Saginaw 3 Speed Manual W/OD

[nds1968]

Is anyone running a Saginaw 3 speed manual with overdrive? Let me know what you think about it. Also what motor and rear-end gears you have.

A guy has the whole setup including wiring harness out of a 1967. I was thinking about replacing my SM420 4 speed with the OD unit. I have 3:73 rear gears with a 283. I don't have a tach but I would only drive about 60 mph or the engine would scream.

[Flthead]

I have 70 short step. 400 small block 3 spd over drive. 3:73 rear. Cruises at 26-2800 rpm. Going to change rear gears I think soon to 342. Trucks been on roads for 20+ yrs. but going to be doing more distance driving so lowering gears. Otherwise it is ok local but not that great with od an 3:73. Depends on what your plans are . Gas was around 1.50 I guess when it was a daily driver. Eats to much gas now at 3.+ in a gallon of fuel

[special-K]

My experience with these Saginaw O/Ds is with putting one in a friend's little '54 pickup. Truck has stock running gear. He didn't like the freewheel nature of the overdrive when he let off. She seemed to speed up. We pulled that,put a full-synchro '72 truck 3spd in along with the 3.08 rear from the same truck and that '54 gets on down the road just fine now.
I dig those 3spd/overdrive set-ups,though. I had a '61 Studebaker SWB with one behind the 259 V8. I remember really liking that set-up.

[nds1968]

Does anyone know what gearing the OD is?

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by nds1968

Does anyone know what gearing the OD is?

I found info about a 67 Chevelle and it is 0.700

So here is my current setup

283 V8
3.73 rearend gears
28" tall tires

SM420 ..................4th gear 1.00 at 70 MPH gives you 3133 RPM (current setup)
Saginaw 3 speed W/OD gear 0.70 at 70 MPH gives you 2193 RPM

That gives you 30% OD
Now I need to find info to confirm the OD gearing.

[Russ.W.]

Originally Posted by nds1968

Does anyone know what gearing the OD is?

I believe it's:

1st: 3.09
2nd: 1.67
3rd: 1.0
4th/OD: 0.73

Fairly certain the ratios are the same as a 700R4.

[SS Tim]

I'm sure I have posted this before but here goes again.
Might want to read through a thread we ran not too long ago.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=624630

[nds1968]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know if I end up buying they tranny.

[motorcritter]

I had seriously contemplated running a 3 speed w/ OD, but decided to run a T5. Still putting the truck together, but it made sense to me- the trucks getting other mods as well.

[jjzepplin]

I have been looking for one for a while. Apparently you can put the overdrive unit on a Saginaw 4 speed. That's what I have in my 2wd Blazer. So if you don't get it I may want it...Just sayin.

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by motorcritter

I had seriously contemplated running a 3 speed w/ OD, but decided to run a T5. Still putting the truck together, but it made sense to me- the trucks getting other mods as well.

Yeah I looked into the T5's, even tried to buy one.

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

I have been looking for one for a while. Apparently you can put the overdrive unit on a Saginaw 4 speed. That's what I have in my 2wd Blazer. So if you don't get it I may want it...Just sayin.

Well the guy hasn't returned my emails so not sure whats going on. Maybe he sold it .......

[special-K]

Good luck on it. I wondered why this o/d wouldn't work on a Sag 4spd. I have one. If they were easier to get your hands on I'd consider going that route

[jjzepplin]

Supposedly they do work on Saginaw four speeds. You have to do a mod or two but they are not that hard.
http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/overdrive.htm

[nds1968]

Here you go http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/4550235485.html

[nds1968]

Well the 3 speed OD transmission I wanted to buy has sold so..... I guess you snooze you loose

[special-K]

Yeah,I wish I could just buy,then figure out if I can use it of if it will suite my needs. Actually,that used to be my method. I never bought a part I regretted,whether I used it or not.

Thanks x2 on both links. You don't want that 4spd set-up? I'd love to go for it but my accountant says I can't play. I'm stubborn and I love old school stuff,but starting to consider a T-5 and just sell my 4spds. Ideally,the plan is to use the M22 with the 3.42 rear for now then,when I could afford it,fit a Gear Vendors up. My thinking is 3.42s are as tall as I'll go and with o/d not be too tall. If I didn't like it I'd have a bolt-in 3.42 67-72 12-bolt to sell and swap-in a 3.73 or 4.10 rear. But dang! I'm not rich and between that M22 and Gear Vendors I'd have thousands of dollars worth of stuff to do what a Junkyard T-5 can do. That money would go a long way towards doing the truck

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by nds1968

Well the 3 speed OD transmission I wanted to buy has sold so..... I guess you snooze you loose

Just curious how much they were asking for the 3 speed OD trans? I've got one that I'm going to be using and have almost all the parts to build another complete one.

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

Just curious how much they were asking for the 3 speed OD trans? I've got one that I'm going to be using and have almost all the parts to build another complete one.

1967 truck Bell housing, used clutch and flywheel (good condition) 3 speed w/od transmission (working when removed) wiring harness and cable. $200

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by nds1968

1967 truck Bell housing, used clutch and flywheel (good condition) 3 speed w/od transmission (working when removed) wiring harness and cable. $200

No wonder you never heard back from the guy...that deal probably didnt last too long!

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by special-K

Yeah,I wish I could just buy,then figure out if I can use it of if it will suite my needs. Actually,that used to be my method. I never bought a part I regretted,whether I used it or not.

Thanks x2 on both links. You don't want that 4spd set-up? I'd love to go for it but my accountant says I can't play. I'm stubborn and I love old school stuff,but starting to consider a T-5 and just sell my 4spds. Ideally,the plan is to use the M22 with the 3.42 rear for now then,when I could afford it,fit a Gear Vendors up. My thinking is 3.42s are as tall as I'll go and with o/d not be too tall. If I didn't like it I'd have a bolt-in 3.42 67-72 12-bolt to sell and swap-in a 3.73 or 4.10 rear. But dang! I'm not rich and between that M22 and Gear Vendors I'd have thousands of dollars worth of stuff to do what a Junkyard T-5 can do. That money would go a long way towards doing the truck

Yeah Tim I can't buy it all My mind goes all over when I think about what transmission to run. I really think the SM420 is neat but I would like to cruise the highways at a lower RPM so if I run the SM420 I would like a gearvendor OD unit. But if I have to buy it new the cost will be high so then I think about he Tremec 5 speeds I still entertain the idea of the T5 when I see them on Craigslist.

[nds1968]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

No wonder you never heard back from the guy...that deal probably didnt last too long!

The guy told me yesterday that it sold last week so he had it listed for 28 days. I seen the listing the first day but I just dragged my feet to long.