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1931 AA transmission has a BB-7222 tower ?

Posted: November 6th, 2017, 5:22 pm
by vonheine
I bought a AA 4 speed at Hershey this fall mostly because I wanted the tower with the threaded cap. My truck is a March 1930, but I have two AA-7222s with trunion pin holes that are broken into slots. Clearly, transmission tower trunion pins was not one of Ford's best ideas. The threaded cap is a superior design. The transmission case is dated March 1931 and I saw that threaded cap and I bought it. I finally got all the grease and crud off of the thing and the tower is a BB-7222. I got the rails out of it, it's 100% disassembled and seems to be perfect. So why is a BB-7222 on a 1931 transmission? Other than the obvious casting differences, is it the same as a AA-7222 on the inside? Can I buy a AA truck bullet or rails from Bratton's without a problem?

Re: 1931 AA transmission has a BB-7222 tower ?

Posted: November 6th, 2017, 6:34 pm
by Bob C
The parts book shows BB-7222 was AA-7222-B 4-speed 1929-42.

Bob

Re: 1931 AA transmission has a BB-7222 tower ?

Posted: November 11th, 2017, 3:24 pm
by vonheine
Thank you for your response.Yes, Many AA parts became BB parts in 1932. Do I really have a 1932 BB transmission with a leftover 1931 case, or do I have a 1931 AA transmission with a 1932 or later replacement Tower? Are the Tower shifter rails interchangeable? Are the bullets the same? (How many points would I lose by a judge if I use this Tower on a 1930 truck?)

Re: 1931 AA transmission has a BB-7222 tower ?

Posted: November 13th, 2017, 8:15 pm
by tiredtruckrestorer
Somebody probably had the same problem you had with your original transmission tower with the worn out trunion pins. They simply put a BB tower on their '31 transmission. The shift rails and interlocks should be the same. One exception though in the early four speeds. A February 1930 Service Bulletin said the new shift shafts had deeper grooves and the interlocks were made longer. The new interlocks were marked with a groove around them. The Bulletin gives the depth of the grooves in the rails and the length of the interlocks. There is often a casting date on the top side of the cover.

You would probably loose points in Fine Point with either a '31 transmission date and/or a BB shift tower on a 1930 truck if the judges catch it. It would be the same as having the wrong headlight lenses or mismatched horn parts (incorrect part deduction). The WG (Warner Gear) transmissions have an assembly date on the top left hand rear corner of the machined surface of the case. With the top cover tower and gasket removed it should be stamped there. The transmission casting date on the side and the top cover date should be earlier than the stamped date on the machined surface. The DG&M (Detroit Gear & Machine) transmissions are harder to make sense of the casting marks.

Keith