Saginaw 4 speed choice - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

dave3156 · 09-04-2007, 07:01 PM

My Saginaw 3 speed is having problems and I thought if I am going to pull it I would replace it with a 4 speed transmission. From reading other posts, It appears to be a direct bolt up. What issues will I face? I would guess i need different linkage. Also which of the Saginaw 4 speeds should I look for? The following are the gear ratios they were made with:

Saginaw 4-speed 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
No lines 2.84 2.01 1.35 1.00
1 Line 2.54 1.80 1.44 1.00
2 Lines 3.11 2.20 1.47 1.00
3 Lines 3.50 2.47 1.65 1.00

My rearend gears are 3:73. The engine is a slightly modified 350 (Edelbrock 1406, Performer RPM, headers, dual exhaust) Which of these ratios would work the best?

ChevLoRay · 09-04-2007, 08:00 PM

I had an '81 ElCamino with a 229V-6 and a Saginaw 3-speed. I also had a Saginaw 4-speed from a Vega (I think) that went right in without a hitch. I bought a Hurst shifter that had a short, straight stick.....real short. I got hold of a Hurst catalog and found an application for that same shifter in an earlier model Malibu and ordered the stick. It was pricey for what I got, but it sure made the shifter much nicer to use.

71big block · 09-04-2007, 08:01 PM

My experiance is that the saginaw 4 speeds are a very weak transimission and not well suited for any preformance application, find a used muncie or t10, you'll pay a little more but have a much stronger tranny.

*alschevy* · 09-05-2007, 09:25 AM

Edited by Moderator

09-04-2007, 07:01 PM	#1
dave3156 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 336	Saginaw 4 speed choice My Saginaw 3 speed is having problems and I thought if I am going to pull it I would replace it with a 4 speed transmission. From reading other posts, It appears to be a direct bolt up. What issues will I face? I would guess i need different linkage. Also which of the Saginaw 4 speeds should I look for? The following are the gear ratios they were made with: Saginaw 4-speed 1st 2nd 3rd 4th No lines 2.84 2.01 1.35 1.00 1 Line 2.54 1.80 1.44 1.00 2 Lines 3.11 2.20 1.47 1.00 3 Lines 3.50 2.47 1.65 1.00 My rearend gears are 3:73. The engine is a slightly modified 350 (Edelbrock 1406, Performer RPM, headers, dual exhaust) Which of these ratios would work the best?

09-04-2007, 08:00 PM	#2
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: Saginaw 4 speed choice I had an '81 ElCamino with a 229V-6 and a Saginaw 3-speed. I also had a Saginaw 4-speed from a Vega (I think) that went right in without a hitch. I bought a Hurst shifter that had a short, straight stick.....real short. I got hold of a Hurst catalog and found an application for that same shifter in an earlier model Malibu and ordered the stick. It was pricey for what I got, but it sure made the shifter much nicer to use. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.

09-04-2007, 08:01 PM	#3
71big block 1971 GMC 3/4 ton, 572 CID Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 293	Re: Saginaw 4 speed choice My experiance is that the saginaw 4 speeds are a very weak transimission and not well suited for any preformance application, find a used muncie or t10, you'll pay a little more but have a much stronger tranny. __________________ 71 GMC 3/4 572 CID, 1988 GMC 1/2 2006 Saturn Vue "We always have parts left over on a job this size"

09-05-2007, 09:25 AM	#4
alschevy Account Suspended Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lehigh Acres FL Posts: 205	Re: Saginaw 4 speed choice Edited by Moderator Last edited by krue; 09-05-2007 at 10:40 AM.



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