Put my three speed tranny back together yesterday. It's really helpful to have a dummy shaft to help keep the countershaft needle bearings in place. I used a worn out pedal shaft when I went to disassemble the tranny a couple months ago. Took a while to grind it down but it served its purpose. It's really not needed when taking the tranny apart since its only purpose is to keep the needle bearings from falling out of the cluster gear. I also found it helpful to put a small piece of rope around the cluster gear to help lift it in position to put the countershaft in. I tried using my hand but I had to turn it in an awkward position that got uncomfortable in a hurry. I really could have used a third hand but the rope worked just fine.

I heeded the advice in the shop manual about putting grease on the thrust washers to keep them in place on the cluster gear. Worked OK but I could only get the forward thrust washer to stay put (its keyed) so I thought I would wait and put the rear washer in as I put the countershaft back in. After getting the main and drive gears in place I went to slide the washer between the cluster gear and case. Yep. I dropped it. Now, the grease that was supposed to hold it to the cluster gear was now holding it fast to the bottom of the case under the gears. Cripes! Took a fair amount of shaking and jiggling to get it to where I could see it and fish it out. Something I'll keep in mind next time.

Now if I could just get my engine done I'll have something to bolt it to.

Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100

 

I admire you ability to complete the job yourself. I don't think I'd have gotten mine reassembled without a third (and fourth) hand.

 

I used a wooden dowel,,,,cut to the right length as a sub for the main shaft until assembled,,,,inserted the main shaft and pushed the dowel out.

bob/ohio

 

Kevin,
If you plan to do another trany here are a few things you might try.
These have worked well for me several times as I rebuilt my '53 LD overdrive (same box , just different output shaft and tail housing).
Build a bracket you can put in the vise and bolt the trany to so the front end is facing the floor. Much nicer to work on at this angle.
For the cluster, I bought a length of 7/8" cold rolled steel, cut it just short of the distance in side the case, used some emery cloth on it until it would slide nicely through the case on both ends. By having it a little bit longer than the cluster it tends to hold the thrust washers in place better. If you think you need four hands on the box, wait until you try to put a rear OD housing on, you need fingers that are 1/8" thick and 10" long. An old timer taught me a trick with a long string to hold the bearings in place, it still takes me a couple of tries before I get it right. If any of you have an OD box, pay special attention to the pawl. I bought a couple of boxes in the past that worked for awhile then just quit. People who don't know put a R10E pawl in an R10F box, they work until they round off on the end because they are the wrong pawl. That was just food for thought if you decide to go to an Od trany some day.
Ed