The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline SM 420 out put shaft turning

I think I found one posting on the subject, so I've rebuilt a 54 235 and 4speed. Tranny has new bearings, seals and synchros. Just recently started up the engine after several years of body restoration. With engine not running you can turn the output shaft by hand and of course in gear you cannot. I read on another site that with fluid movement in neutral the tranny becomes a fluid drive and turns the output shaft. Has there been others with the same issue. The drive shaft is not connected at this time.

This is not an issue.

The transmission like any other has some internal friction loss, or churns some oil, either or both can result in the output shaft gently turning in neutral with no load on it.

Install the driveshaft and continue on.

Correct...the output shaft will turn by hand,also may turn when the engine is running and in neutral,grab it and it will stop. When the truck is all together running in neutral it will not move as the weight of the truck is more than what the viscosity of the oil can push. It's all normal. Now, start your truck when its-35 and dump the clutch in neutral. The cold gear oil will either stall the engine or move the truck. I used to rev the engine up a bit when letting the clutch out,and let the engine run a bit. The oil would warm up on its own and then be good to drive and shift.

In the cold winter months, a Model T planetary transmission would actually drive the car forward slowly just from the drag created by the grease as the engine started- - - - -even with the puny little parking brakes applied. It was not uncommon for car owners to have to jack up one rear wheel to keep the car from running over the person hand-cranking the engine in cold weather.
Jerry

One book I read referred to the Model T being much like a horse in temperament. Referencing, among other horse like attributes, the occasional need after hand crank starting it to lean into it as it "leaned" on you, so as to not get run over.

Forgetting to retard the ignition timing before cranking was a good way to get a vicious, and maybe deadly hit from the crank handle if the engine kicked back instead of starting. I've got a 1936 Allis-Chalmers WC tractor that's "hand crank only". It's also dual fuel- - - -start and stop on gasoline- - - -run on kerosene.
Jerry

LOL
I've got physical evidence of my Model A being "cranky" when crank started. Pulling up on the crank handle when it kicked back and jerked my chin down on the radiator cap. Things went black for a second, then I went and got stitches on my chin.