Technical 51 Buick Special Transmission Options to keep column shift

New guy here to the forum. I just bought an awesome 51 Buick special deluxe with the 263 inline 8 mated to a 3 speed manual. It runs and drives great and I'm beyond happy with it. But of course as I always do I'm already making future plans and scheming up builds for this thing. I want to keep it period and honestly love the 3 speed column shift. I've read on this forum and others that the stock 5 bolt is a weak point. From the searches so far i have found options for swapping Pontiac or Oldsmobile 3 speeds from the same era. This option would also aid in converting the closed driveline to a open one. The problem I see with that option though is availability of those units.
So I started thinking about other 3 speed alternatives and what about the Saginaw 3 speed? Parts are readily available and I believe they came equipped in column shifted vehicles. Does anyone know if this has been done before? Hurdles I imagine would be adapter plate/bellhousing, pilot bearing, and shift linkage setup. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Matthew

 

The only transmission that fits and works in that car with the enclosed torque tube driveshaft is the one that is in it. That is the same exact transmission that is probably in every stick shift Buick until the end of torque tubes though.
There are a few 5 on 5 bolt pattern rear axles that may fit including late 70's Cad Seville but the gear ratio in those isn't stick shift friendly being in the mid 2 someting range. and early 80's Olds Super 88 rear with 5 on 5 that had an overdrive trans and 3.7 gears might fit if the wms to wms but I have never measured one and and do not know what the wms to wms of the Buick is.

The Saginaw 3 speed is a great transmisison an I ran one in my 48 for close to 20 years and it is still in it but unless you break the trans or rear end you have and aren't doing an engine swap I don't see the need to change parts around in that car just to be changing parts unless you did an engine swap. If it's not broke why fix or change things on that particular car just to be changing things. Put a later nailhead in it that has a BOP bellhousing bolt pattern on it so you can find a bellhousing within reason and you have an interesting engine for the car and a need for a Saginaw.

 

Another serious problem you will have is that the Buick column shift is a "selector" type transmission while almost everything else (including the Saginaw) is a regular "two lever" transmission. You can do some research on the two types, but the bottom line is that the transmission you use will be totally incompatible with the Buick column linkage. You will most likely have to transfer the column mechanism that matches the transmission to the Buick column.

About the only chance you have for a stronger 3 speed is a "6-bolt" version out of a Roadmaster. Although I had a stick shift '50 Special myself, I have no experience with the larger Buicks so I am only speculating.

 

That’s really pretty ride, I like to see more pictures. In those days, you worked your way up to the Buick’s, hoping to make the last step to a Caddy. They were solid reliable cars thru the whole model line. I’m pretty sure if you drive it like a Buick, that drivetrain will be fine.
Enjoy the ride.

 

That’s an absolutely beautiful car.
Weak????
Compared to what? What application? What’s the context?
There is no advantage I can think of going open drive.
There’s a lot more to it than say just an engine, rear anxle and transmission swap.
You must remember that the torque tube and rear axle****embly was part of suspension design.
There’s just more to it.

What that car really needs is someone to drive the wheels off of it.

 

Matthew, unless you REALLY beat on it, that transmission will outlast the engine and probably you. I doubt you can break the transmission with the 263. I have a "warmed up " 263 in my 1950 Special with the same transmission.
Pay no mind to the naysayers who have never owned a Buick.
Enjoy
Ben

 

X2 for Ben's comment. Behind the 263, even the 5 bolt "sliding shift" unit will hold up. Another factor is the Buick transmission uses the bell housing to seal the front bearing in the transmission. Replace the torque ball seal****embly, top up the fluids in the******* and real axle, and roll on. Converting to an open driveline is doable, but not easy.

 

Putting a nailhead in the car has crossed my mind. It would be awesome to build a nailhead. That is probably in the pipeline but for now ill rock the straight 8. Do you have any write up or thread on the saginaw swap into the 48 chev?

 

Tubman do you know of any write ups or threads on transferring the column linkage? I wonder what kind of fabrication it would take?

 

Firstinsteele do you or anyone else know of any resources for internal parts for this transmission? Since it was made for a number of years and was similar to the offerings from olds and pontiac of those years you would think there would be parts out there. There is a good deal of grinding when going into gear and I'm wondering if some of the synchronizers are wearing out.

