MTFCA Forum

What are the percentages of underdrive and overdrive with an aluminum case Warford? I'm trying to decide on a 3.63 or 4.00 gear in the rear.

This should cover it;
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... -51561.pdf

Hello Terry,

I made up a chart in about in 2004/5 and posted it here some time after that. I pops up again every now and then on this site. Because of the research I did and putting that chart together I decided on 4:1 final gears and I decided on an original Warford over a Ruckstel. I did a similar chart for the Ruckstel. A new KC Warford has different gear ratios, and my chart covered that at that time as well.

Now what may answer you question differently than you asked. With 4:1 gears with an original aluminum Warford in direct every 500 rpm of engine speed is 11 mph (21" tires). In overdrive every 500 rpm is 15 mph. My engine loves 1200 to 1600 rpm. It will cruise very smoothly at 1500 all day. That is 33 mph in direct and 45 in overdrive. My car is a speedster with basically a stock engine with a Z head, a Chaffin aluminum intake, and Chaffin driver cam, with a Holley NH.

I hope this is a good start to answering you qustion.

Terry

Mark posted a link to my chart before I finished my response to your question. I hope the additional information I provided helps.

Terry

My 21 is a bit heaver, huckster/express wagon and was running Chevrolet over head, cast iron Warford 3 speed stock rear ratio. On the flat in overdrive seemed to roll down the road as fast as I felt safe driving with no issues (under 50 ). Most of the roads we drive, just used direct / Ford high gear. Most of the time I can start out in under drive/high then shift (some times) to Ford direct even with the stock head that is back on it now.

I don't want to create any discord on here, but I have a question regarding the KC Warford Transmissions. On their ads, they state that "Old-fashioned tapered roller bearings have been replaced with ball bearings". I don't understand their thinking, tapered roller bearings have been proven far superior to ball bearings at least 100 years ago. I don't get it, what am I missing? Isn't that the main reason Henry went with tapered roller bearings for the front wheels? Maybe they decided to use ball bearings because they don't need to be adjusted? Just curious. Dave

Dave,

I may be wrong but I'll give this a shot. In the cast iron Warford transmissions, there is a taper roller bearing on one shaft. Of all the bearings in the old Warfords, this is the only one that can NOT be replaced as it is no longer manufactured. I have not done any research on this but it is widely accepted to a point where this bearing is commonly referred to as unobtainium.

Good Luck,
Terry Miller

The Model A used a roller bearing in that location and ball bearings at each end of the case on the input and output shafts. The ball bearings in this case take any thrust and the roller bearing just carries the load between the two shafts. There is no adjustment for preload in the Model A transmission and they seem to do fine. The original Warford's had thrust type ball bearings at each end of the shafts that were adjustable for preload so the tapered bearing was used. I don't know what and how the modern Warfords are set up, so can not comment on them re thrust or preload on the input or output shafts.

Thanks, Mark G. I think I'll go with 4.00 to 1. In Warford O.D., it'll still give me a 2.93.