ok, here's the short.... my '53 chevy 210, gonna run an inline 292. with the parts i have NOW i can run the 292 with the 3 on tree set up and the stock torque tube, which i'm cool with.... (keep in mind, none of this is in the car yet) would that set up be ok to start with? how would freeway cruisin' or long road trips be with it like that? i don't ***ume that 3 speed and stock rear is gonna get me the best cruisin' speeda....but i really don't know. OR, should i just take a little more time and search out the S-10 4x4 rear and a T-5? (although i hate the idea of losing the column shift set-up) i'm just kinda stuck.....i've got the parts to do it one way....but if its not gonna to be the "right or reliable" way i'm willing to slow myself down and search for parts.... what you think?
Those old 3-speeds were made of gl***! Even when they went to open drive(55) they were still very week. I think you can adapt a later (67up?)3-speed to your column shifter if thats what you'd like, I'm almost certain it'd bolt to your bellhousing. Going to open drive is not that hard. we once put a '55-'57 rear in a '50 simply by drilling new locting holes in the spring pads, had to pull out on the springs a little though. LEE
thanks. yea, thats what i'm afraid of....and granted that 292 isn't a "high HP engine"....but i know its got enough low end torque that i'd be afraid it'd just rip through that ******. yea, that 292 will accept any "V-8" style bellhousing....i just wonder how hard it would be to find a later 3 speed like that. thanks alot for the response! take care. Chris
Do yourself a favor and change the setup. Highway cruising and the 3speed just don't go hand in hand. Trust me, I've got no overdrive for the moment on my 51 Ford 3 speed and boy another gear would be nice.
2 things... With the stock springs, you will have tons of wheelhop with an open rear. A set of ******* bars will cure this. (mostly) The stock trans won't live long behind a torquey 292. a close ratio 4 speed will allow you to use a numerically lower, or taller rear and have lower rpms at highway speed. No matter what engine you have, 3000 rpms at 60 mph will get old quick.
I Had A 60 Chevy With The Original 235 And The Stock 3 Speed. Getting Around Town Was Ok And The Highway Wasn't To Bad.... If You Were In The Slow Lane!!!!! But Seriously... It Would Get Up And Hang With Traffic Ok, But It Was Completly Wound Up At 70-75 Mph. 3000 - 3500 Rpms ****s For A Long Distance, But It Seemed To Take It Pretty Well. Another Gear Would Have Been Nice. I Never Had Any Problems. And That Engine ****** Was The Unrebuilt Original For That Car! Just Goes To Show That Those Old Inline 6 Chevy Powerplants Were Tough!!!
Look for a saginaw 3 spd with over drive if your going to change to an open drive line. You can make it work with the column shifter. Probalby have to do some southern engineering on the shifter levers. I have even put a 4 speed in a column shift car and used a cable to operate reverse.
one other question for you taht have done the rear end/******/open drive line swap....what did you do as far as the driveshaft goes? have one made?....luck out with one that is the correct length?
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