I was just wondering if there was any way to change the gears in my rearend from the 4.22 to around a 3.55 or something around there. Is the only way to change the whole rearend with something else? Is there any other rearends that interchange with mine. Any info would be a help.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 22, 2010
Anybody have any info??
Fitz said
Oct 22, 2010
Your 39 look like a canadian one, if yes you should run (if I'm not wrong) on a close drive line. You may consider to swap with a slight modification with a PG 53-54 rear end. I know (not sure) they are not the same lenght, but it's easy to modify.
A PG 53-54 rear end is a 3.55 ratio, enough to run to 65 mph.
Fitz.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 22, 2010
Yes my car is a Canadian one. It is stock with open driveline. So i am not sure if anything else is the same or interchangeable.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 23, 2010
Thanks for the info 427carl. But i dont have a chevy rearend in my car. It is an open drive rearend. Does anyone know what other cars may have a rearend the same as mine but with different gears thast may be interchangeable? I am sure this can't just be a Canadian Pontiac rearend and nothing else at all???
Majestics Canada said
Oct 23, 2010
My car is Canadian built. I live in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. All the Canadian built 39 Pontiacs from my understanding have a open drive rearend with coil spring suspension, not leaf springs. Someone correct me if i am wrong. Here are some pictures, sorry not the greatest, i will try and get better ones.
427carl said
Oct 23, 2010
those give a good idea
sorta looks like the old rears that the racers used up into the 50-60's
maybe a rear end (auto) guy will help us out
I would think, that it is the same, as the chevy guys, were talking about....
427carl said
Oct 23, 2010
Rear end gear ratios on 1939 Chevy
TO PUT 3.50 GEARS IN A 39 I USED A 53 53 POWERGLIDE RING AND PINION AND TOOK THE SPLINED PART OF THE 53 54 DRIVE SHAFT AND PUT IT IN THE 39 THEY WORKED GREAT.
427carl said
Oct 23, 2010
There are various ways to get a higher gear in your old Chevy. ...
1950 - 54 Power Glide rearends will bolt into 37 - 54 passenger cars. ...
Majestics Canada said
Oct 24, 2010
Iam pretty sure that this is different than a chevy rearend but not too sure. If there is someone that can tell me for sure that would be appreciated. Thanks for the help 427carl
Fitz said
Oct 25, 2010
If i look closely, your Pontiac is like a US one, because you don't have the straight axle in front, and open drive line.
Maybe I'm wrong but your's was maybe made here but it's a US model to me.
Someone can confirm?
Do you have the flat head engine in it?
Sorry to spoil the party....
Fitz.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 25, 2010
The car has a 224 engine in it, it is the same as the chevy 216 with bigger bore.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 25, 2010
It also has coil spring rear suspension, the american pontiac has leaf spring i believe. Correct me if i am wrong.
Fitz said
Oct 25, 2010
Finaly I'm maybe wrong.
Fitz.
Stephenzone said
Oct 25, 2010
I'm going thru my gm part book it covers from 37 to 51 and and interesting thing that come up is that in 39 they are listing a 25,26 and a 28 model that is imported. yours is also listed as a chieftain six sedan (25-19). all the other listing chev, olds buick and chev/maple leag/gmc trucks nothing imported.
Stephenzone said
Oct 25, 2010
the canadian ones list the engine for 39 as 6 Valve in Head and the imported ones list a 6 or 8 "L" Head. the Valve in Head ran from 37 to 40 and the "L" runs from 29-51 (book only goes to 51) still looking for other interesting trivia
427carl said
Oct 25, 2010
Majestics Canada wrote:
My car is Canadian built. I live in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. All the Canadian built 39 Pontiacs from my understanding have a open drive rearend with coil spring suspension, not leaf springs. Someone correct me if i am wrong. Here are some pictures, sorry not the greatest, i will try and get better ones.
If it looks like a Canadian built, and says its a Canadian built, (by tag) then its got a CHEVROLET 37-54 rear end.....
-- Edited by 427carl on Monday 25th of October 2010 07:35:20 PM
Stephenzone said
Oct 25, 2010
concur w/ carl. pretty neat to read up on this stuff. what i like about gm so much switches around between models
Majestics Canada said
Oct 25, 2010
427carl wrote:
Majestics Canada wrote:
My car is Canadian built. I live in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. All the Canadian built 39 Pontiacs from my understanding have a open drive rearend with coil spring suspension, not leaf springs. Someone correct me if i am wrong. Here are some pictures, sorry not the greatest, i will try and get better ones.
If it looks like a Canadian built, and says its a Canadian built, (by tag) then its got a CHEVROLET 37-54 rear end.....
-- Edited by 427carl on Monday 25th of October 2010 07:35:20 PM
I am confused. Isnt the chevy rearend closed drive and leaf spring. Does this mean my gears are the same inside??
Stephenzone said
Oct 25, 2010
same part number for drums (6 bolt) for chev/pontiac and olds. looks like the US used 5 bolt drums, interesting 39 is the only year back then pontiac (canada) used coils. i'm full of ufi today
Stephenzone said
Oct 25, 2010
I'm probably not helping, but when you say closed drive are you refering to a torque tube design with no u-joint on the rearend. isn't yours a torque tube? from what i can tell pontiac used the same rearend for a while but only had coil springs for one year.
Fitz said
Oct 26, 2010
Some years ago I rebuilt a 39 canadian Pontiac, I don't remember the series #, but it has a valve in head engine, straight axle in front and closed drive line. Anyway the drive train was like a chevy (with slight modification to the engine), with leaf spring in the rear, no coil
Fitz.
Majestics Canada said
Oct 26, 2010
Stephenzone wrote:
I'm probably not helping, but when you say closed drive are you refering to a torque tube design with no u-joint on the rearend. isn't yours a torque tube? from what i can tell pontiac used the same rearend for a while but only had coil springs for one year.
Mine is a open drive, with coil spring front and rear suspension. Yes closed i mean torque tube, mine is not. It is 6 lug bolt pattern. Seems like mine is some oddball creation??
Stephenzone said
Oct 26, 2010
Fitz wrote:
Some years ago I rebuilt a 39 canadian Pontiac, I don't remember the series #, but it has a valve in head engine, straight axle in front and closed drive line. Anyway the drive train was like a chevy (with slight modification to the engine), with leaf spring in the rear, no coil
Fitz.
The imported pontiacs of 39 had leafs according to my GM parts book
Fitz said
Oct 26, 2010
Stephenzone wrote:
Fitz wrote:
Some years ago I rebuilt a 39 canadian Pontiac, I don't remember the series #, but it has a valve in head engine, straight axle in front and closed drive line. Anyway the drive train was like a chevy (with slight modification to the engine), with leaf spring in the rear, no coil
Fitz.
The imported pontiacs of 39 had leafs according to my GM parts book
A PG 53-54 rear end is a 3.55 ratio, enough to run to 65 mph.
Fitz.
sorta looks like the old rears that the racers used up into the 50-60's
maybe a rear end (auto) guy will help us out
I would think, that it is the same, as the chevy guys, were talking about....
1950 - 54 Power Glide rearends will bolt into 37 - 54 passenger cars. ...
Maybe I'm wrong but your's was maybe made here but it's a US model to me.
Someone can confirm?
Do you have the flat head engine in it?
Sorry to spoil the party....
Fitz.
The car has a 224 engine in it, it is the same as the chevy 216 with bigger bore.
Fitz.
-- Edited by 427carl on Monday 25th of October 2010 07:35:20 PM
I am confused. Isnt the chevy rearend closed drive and leaf spring. Does this mean my gears are the same inside??
Fitz.
Fitz.