Saginaw 3 speed - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

msgtmac · 08-05-2019, 11:01 AM

I had a Muncie 3 speed on a 250 and when I was cleaning it off I found the upper right hand mount was cracked 3/4 of the way down the case so, I found another tranny and it is a saginaw. Different shifting arms and different length tail piece. Any knowledge of shifting rods and arm orientation? past experiences and pictures. Thanks

**Steeveedee** · 08-09-2019, 11:48 PM

Might be awhile for an answer. I see a lot of people have looked but don't know. Give it some time. In the meanwhile, is it floor or column shift? You can shift the trans manually and count turns to see which gear is which, should help with the linkage geometry. You may want to look further for a transmission like the old one, if possible. That would save going into the driveshaft to shorten it.Good luck, in any event.

Railroader · 08-10-2019, 12:06 AM

Any chance you can have your original trans case welded? I have a 700R that was cracked and that's what I did.

oem4me · 08-10-2019, 01:31 AM

My memory is failing me somewhat on this subject as I did this same swap many years ago with my very first truck, but now the details are fuzzy. I do remember acquiring stock shifter arms for the later trans, and grafting the upper portion of the muncie arms to the lower portion of the saginaw arms in order to connect the existing column to the newer trans. If I remember correctly, the shift pattern was the same, but the arms needed to be tweaked to get the geometry right, which never happened to my satisfaction. They worked, but flexed a bit and made shifting less than positive.
I also remember the driveshaft was NOT altered. A different yoke was needed to fit the splines in the saginaw, but the trans was a direct fit with no mods.
That trans lasted only a short time before the shoddy rebuild it had been subjected to caused a major, terminal failure.
The next trans was an even later unit which lasted until I sold the truck less the a year after.
I have no idea if this random info can be of any help to you, but at least you know this swap can be done.

Brad54 · 08-11-2019, 05:24 PM

I've got the original 3spd out of my '62 K10--I'm replacing it with a later 4spd OD manual.
It's for sale, and I'm in the Jefferson/Athens area.
I don't know when it was last driven, but it's not locked up, and I didn't notice any cracks in the case.
Send me a PM or call me after Tuesday if you're interested.
(706) 424-5035
-Brad

08-05-2019, 11:01 AM	#1
msgtmac Registered User Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Powder Springs, Ga Posts: 50	Saginaw 3 speed I had a Muncie 3 speed on a 250 and when I was cleaning it off I found the upper right hand mount was cracked 3/4 of the way down the case so, I found another tranny and it is a saginaw. Different shifting arms and different length tail piece. Any knowledge of shifting rods and arm orientation? past experiences and pictures. Thanks

08-09-2019, 11:48 PM	#2
Steeveedee Who Changed This? Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 10,723	Re: Saginaw 3 speed Might be awhile for an answer. I see a lot of people have looked but don't know. Give it some time. In the meanwhile, is it floor or column shift? You can shift the trans manually and count turns to see which gear is which, should help with the linkage geometry. You may want to look further for a transmission like the old one, if possible. That would save going into the driveshaft to shorten it.Good luck, in any event. __________________ ~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA

08-10-2019, 12:06 AM	#3
Railroader Registered User Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Florence Ms Posts: 117	Re: Saginaw 3 speed Any chance you can have your original trans case welded? I have a 700R that was cracked and that's what I did.

08-10-2019, 01:31 AM	#4
oem4me Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 3,055	Re: Saginaw 3 speed My memory is failing me somewhat on this subject as I did this same swap many years ago with my very first truck, but now the details are fuzzy. I do remember acquiring stock shifter arms for the later trans, and grafting the upper portion of the muncie arms to the lower portion of the saginaw arms in order to connect the existing column to the newer trans. If I remember correctly, the shift pattern was the same, but the arms needed to be tweaked to get the geometry right, which never happened to my satisfaction. They worked, but flexed a bit and made shifting less than positive. I also remember the driveshaft was NOT altered. A different yoke was needed to fit the splines in the saginaw, but the trans was a direct fit with no mods. That trans lasted only a short time before the shoddy rebuild it had been subjected to caused a major, terminal failure. The next trans was an even later unit which lasted until I sold the truck less the a year after. I have no idea if this random info can be of any help to you, but at least you know this swap can be done.

08-11-2019, 05:24 PM	#5
Brad54 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 1,458	Re: Saginaw 3 speed I've got the original 3spd out of my '62 K10--I'm replacing it with a later 4spd OD manual. It's for sale, and I'm in the Jefferson/Athens area. I don't know when it was last driven, but it's not locked up, and I didn't notice any cracks in the case. Send me a PM or call me after Tuesday if you're interested. (706) 424-5035 -Brad __________________ '61 Suburban daily driver: off the road due to 180-pound 8-pt buck! '62 K-10 long-step project '61 C30 Camper, aka "Valdez" There's no cool like Old School



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