'54 235 questions

I have a '54 Chevy truck 3/4 ton with the 235. The trans is gone and I would like to get one for it. If I remember right I was told that it was a one year deal and I had to use a specific trans, can anyone confirm/elaborate on this? Any chance I could put a T5 behind the motor and keep the tube or even just put the T5 behind it in general? Thanks

 

The '54 235 is unique in some ways, but the uniqueness does not really limit your transmission choices. The 3/4-ton has a partial torque tube, partial open driveline arrangement and if the transmission is missing I'd expect the torque tube is also.

If you are running the stock rear axle you have 4.57 rear gears and you may want to think through that before choosing a transmission. Even with a 30% OD your limited speed wise.

 

I went out to look at something else on the truck and noticed the 1/2 and 1/2 shaft/tube. So ***uming I can swap the rear gears (keep the 8 lug) and get a shaft made to replace the tube, is a T5 possible?

You mentioned it is unique, what makes it different from other 235s?

 

The '54 235 has the shorter parts to make it an easy swap into an earlier frame. The later motors are a little more work to swap into an early ch***is. Unless you're removing the motor to use elsewhere none of this matters.

There is no reason not to swap to a T-5 aside from the light duty aspect of that transmission in a 3/4-ton pickup. You're giving up some strength in the transmission department.

Alternate gears for that rear are not common and the bearings and parts to rebuilt it are expensive. There are exactly three gear sets available with the most desirable being the very rare 4.11 set. I know guys who have spent years looking for those gears and still have not found a usable set.

I solved the problem in my 1-ton by swapping to a GM 14-bolt rear with 3.42 gears.