ive tried searching around a bit and all i can find is swapping out the torque-tube drive line for an open driveshaft in order to get a newer transmission. im looking for something that is geared more for freeway criusing. the powerglide i have now seems to be geared for around 40-45 mph giving me some horrible milage what i want to know is if there are any 3 or 4 speed automatic transmissions that would bolt up to a 235 in a 54 chevy and retain the stock rear end? if there are none that will bolt straight up, what are the most redily available swaps and what are the ones that need the least ammount of work? thanks! -j
closed driveline (torque tube) compatible tansmissions all have a 1:1 high gear ratio, so you won't gain anything unless you either change the rearend, or get an overdrive transmission, which requires going to an open driveline (changing the rearend). powerglide cars had the "highway friendly" 3.55 rearend gears.
Why are you opposed to switching rear ends... Not ragging on you just wondered. I have a 54 chevy and ive got a 55 read end and a TH350 tranny going in it, i'm just bitting the bullit and getting the adaptor to make it bolt up to the 235. BTW welcome to the HAMB
trying to take the path of least resistance. i dont want to make a huge project out of something that doesnt require it. if i can swap in just a newer transmission without having to change the whole drive line, i would like to do that. if thats not an option then ill just have to deal with it. i have a 3 speed tranny with overdrive out of an early 70's nova that a friend gave to me. i know that wont bolt right in, but i would also like to know whats involved with making it work and if its even a good route to go. i know i can search a little more and get all the details about a th350 tranny and 55 rear end, but could you tell me a little about whats involved? thanks -j
the powerglide rearends had 3:55 gears like squirrel was saying Im pretty sure. Those turbo 350 adapter plates are over $300 anyways, so might as well just put in an SBC for a little more. plus you still need the driveshaft and rear end anyways.
i might already have a th350 adapter plate, ill have to double check to make sure though. also, i am not swapping in an sbc. i want more gears for the 235, not more pistons. is a th350 with a '55 drive shaft and rear end my best option? -j
just finding a powerglide rear end= $100.00 using the adapter plate= $free rebuildable/good/rebuilt TH350 transmission=$___ Driveshaft= $___ Rearend=$____ It will be more$ but if you already have the adapter plate thats a big chunk of it...
That's a good friend that would give you a transmission like that. Two ways to go with it; if you want the car to retain a vintage appearence, you could make rods to hook it up to the stock column shifter, or if you're ok with a floor shifter, you can combine the O/D setup off the back of it with a Saginaw four speed and have lots of gear choices.
My circumstances have a lot to do with what i'm doing in my car with spending the 300 on the adaptor. I want the six banger cause not many people are doing it, i was gonna biuld a sbc. BUT mian reason is i want an automatic due to some health problems with my hip, its just not comfortable for me to have a standard. I dig that you want to keep as much stock as you can. The kewl things about these cars is you can do what ever the hell youre mind can think up and no matter what you do some will hate and some will love it, just make sure you love it. Good Luck
big tony, i saw your thread on a similar subject earlier, quite a bit of useful information there. if this 3 speed that i have doesnt work out for me, would you be willing to sell that th350 you have? the reason i am keeping this an automatic is this car is just a daily driver and criuser. i do want to keep as much stock as possible mostly for preservation of what this car is and why i fell in love with it, its the only car i have ever owned that is an automatic and thats part of the charm of it to me. another reason to keep it stock is right now i need it to get to work and back every day as well as getting to the store and such, so large ammounts of downtime for a big project is something i do not have and will not have for quite a while. the stock powerglide is fine but is slipping quite a bit between shifts and i know its only going to get worse with time. i would rather take care of the problem sooner rather than later and also upgrade while im at it. thanks for all the replies and suggestions, im going to search these forums quite a bit more and see whats out there that will be an easy and pretty direct swap. -j
I have a th350 with the adapter behind a full oil 235 in my '53 wagon. It's a pretty straight forward swap, you just have to modify the tranny mount for the automatic, or buy a crossmember from waltons. I hooked up the three speed column shifter to the tranny with lokar's column shift linkage and it worked out perfectly. The inside looks stock, but the shifter controls the automatic. I'm running a '79 camaro 10 bolt rear end. I just had to cut off the spring perches and weld new ones on. The car's not on the road yet, but it should all work out pretty well.
