Original Cast Iron Warford Stuck in Direct Gear

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Original Cast Iron Warford Stuck in Direct Gear
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 08:21 am:

I love my Warford. . .. It shifted easily and is quiet in all 3 gears. The 'Underdrive' is great for hill climbing and parades and the 'Overdrive' produced notably faster performance on flat roads. However, . . . the other day while giving a friend and his family a ride it just wouldn't shift out of 'Direct'. Has anyone else encountered this malady? I tried going a ways in reverse thinking that might unbind a gear . . to no avail. And I'm not able to take that top shifter plate off (4 ea. 3/8" bolts) without lifting the body up about 2"-3". Any ideas out there?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Wicker on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 09:44 am:

Stick a screw driver thru the drain hole and move the gear.
This is a old trick I learned on VW's


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 01:34 pm:

Sometimes it is the lack of lubrication, did you check the oil level at the small hole on the passenger side ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Layden Butler on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 01:53 pm:

On each side of the shifter assembly there is a cotter pin holding in the detent spring and ball bearing for that side shifting rod. You might try removing those and squirting in some penetrating oil.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 03:50 pm:

Which Warford do you have?
The ones with the shift lever offset forward have a bad habit of slipping out of the shift gate, leaving it stuck in one gear. Look under the floorboards.
I must leave now and cannot comment further for a couple days.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Weir on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 07:02 pm:

If you have an original Warford, take the floorboards out. The shifter rod nearest the driver will be forward. Pry it back to where it is even with the other one.

Don't ask how I know.

Jim Weir


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 07:54 pm:

Wow !! Wonderful advice ! I love this Forum! I'm going to drain it in the morning to insure it had sufficient lube and try the screwdriver on the gear trick. Will probably fill it with . . what? . . .85-120 gear lube? Yeah Wayne; its the cast iron Warford with the shift tower forward and the "shifter rod nearest the driver (is) will be forward" so I'll also attempt to pry it back tomorrow Jim. Never had any trouble with the cast iron Warford on the C Cab so didn't anticipate any with this one on the '26 tudor. It'd be embarassing if it acted up while on a tour. Thanks again and I'll update tomorrow.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Verne Shirk on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 08:08 pm:

I have run a couple of original aluminum case Warfords. A time or two, I got them "stuck" in a gear. What had happened was one of the big bins (the two long pins on the cover that are like 5/8" diameter) got out of position. What was going on was I got too excited about shifting. I didn't go to neutral, wiggle the shift lever sideways to be sure I was in neutral, then shift into the other gear. The result was that both pins had their gears engaged. The fix was to take a wood pin & hammer and tap the pins both back to neutral, then start over again.

I read where others shift on the fly. I don't do this. I pull over to the side of the road, when I get to the edge of town, and put it in the high range. When I get back in town, I pull over to the side of the road and shift it back into direct drive.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 08:42 pm:

Well, there you go ! I have always shifted on the fly Verne. Never needed to use low band. I always just set my RPM and eased the emergency brake lever forward and into underdrive I went. Then decelerate using the left hand while 'feathering' the clutch and speed shifting with the right hand like we used to do in high school into direct. Then a left hand decelerate, clutch feathering and up-over-and-down into overdrive speed shift. But I like your idea better. One will always know what gear to select for an event. If its a parade or climbing Pikes Peak I'll keep it in underdrive. City driving it'll be in direct and flat land late for lunch it'll be overdrive. So you think I can whack that pin into neutral with a hammer and wood block? Keep your eyes on the sky up there in Wichita, Verne. Looks like this'll be a particularly dangerous tornado season


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 02:01 pm:

I fixed it !! Pretty much beat an oak stick to splinters trying to knock the pin rearward - to no avail. Then I grabbed a small curved pry bar and gently pried the pin against a Warford flange and it went into neutral! I was then able to go through the gears with the engine off. Jim, you win the prize! But I'll remember the screwdriver in the drain hole technique too. And I shall not 'shift on the fly' anymore. Thanks again to all. I checked the lube level and it looked good so I also took the opportunity to lube the U joint


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 02:41 pm:

I have been shifting several three speed Warfords on the fly since 1962 and only missed a shift once and at that time I almost killed Mary, Dave, Bill, Steve and Frank. Because I didn't know about accessory brakes and how important they are when you miss a shift and step on the brake which kills the engine as you fly down a steep hill into a dead end at the bottom. We changed the color of the seats in our 1912 Model T Ford C Cab at that time.


We now only use K.C. Layne Warfords and can shift up or down with out the clutch at any speed. What a joy, it only costs money and not your life to be able to do it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Weir on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 06:05 pm:

Thanx George, I've had to stop on the side of the road and perform the trick. Can't see trying to work thru the drain hole on the side of the road.

Frank, I have a Lane and no foot throttle and am unable to shift with out using the clutch.

Jim


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration