Reasoning behind vertical shift 5 speed transmission?

[blue_tractor_man]

I have a 1964 Ford 4000 4 cylinder gas burner with a 5 speed transmission. I like the transmission pretty well except reverse is too fast. I've never seen another shifter work vertically. Wonder what was in the engineer's mind when he came up with this design?

Was it economics, or was there some other reason for this odd design?

 

[Dean]

Most likely the design constraint was packaging, particularly width. Arranging the gates vertically, allows a narrow package at the expense of height which was available.

Positioning third and reverse at the top made the transmission particularly well suited for loader work in a day before shuttle transmissions.

Dean

 

[john_Bud]

(quoted from post at 18:58:18 10/09/10)

what was in the engineer's mind when he came up with this design?

How many times have I said that when working on a Ford product?

 

[souNdguy]

heck.. unless i'm loading my truck bed with something.. i don't think i ever use anything other than 3/r. 1, gets used if loadeing. couldn't tell ya if 2,4,5 even work on my 850 anymore...

soundguy

 

[Dean]

Two or three years ago my neighbor across the street bought a 64 4000 with 5 apeed transmission from a church that had bought it new and used it since for grounds maintenance.

My neighbor has a collection of 9/2/8Ns and a couple of newer Fords. He's a great guy but no mechanic.

A couple of months after he bought the 4000 I was in his garage looking it over when he told me that the only thing wrong with it was the "two speed transmission." He, as well as the church folks that had owned it since new, were unawares that the transmission had any gears aside from third and reverse. Needless to say, he was pleased when I showed him how to find the others.

Dean

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 08:11:42 10/10/10) Two or three years ago my neighbor across the street bought a 64 4000 with 5 apeed transmission from a church that had bought it new and used it since for grounds maintenance.

My neighbor has a collection of 9/2/8Ns and a couple of newer Fords. He's a great guy but no mechanic.

A couple of months after he bought the 4000 I was in his garage looking it over when he told me that the only thing wrong with it was the "two speed transmission." He, as well as the church folks that had owned it since new, were unawares that the transmission had any gears aside from third and reverse. Needless to say, he was pleased when I showed him how to find the others.

Dean

ean, that story reminds me of one I tell on myself. By the time I was 16 I had already driven many vehicles (Dad had a junk yard) including a Packard Hearse, IH,Ford trucks (not PUs), one even had a lever to pull that locked reverse out, , Ford, Chevy, Olds, Studebaker & a Model T........but at my after school drug-story job, the manager handed me the keys to his ~late 50's VW Bettle & sent me on errand.....about 10 minutes later I walk back in the store & he says, 'where's my package?'. To which I say,"I can't get your car backed away from the curb!". "Where is reverse? Being a teen driver, it took the whole 10 minutes of trying to find that unknown to me vertical gate, before walking back and being 'humiliated' to ask, where is reverse? There is always that first time we see something. :lol:

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 02:58:18 10/10/10) I have a 1964 Ford 4000 4 cylinder gas burner with a 5 speed transmission. I like the transmission pretty well except reverse is too fast. I've never seen another shifter work vertically. Wonder what was in the engineer's mind when he came up with this design?

Was it economics, or was there some other reason for this odd design?

In automotive use a vertical gate is not uncommon at all... Most FWD standard shift use it...

 

[MarkB_MI]

I don't know why the Ford five-speed is this way, but there are two things about it I really like: 1) the shifter lever has no boot to leak, and is immune to rainwater intrusion; and 2) the 3rd-to-reverse shift is very quick.

 

[jbp]

The handiest transmission ever built for loader work. Just push and pull.
Joe

 

[LJS30]

(quoted from post at 13:11:42 10/10/10) Two or three years ago my neighbor across the street bought a 64 4000 with 5 apeed transmission from a church that had bought it new and used it since for grounds maintenance.

My neighbor has a collection of 9/2/8Ns and a couple of newer Fords. He's a great guy but no mechanic.

A couple of months after he bought the 4000 I was in his garage looking it over when he told me that the only thing wrong with it was the "two speed transmission." He, as well as the church folks that had owned it since new, were unawares that the transmission had any gears aside from third and reverse. Needless to say, he was pleased when I showed him how to find the others.

Dean

Wow this really amazes me.

 

[Larry NCKS]

(quoted from post at 10:55:56 10/10/10) The handiest transmission ever built for loader work. Just push and pull.
Joe

Sorry! The IH hydro and the Ford powershifts, including the SOS, are better yet. The loader I use is on my Ford Genesis 8670. I wouldn't trade it for the 5 speed monkey shift even if they did make it in a modern same size model.

 

[souNdguy]

the guy I bought this 950 from thought the same.. when i went to test drive it, he kept telling me forward was 1st, and back was reverse.

soundguy