 

Keep the 3speed run it until it breaks. Count your blessings a Dynaflow was put in most of these. Nice 51 BTW!

 

clutch adjustment is fine??

 

Sorry, I don't. I would think it would not be that bad a project. The most important decision is whether to mount it under or over the column.

 

Thanks Billybobdad. Loving the 3 speed and wanting to keep it. Just would like to find a way to get parts.

 

I haven't thought about the clutch adjustment. That's something I can look into but it didn't seem like a clutch issue

 

Wouldn't that be pretty awkward shifting it under the column?

 

I don't see why. You have to realize that I am just conjecturing about a situation that will probably never come about. I am in the group that says : "Leave it alone".

In the early '70's, I had a '50 special Sedanette with a stick shift. It was fine the way it was. I wish i could find one again; it was a great road car.

 

I’d love to keep it. Just trying to find parts vendors/manufacturers

 

A friend had a 55 Special with a 264 nailhead and factory column shifted 3 speed. It was a barn find and the 264 was locked up so he pulled it out and "restomoded" the car with a 454 Chevy and he gave me the the whole engine/trans unit plus a running 55 322. I still have it all except the trans but I bet it was the same one you have which means if you locate a 54-56 stick shift nailhead all you should have to do is figure out how to substitute it for the inliner that's in the car. I'm no Buick expert but I bet there's a couple on here that can walk you through the swap if it's doable.

 

Sure do!
DENNIS MARORDAS
606 237 6648

I rebuilt the one in my '50. Intimated me to no end. Afterwards, kicked myself for being so intimated. Complete directions in the , in my case, 1950 Buick Shop Manual. If you do not have a FACTORY SHOP MANUAL, by all means get one!

Ben

 

Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that the transmission changed to a 6 bolt from 5 bolt with the V8 engines. If you could get a adapter then that would be a great idea.

 

Thank you for that contact. I will be calling to see what he has. Exactly what i needed

 

Hey, I like my own Dynaflow! I never worry about it breaking.

 

Correcting you!
The 6 bolt refers to the bolts in the top cover. They were behind the 320 CI engine in the Roadmaster and such.

Ben

 

Unfortunately the trans is long gone so I can't verify the 5 or 6 bolt but someone must know which came in a 55 Special with a 264?

 

It seems pretty well documented on this site that the 6 bolt transmission does not bolt to a 263 and smaller inline 8.

 

Going To a Nail Head with an open driveline opens a new can but is what I am doing with one of my coupes.
The torque ball****embly is completely different on the 6-bolt unit and would require some adapting, plus the transmission is a hard find. Later cars that came with the Nail Head may have a better manual transmission but are rare as Buick made a low percentage of straight shift cars.
Edit: The clashing of gears is most likely a problem with the column shifting linkage, bushings, and adjustment. The shop manual has a detailed explanation on how to adjust the linkage, which is unique because of the transmission design.

 

If it’s your desire to get another side shift transmission to fit behind your engine and install an open drive line rear end then do it.

It’s not rocket science to put arms on the new transmission that matched the original Buick. Then it just making the rods from the bottom of the column to the trans arms. They need-to be adjustable on at least one end. If you didn’t want to destroy the originals I would get some rods, even from some floors shifter like a Hurst, that had the same od ends, cut them and weld in a length of the same size rod bent for your application. Personally I would heat treat them when done………. It’s called hot rod fabrication. If done right know one would ever know!

 

^^^^ The original Buick transmission does not have two arms, only one and a rocker for the other. See post #3. The rocker is moved by pulling the shift lever toward the driver, which shifts just the selector rail inside the transmission. The arm moves the appropriate transmission gears depending on where the shift rail is. The column linkage is really finicky in the pre-war cars but got more robust after the war. Going to a two-arm transmission is going to require at least a shifting mechanism change on the column.
Agreed it is not rocket science, and the method @jimmy six suggested is what I did on my 53 when I upgraded to a 3 speed toploader.

 

Here's one off the wall. How about a B/W T85 out of a late model AM product? They're a very robust transmissions, and I think the AM cars had torque tubes. I think they have the same bolt pattern as '49-'64 Fords, so if someone makes a Buick straight eight to late Ford transmission, we may be on to something here.