 and later trans, and '52 and later are a couple inches longer and have no provision for the clutch linkage pivot. If you use the early trans side cover on a '52 to get the pivot, the OD solonoid will be in the way of the linkage.

[Cheaterpete]

Ok ,thank you for your help, I will check for a 49-50 overdrive


For your information gas cost 5.8$ a gallon here....