I'm removing the TH-400 auto in my '59 Chevy pickup & installing a Muncie 4-speed. I already have the shifter, it's a Super Shifter 3. The problem is that this shifter sits too far back on the transmission (IE car location). I would need to cut a hole under the original bench seat & use a bench seat shifter curved handle. Also, if I cut it back that far, I will cut a piece of primary floorboard structure - don't want to do that. Anyone ever fabricate a new bracket that moves the shifter ***embly forward? I'm guessing the rods would need to be shortened & re-heat treated. I was looking at getting a basic truck shifter installation kit (without the shifter), but I'm not sure if that will work for a Muncie. Looking for some creative ideas. Thanks in advance
It's done all the time, but a hole lot easier on Saginaw. On a Muncie, reverse shaft is your limiting factor................
You said you have a 4 speed, that Summit kit is for a 3 speed if I am reading it rite. You don't need that kit............
Oh.. Maybe this one would work.. What I need is some type of bracket that puts the shifter about 12" from the bellhousing http://hurst-shifters.com/?page_id=131&pn=3737919
That one is for a Saginaw, you said you have a Muncie................. Measure from bell housing 12" back, if the reverse shifting shaft is there or near there it's a no go........................... Some one makes a shifter that fits forward & on top of the Muncie, do a goggle search as I have forgotten the maker. Very spendy though .............
I installed the Hurst floor shifter for my 1957 Chevy truck, 3 speed -OD trans. Even with modifications to the kit I couldn't get it forward enough, I ended up putting bucket seats in to gain the required clearance. Although, from what I've seen from this site, I'm sure they there are those that could fabricate something, e.g., http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97533 make your own shifter. don
I bought a used Saginaw 4 speed with a Hurst shifter from Patrick's antique cars and trucks in Casa Grande, AZ at the PATE swap meet last April. The shifter pivot bolt is mounted 13 1/2" back from the bell housing. I also have another Saginaw 4 speed with hurst shifter that I made a new mounting bracket of 1/8" flat stock using the Patricks mounting bracket as a pattern and new shifter rods.
Thanks for the link. I think I'll mock up a frame/box that bolts to the top trans attach bolts. Home Depot sells bulk framing steel that's cheap enough for me to rough out an idea. I see how the rev linkage is the limiting factor. I'll try to fab something. I really want to make this Hurst shifter work with my bench seat...
If I can't get the Husrt shifter to work, I will sell it & get that. I was going to buy a Hurst V-gate (inline), but I found a NOS Super Shifter 3 (with the reverse lockout & heavy rods). Here's a similar one... http://www.ebay.com/itm/HURST-SUPER...ories&hash=item2587c727f1&vxp=mtr#ht_54wt_867 BTW, it's an M-21 muncie behind a 400 HP small block
The Hurst V-gates are bad-***...however I would not recommend it for something you intend to drive on the street. You have to be really good at walking and chewing gum at the same time in order to even half-***ed be able to downshift with one....they are meant for one trip through the gears at WOT...lol.
As a reference, here's a few pics of THE-SYNDICATE's truck. He also has a Muncie, but his shifter is placed more forward on the transmission than mine...Even with that bracket, it's still pretty far back http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460642
Ha, so sue me. I thought it was...Maybe this is where I saw Muncie.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5292448&postcount=265 In any case, you get an idea how far back it is
If you weren't an Alliance Member I would have left this thread long ago. You have posted pic's of everything BUT your trans you are using, we (and maybe you) have no idea at this point what it is. That's your starting point knowing what parts you have. The Muncie is not user friendly in a '55-'57 Chevy P/U for reasons you have already found out. The Saginaw however will let you mount a home made shifter bracket real close to where the tail shaft housing bolts to the trans case. Done it many times and ran a bench seat. If I run a Muncie I usually redo motor and trans mounts to compensate. Some people prefer a Muncie over the Saginaw for reasons Syndicated mentioned, weaker in most area's than the Mucnie's..........
Do you have any photographs of your custom bench seat shifter brackets? At least it may help me visualize how it needs to go. Don't worry, it's a Muncie. Sorry, I don't have a pic of it. My truck is in CA at my dad's. I'm just setting up for my trip next month. As a last resort, I can sell the Hurst & get that custom one. Thanks for any ***istance, it's appreciated
No one has mentioned it yet...but you can use a Muncie in the applications many of you are saying you can't...you just need to utilize a separate reverse shifter. You can even operate the reverse linkage via cable if you want to. You can do anything you want when you think outside the box.
I am doing a similar modification to my toploader Ford in my 1939 Ford coupe. I used a 1/4" plate, to move the shifter ahead 8". I used the 3 bolt holes at the rear of the extension housing. Hope it works, tires of doing everything 2 and 3 times to get it acceptable.
TJET- I am running a vertigate on my M-21 in a 55 chevy pickup. Before that I had a Hurst Comp Plus with the bench seat. The hole in the floor board does take out part of the rib that goes across but it really doesnt give the floor any noticeable flex, especially with a bench seat that bolts down on the outer edges. If you are worried about that, just add in some bracing around the hole. The shift handle I used was for a 55-57 car with a bench seat. I modified it to be a little taller so that it was a more natural position. When I went to the V-gate, I went to bucket seats because it would have been almost impossibe to do with a bench. Even if you did get it far enough foward to use with the bench, you would still be licking the steering wheel while shifting. Hope this helps.
I've done this in the past. Not because I was trying to solve a mount or space problem........it was because I was poor and found a brand new Hurst syncro-loc 3 speed shifter at a garage sale for 5 bucks. On one occasion [57 Pontiac with original seat] I used a small rod attached to the original reverse lever on the Muncie. Had to find neutral and pull up on the reverse lever. It was a little clumsy. On another car [50 chevy delivery with a saginaw] I simply welded another hurst handle to the reverse lever. This didn't gain me any space but I was using bucket seats and didn't really need space . A guy could use an offset handle for reverse to clear the seat or use a rod or cable for reverse.
So the comp plus fit with the bench seat? That's good. The Super Shifter I have has a shorter throw... I was considering the V-gate, but I was concerned about the shifter throw with the bench seat, & the downshifting difficulty as Mechanic58 mentioned (My dad will drive this truck and he's 80). Thanks a lot guys, I have some good ideas now, especially using a cable for the reverse. Now I'm wondering about replacing my bench seat with a bench that has that U notch in it, or have my current one modified to fit...
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