wayfarer, so you are using the shifter from the 3 speed manual to change gears in the automatic? do you know if the automatic shifter will work? im gonna get some pictures of this transmission, torque converter, and adapter plate that i got from my friend and hopefully someone can help me identify it. thanks -j
Yeah, I'm using the three speed shifter, but I don't see why an automatic one wouldn't work, as long as it activates an arm further down the column, in the engine bay, you should be able to connect it to the tranny.
right on, thanks for the info! heres the pics of the tranny - came out of an early 70's nova this is on top of the bell housing and inside the bellhousing this is the adapter i have and the torque converter - looks to be from a t350 anyone recognize anything? thanks! -j
hate to be a lame-ass and bump my own thread... but can anyone tell me what kind of tranny and adapter i have here? or where i could find the code on the case? -j
just looked online and found a th350 pan which is shaped exactly like this one... maybe i have a th350? everything seems to be pointing in that direction. only thhing is the adapter is not shaped the same as the one from stovebolt... anyone have one like this and know what motor its meant for? my buddy that gave it to me said its for a straight six... thanks! -j
would a posi 3:73 rear end work for this man? i had a turbo350 trans hooked up to my 350 in my 72 monte that came with that for the factory rear end and it wasn't that bad on gas. as far as i know, those are easy to come by and i was thinking of going the same route with a early 50's chevy in the future.
you do know that the back of a straight 6 is NOTHING like the v8, that adapter plate wont do you any good(B.O.P. to chevy), and that tranny is a buick olds pontiac th350.... not a chevy nova trans. yer friend might have gotten it off a straight 6, but it was a later 60s straight 6 nothing like the 50s ones, most likely a pontiac 6. since you got the powerglide rear end yer best bet in getting a decent speed is buying a chevy 3 speed manual trans, and all the parts related to it, you might even need a new engine because the crank might need to be drilled for the pilot bearing? then just get a generic floor shifter.
thanks for the reply. would a later 60's 235 bolt in to replace my original motor? and if so, what are my transmission options then if i want to go with a 4 speed as opposed to this 3 speed i have sitting on the floor of my garage? i want to keep it as stock as possible for the time being, i have other cars to cut up and bastardize with misc parts. i really just want better freeway gearing and dont want to have to swap out the motor. i know i will have to get a new driveline and rear end, but thats about as far as im willing to go right now. it slips really bad when shifting into 2nd gear, i want to get this taken care of asap but really cant go through with a whole motor swap right now. i take it there are no suitable transmissions that will bolt straight up to my block? whats out there that is redily available and doesnt requre a $350 adapter? -j
id say change the filter and fluid in that trans of yers and see what happens(you know you gotta check it while running right?) anyway, the late 60s straight 6s MIGHT bolt up to a th350, but im not sure i dont deal with shit that new. but if your gonna go that far you might as well by a v8/trans combo and call it a day. just try looking for a 3 speed that will bolt right up to yer motor. theres always people giving them away cheap cuz they are ditching there drivelines fer v8s. OH one more thing, if you get hte manual trans and parts. YOU NEED TO GET THE MANUAL TRANS MASTER CYLINDER! the clutch arm connects to it.
if i am going to swap motors, i am swapping for another 235. i will not put any kind of v8 in this car. and i had no clue about checking the fluid while the car is running... im going to do that tomorrow morning and go from there. even if it turns out that my fluid is low and i do not need a new transmission asap, i still want another automatic with more gears and i will be keeping this a 235. -j
I wouldn't waste my time with that converter, with the amount of rust on the pump drive it would tear up the seal in a hurry, and I wouldn't doubt if the inside of the converter is just as bad.
yea, the thing has been sitting out in the salt air for a little over 2 years. it was covered from the elements but i dont doubt if its garbage. i think ill be selling the whole lot i have here and starting over fresh. anyone have a 4sp auto, adapter, and rear end? -j
my first newbie mistake. i checked the fluid while the motor was running and it was a quart low! filled it up and the thing shifted like new! this still doesnt change the fact that i want more gears, but at least now i can wait till i find exactly what i want instead of just trying to find something quick to drive the car. -j
thanks for the help! ill be back later on to try and find out what 4 speed auto will work best for me. -j
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