Frankentruck

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by Arne

Yeah, I get that. Really makes a difference on the highway. I'm enjoying the A833 3+OD manual in my truck. Not much easier to come by than your gearbox, unfortunately.

And I actually enjoy working on gearboxes. Rebuilt an MG 4 speed with OD years back. I hope you can find whatever parts you need for yours.

I missed out on one of those A833s a couple weeks ago. The seller sold it to someone else after we had set a meeting time, but didn't tell me until I drove the hour out to meet him. Wasted my time and gas, but at least I didn't lose a significant amount of money. Frustrating for sure.
Regarding the 3 speed overdrive for Frankentruck, I have a second overdrive transmission that has been sitting in the garage as a backup/parts transmission in case the one that was in the truck broke. Well, now I'm hoping that whatever broke in the one sitting on the bench is still good in the one sitting on the shelf

[350TacoZilla]

Not to derail your truck thread on OD transmission's but years ago there was a gearset available for muncie 4spd's that would effectively make 3rd OD and then you flipped the shift lever so 4th became your new 3rd, so on the shifter you would still do the normal 1-2-3-4 but it would actually be like 1-2-4-OD. I think you used it with a close ratio trans so the jump between 2nd and 4th wasn't too big of a gap, can't remember though.

With all the new technology I wonder how hard it would be to get a set machined or rough cast then machined correctly.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Not to derail your truck thread on OD transmission's but years ago there was a gearset available for muncie 4spd's that would effectively make 3rd OD and then you flipped the shift lever so 4th became your new 3rd, so on the shifter you would still do the normal 1-2-3-4 but it would actually be like 1-2-4-OD. I think you used it with a close ratio trans so the jump between 2nd and 4th wasn't too big of a gap, can't remember though.

With all the new technology I wonder how hard it would be to get a set machined or rough cast then machined correctly.

That would be pretty neat to have in a truck. For Frankentruck though, I'm sticking with the sm319 3 speed with overdrive.
Now for Penny, I've tossed around the idea of picking up a Saginaw 4 speed, and the Saginaw 3 speed overdrive trans to add the overdrive unit to the 4 speed. People have done it before, and it would be pretty neat, but paying for those two transmissions to make one would start pushing me into used Tremec 5 speed price range

[Arne]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Not to derail your truck thread on OD transmission's but years ago there was a gearset available for muncie 4spd's that would effectively make 3rd OD and then you flipped the shift lever so 4th became your new 3rd, so on the shifter you would still do the normal 1-2-3-4 but it would actually be like 1-2-4-OD. I think you used it with a close ratio trans so the jump between 2nd and 4th wasn't too big of a gap, can't remember though.

With all the new technology I wonder how hard it would be to get a set machined or rough cast then machined correctly.

Interesting, that's essentially what my NP A833 is. Even down to the flipped linkage. Didn't know you could do that in a Muncie as well.

[1restorick]

Auto Gear Corporation manufactured an overdrive gearset for a Muncie 4 speed. They are no longer available. It did replace 3rd gear with an overdriven gear along with a taller 2nd gear as well. I once wanted to pursue this, so I could speed shift my truck effectively. However, I have stuck with my Muncie 319 (3speed OD) transmission and recently rebuilt a spare unit as well. I was able to find all of the needed parts and every gear is new. I do like the charm of the column shift and the BW overdrive unit is excellent in operation. Christian, if you have questions regarding the repair of your transmission, please reach out, Thanks, Rick

[Paul Y]

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

That would be pretty neat to have in a truck. For Frankentruck though, I'm sticking with the sm319 3 speed with overdrive.
Now for Penny, I've tossed around the idea of picking up a Saginaw 4 speed, and the Saginaw 3 speed overdrive trans to add the overdrive unit to the 4 speed. People have done it before, and it would be pretty neat, but paying for those two transmissions to make one would start pushing me into used Tremec 5 speed price range

Sounds to me like you have just talked yourself into a T5...

P.

