saginaw 4 speed linkage. - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

cstm68 · 12-13-2007, 11:49 AM

i have a saginaw 4 speed (car style) that i am putting into my 68.

i am using this shifter
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

i have all the linkage hooked up to the tranny out of the truck to mock it up. it will shift into all gears but it is hard to do and i wants to shift 2 arms at one time.

it shifted fine with the original camaro linkage but that wont fit in the truck.

mabe i have somthing backwards ?

does anyone have pics or some tips of haw this lonkage should be set up??.

ChevLoRay · 12-13-2007, 04:28 PM

I don't have the answer you're looking for, but here's what I had to do to make something work that hadn't been available.

I put a Saginaw 4-speed from a Vega (I believe) into my '81 El Camino. I bought a Hurst Indy shifter that was supposed to be correct for the transmission. However, the stick was short, like six inches long. It bumped the bench seat in the truck. So, I went to my Hurst catalog and started looking. I found a shifter handle that would bolt to the linkage and clear my seat. What started out as a $100 shifter became a lot more expensive when I had to special-order the stick. But, it looked good, and worked right.

68C15 · 12-13-2007, 05:16 PM

I have had bad experiences with cheap shifters. many times there isn't much room between the gates. a quality unit should fix it. or better yet, make a new handle for the old shifter.

jimfulco · 12-13-2007, 10:10 PM

Look at the instructions real close, and make sure the shift rods are facing the right direction, and that they aren't interfering with each other. Putting the front rod ends in the shift arm holes closest to the pivot point will give you a shorter throw, but it does make it harder to shift.

See if there's any way to loosen the grip the big central through-bolt has on the shifter levers so they don't bind and try to move together, but without making the whole shifter loose on its mount. Might also have to over-ride the "dry film lubricant" with some spray lube such as BreakFreeCLP or TriFlow. They didn't have dry film when I had mine, so I had to hose it down with oil once in a while.

Also, be sure your clutch is adjusted properly so it will completely disengage when the pedal's down. If it's still slightly engaging, it will be hard to shift.

12-13-2007, 11:49 AM	#1
cstm68 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: shoreline, wa Posts: 1,565	saginaw 4 speed linkage. i have a saginaw 4 speed (car style) that i am putting into my 68. i am using this shifter http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku i have all the linkage hooked up to the tranny out of the truck to mock it up. it will shift into all gears but it is hard to do and i wants to shift 2 arms at one time. it shifted fine with the original camaro linkage but that wont fit in the truck. mabe i have somthing backwards ? does anyone have pics or some tips of haw this lonkage should be set up??. __________________ 68 swb fleet bagged on 20's 327 with 4 speed http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=223308 2014 Chevy 2500hd duramax CCLB

12-13-2007, 04:28 PM	#2
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: saginaw 4 speed linkage. I don't have the answer you're looking for, but here's what I had to do to make something work that hadn't been available. I put a Saginaw 4-speed from a Vega (I believe) into my '81 El Camino. I bought a Hurst Indy shifter that was supposed to be correct for the transmission. However, the stick was short, like six inches long. It bumped the bench seat in the truck. So, I went to my Hurst catalog and started looking. I found a shifter handle that would bolt to the linkage and clear my seat. What started out as a $100 shifter became a lot more expensive when I had to special-order the stick. But, it looked good, and worked right. __________________ 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. Last edited by ChevLoRay; 12-13-2007 at 04:29 PM.

12-13-2007, 05:16 PM	#3
68C15 blood type; Retumbo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: next to my reloading bench Posts: 10,269	Re: saginaw 4 speed linkage. I have had bad experiences with cheap shifters. many times there isn't much room between the gates. a quality unit should fix it. or better yet, make a new handle for the old shifter.

12-13-2007, 10:10 PM	#4
jimfulco Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Shreveport LA Posts: 3,170	Re: saginaw 4 speed linkage. Look at the instructions real close, and make sure the shift rods are facing the right direction, and that they aren't interfering with each other. Putting the front rod ends in the shift arm holes closest to the pivot point will give you a shorter throw, but it does make it harder to shift. See if there's any way to loosen the grip the big central through-bolt has on the shifter levers so they don't bind and try to move together, but without making the whole shifter loose on its mount. Might also have to over-ride the "dry film lubricant" with some spray lube such as BreakFreeCLP or TriFlow. They didn't have dry film when I had mine, so I had to hose it down with oil once in a while. Also, be sure your clutch is adjusted properly so it will completely disengage when the pedal's down. If it's still slightly engaging, it will be hard to shift.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.