VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 New production ring and pinion gear set 1922-1924?

This is an enquiry. I believe there is a need for new production of ring and pinion gear sets for 1922 490 and 1923-24 Superior (Series B and F), part # 24761 and 24762. They were sold only as a set. In later parts list a set had part # 342823 (Group # 5.529).

On the picture below I have not removed the rear drive shaft bearing from the pinion gear.



You can quite easily check if you should look for a new set. Just lift the car at the rear axle. Grab one of the wheels and try to push the rear axle in the rear axle housing from one side to the other. If you can push it say 2 millimeters (0.08”) there is a big risk that the ring and pinion gears are worn and maybe has cracks. In that case I suggest that you remove the rear axle and examine the R&P gears. If they are worn, examine the differential thrust bearing (part # H391). These bearings were made of a kind of alloy that enlarges and cracks by age. If you don’t find the thrust bearing, between the two differential thrust washers (#H117), it has completely cracked and has been molded in the gears. Most of it followed the oil as you drained it. The rest of the bearing you will find if you wash the roll and ball bearings and the differential case in a can and then look at the bottom of the can. Guess how I know.

If you wish to see the possible consequences of a vanished bearing - visit my thread, https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/260745/Drive_shaft_ring_and_pinion_ge#Post260745.

If you can’t push the rear axle it is OK … for the moment. But before you start to use the car for longer tours, and you don’t know if the old bearing has been replaced or not, I recommend you to remove the rear axle and examine the bearing.

Ford Model T had exactly the same lousy thrust bearing. A friend of mine, active in the Swedish Ford T Club, recently told me that problem with this thrust bearing is common, independent of if the car has been used a lot or is just aged. Not very surprising that suppliers of parts for the Ford T offers a bronze thrust bearing for only $12. I'm quite sure they fits the 490 and early Superior models.

If you are interested - please make a post, send me an e-mail or a private message. Also if you know of someone who can be interested.

And please contact me if you if you have ideas of how to carry out the process, for instance if you know a manufacturer who you think can make a number of sets, with good quality and reasonable price. I guess it is best to find a manufacturer in the US, or maybe Australia, but I’m also going to try to find some in Sweden.

Hope to hear from you!

Larry Jackson was making replacement ring and pinion gears for the 1931-1932 chevrolets, probably best to contact him and see what is minimum order is.

The minimum order was 25 sets. I don't know what it would be today.

Per-Ã…ke has got the email adress from me.

I would like to see these gears be reproduced, but I am concerned if there are actually enough of these cars being driven. About 10 years ago, there were only 71 1923 or 1924 cars in the club total.

One question would be if we could change the gear ratio slightly like they did for the Model T.