[cwcarpenter98]

Welp, I have some bad news to report. All the gears and bearings look to be in fantastic shape. But the part that broke I'm sure is made of Unobtanium. I don't even know what to call it at the moment, but part of the assembly that helps engage the overdrive is what broke.

I would love to find a NOS piece, if one even exists, but I'm not too hopeful on that one.
The good in all of this is that I can still drive Frankentruck whenever I want to because the old sm318 still has some life left in it. It is a bit whiny, but I don't want to pull it and rebuild when I can just pull and replace with the rebuilt sm319.

Rick, did you have to replace this part when you rebuilt yours? Have you had any trouble keeping the solenoid sealed up properly?



Paul, although tempting, I want to keep the sm319 in Frankentruck. I'm not opposed to going t5 on Penny though. A Tremec 5 speed would be better able to handle the horsepower and torque that I would like to end up with, maybe in a couple years or so.

[cwcarpenter98]

A little searching on the web found a good pic of what broke, and the name. The blocker ring is what broke. It fits on the sun gear control plate. The sun gear control plate is still in great shape on mine, so hopefully I can find a good blocker ring and be able to put the transmission back together

[Braunschweiger]

Oh that's a shame.
I hope you find a replacement.

[1restorick]

Christian, unfortunately the blocker ring is a difficult part to find. I sometimes see these transmissions selling for cheap on Facebook Marketplace, I have not had problems with sealing the solenoid. I just install the new seal as part of the rebuild. You may want to contact the Vintage Auto Garage. They sell parts, mainly the control stuff, but they also have some spare parts as well. I was fortunate that my transmission damage was limited to the synchro drum and every transmission gear had damage. I found the gears on Ebay over a six month period. The overdrive was in great shape and was just cleaned and inspected.

https://vintageautogarage.com/borg-w...saAqj_EALw_wcB


Best of luck.

Rick

[1restorick]

Christian, you may be able to have a machine shop make a new blocker ring for your transmission?? Since it could be machined from a flat plate, it may not be too costly?? Just a thought.

Rick

[cwcarpenter98]

Thanks Rick and Harald.

I had the same idea about a machine shop. Back in 2020, I picked up a second overdrive transmission for a pretty good deal. I've already robbed the solenoid from it, so I guess I'll be taking it apart tomorrow in hopes that it has the parts I need. I've owned it for over two years and haven't even opened it up yet.

If the "parts" transmission still looks good inside, I might try the machine shop route so I can have two functioning overdrives

Edit to add:
I have found the part numbers for what broke.
AR10B-13
GM 3712704
Ford 56H-7662
AMC 3123652
Studebaker 522172
Jeep/Willys 644432

There's currently an active listing on Ebay that's been live since 2021. Been there that long probably because the seller is asking $200 for it

[350TacoZilla]

Man I'd be tempted to take the good one to machine shop for a copy or two and then try welding the broken one back up and sanding it smooth. It looks like just the small tab snapped off and its all there correct?

[1restorick]

Christian, I would seriously make an offer on the new E-bay listed part. $200 seems a little high, but it puts your overdrive back in action. I spent $600 buying new gears and $139 for the rebuild kit. The synchro drum was another $200 as well. Parts for these transmissions are becoming harder to fine, especially NOS.

Best of luck. I am a strong fan of these transmissions, they had a good overall design and were used in so many applications. I really like using 2nd gear overdrive for round town cruising.

Years ago, when my overdrive was inoperable, my truck sucked gas badly and screamed on the highway as well. Parts were actually hard to find in the 1980's as well. I advertised in Hemming Motor News at the time just to find a new solenoid. Now, they are reproduced and a mouse click away.

Rick

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Man I'd be tempted to take the good one to machine shop for a copy or two and then try welding the broken one back up and sanding it smooth. It looks like just the small tab snapped off and its all there correct?

I don't trust my welding abilities for a critical part inside the transmission like that This is one of those things I don't want to have to pull back apart for awhile.

