Pics of Mulemans new project!

[raycow]

K-TEN, thanks for your suggestions. I would love to have a Truckstell OD, but I just don't think that's realistic because I have seen only one of them in my whole life, and I'm old. Right now I am running a stock 3 speed with a passenger car torque tube rear that has 3.55 gears. The car torque tube bolts up to the truck transmission, so all I had to do was weld the spring mounts onto the axle housing.

This setup is tolerable up to about 60 mph, but I really want to run a more modern transmission, like a 5 speed, and get rid of the torque tube. I can make an adaptor plate for the transmission, so that is probably what I will end up doing.

Ray

[raycow]

Muleman, I'm thinking you probably still have the stock 1941 bellhousing. It will bolt to any year 235, but your 1941 transmission won't bolt to any bellhousing newer than 1947.

I would very much like to see pics of your setup, so please post them when you can.

Ray

[K-TEN]

Yeah, there's no way that you could have bolted up your stock pedal setup to the modern bellhousing. You must have used the original one.
I still have the other Truckstell, but I can't decide on whether to use it for my 51 Suburban or go with a modern Overdrive.

[Muleman100]

I have had a nite mare for the past two months. I took my 4 sp granny for a rebuild. My attention was drawn away thinking I would put a T5 in and throw away the 4 sp. It was well outlined on the web on how to do this except they were all installed into 47-53 bullnose Chevys. On blind faith I bought a T5 but I quickly found out that it would not fit on my 41 bell housing so the T5 was returned and back to the 4 sp rebuild. I again stopped the rebuild because I was promised a 3 sp top loader from a 46 which would fit and the price was right, free. When I went to retrieve the tranny I was informed his helper had scrapped the tranny, so back to the 4 sp unschancronized gear box. Well I am picking up the 4 sp today. When I install it I will post some pics as someone had requested.

[raycow]

You can still do this. The T-5 input shaft is too long anyway, so make an adaptor plate that takes care of the bolt pattern difference. It's a lot better than driving the crash box.

Ray

[Muleman100]

I got my 4 speed gear grinder put back in. It shifts better with double clutching.I have aquired a 3 speed syncro top loader from a 1940 truck. I don't know if it will work in my '41. The bolt pattern looks to be the same. The enclosed tail shaft is shorter on the '40. Does anyone know if the splines are the same? Maybe I can take the enclosed shaft off the 41 and bolt it onto the 40 3 spd. The length may be different also. This could turn out to be quite a project and maybe the only way I will know is take out the 4 spd and check all the diamentions. Hope I can make the 3 spd work and can quit double clutching and grinding.

[K-TEN]

I think the splines are the same. The shaft lengths are different as you have found out. You just might be be able to do what you propose. The master Parts book shows the driveshaft lengths. gooood luck.

[Muleman100]

I spent months looking for a 3 spd top loader and found one in Waco, TX. After going through the tranny and painting it was ready to install. It was out of a 1940 GMC truck. The lengthand bolt pattern was correct. I took out the 4 spd grinder and looking forward to a syncro tranny and less gear grinding. Well I could not make the swap because the output shaft to the drive shaft was too small to fit my short shaft.. So the 4 spd went back in until I can solve this problem. I hope to find the short shaft that fits the 3 spd. I can't find the board member I bought the tranny from, he may have the short shaft that I need. Anyone have a solution other than replacing the entire drive shaft?

[Muleman100]

I finally found the u-joint that I needed that being small on one side and large on the other. I now have a 3 speed syncronized transmission that shifts and downshifts very well. The guy hosed me on the price but I really needed that particular joint.