Originally Posted by 1restorick

Christian, I would seriously make an offer on the new E-bay listed part. $200 seems a little high, but it puts your overdrive back in action. I spent $600 buying new gears and $139 for the rebuild kit. The synchro drum was another $200 as well. Parts for these transmissions are becoming harder to fine, especially NOS.

Best of luck. I am a strong fan of these transmissions, they had a good overall design and were used in so many applications. I really like using 2nd gear overdrive for round town cruising.

Years ago, when my overdrive was inoperable, my truck sucked gas badly and screamed on the highway as well. Parts were actually hard to find in the 1980's as well. I advertised in Hemming Motor News at the time just to find a new solenoid. Now, they are reproduced and a mouse click away.

Rick

I'll probably throw an offer out there on that one, just to see what might happen. I saw that about the solenoids as well. Currently, mine works still, but it is old, so who knows when it might fail. I love having the overdrive though. Makes cruising down the interstate much quieter.

[cwcarpenter98]

Well, I made an offer on that part and got instantly denied, so either it doesn't exist or the seller isn't accepting offers.

So what's a feller supposed to do? Finally tear into that other transmission he purchased well over two years ago. Yup, making that trip a smidge west of the GA / AL line was well worth it.

Check out the missing chunks from the main shaft. No idea how that broke, but sure does make me feel better about robbing parts from this unit.

Even though the bearings seem to be in good shape on the transmission I'm rebuilding, since I have it apart I'll go ahead and replace them. Just have to order the kit, clean up everything, and slap it back together. Any suggestions on what I should use to keep the needle bearings in place while reassembling?

[Getter-Done]

About holding those needle bearings.

I use assembly lube, petroleum jelly, or Vaseline to keep them in place.
Whichever one I have around at the time.
I would not use white, chassis, or bearing grease when installing bearings or washers in a transmission or transfer case.

Because it does not mix well with the Oil.

Just my 2 Cents

[cwcarpenter98]

Thanks, Dwayne, I ended up going with some assembly lube.

My parts showed up yesterday, but after cracking my phone screen pretty bad a couple months ago, it was finally having enough issues and was 5 years old, so I decided to upgrade yesterday. I expect this phone to work for the next 5 years, but we shall see

Didn’t get a chance to work on Frankentruck today because I helped my friend finally install the trailer hitch on his F150. I pulled that hitch off a junkyard truck several years ago and we just got around to installing it

Did get a nice picture of the truck though

[cwcarpenter98]

If you've been following along for the past year, you know that I've been spending a large chunk of my time studying for the CPA exam. Well, I'm quite happy to report that I no longer have to study for the CPA exam. Yup, it's time to get back to work on the trucks

[Braunschweiger]

Congratulations, enjoy the time first or do you already have a job in mind?

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

Congratulations, enjoy the time first or do you already have a job in mind?

Thanks, Harald. I've been working full time for a public accounting firm since August of 22.
One of the requirements to actually get my license is to have a minimum of 1 year work experience under a practicing CPA

[joesscamaro]

Very cool and congratulations. I have a few acquaintances that have taken the CPA exam and they say that it is quite the task!

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

Very cool and congratulations. I have a few acquaintances that have taken the CPA exam and they say that it is quite the task!

Thanks! It's definitely one of the more challenging things I've done. The hard part is staying focused and preparing well in advance to actually pass. Whether it's a 75 or 100, passing is passing!

[cwcarpenter98]

Made some progress this evening. Finally got all the parts out.
Had to dig through some greasy dirt to find the pin that keeps the countershaft in place. Also ended up punching a hole in the plug over the tail shaft snap ring, so I’ll have to weld that back together. But at least it’s all apart and I can clean all the parts this weekend. Tomorrow after work I’ll take some time to hang up some lights over the work bench. Had to rely on some flash lights this evening

[Paul Y]

Christian,

Well done on the new qualification, I trust that you will reward yourself appropriately by wisely investing in another truck….

P.