Calling All Olds Std. Transmission Gurus

Pulled the driveline out of my 55 Olds 2 door this weekend.

I already know the engine is a '57 371. Not sure what the syncromesh is - is this also a '57 Olds trans?

Any help is appreciated - as well as any opinions on this transmission - I plan to use it.

 

It certainly could be. Olds used that transmission from 1951 through the early '60s.

 

That looks a lot like the heavy duty Buick trans of 56/57...........I believe Olds used the same tranny.

 

Somebody here will know the numbers and be able to definitively tell you what it is, but it's not really that important, because it is the heavy duty one with the 6-bolt cover (there were smaller ones with a 5-bolt cover), and you seem to have everything to make it work.

 

That is the Buick, Olds, Pontiac synchromesh selector style transmission.
As stated they were used in Buicks from '49-'61.
Olds from '49-'59 and Pontiac for '56-'57.
They are fairly heavy duty and a little noisy, synchro in 2nd and 3rd only.
I have one in my '57 Pontiac. Not a performance tranny by a long shot!
Floor shift conversions were offered years ago, but were not very good.
Parts are not that easy to find, as I have broken 2 of them!
KK

 

Thanks for the input - I'm gonna give it a try and see how it works out - no syncro in 1st....sounds like I'll be rolling through a lot of stop signs!

 

The gearbox is the same as a Buick, but the Buick tailshaft is for a closed drive line. So, if you need parts, a Buick or Pontiac might be easier to find than the Olds.

 

If it has a single shift lever, that moves in and out, it would be the standard '51 to '60ish Olds (Buick style) trans.

 

If ya want to get rid of that old heavy flywheel let me know.....

 

I used to live in CT, Stop Signs were referred to as "glance & goes", figure it's the same in RI !
KK

 

Simply learn to double clutch in into first on a roll. Nothin to it!

 

Very true! - most turn signals levers on RI cars have never been used either!

 

Gordon........Where are you in RI?. I live in RI and have a shop in Bristol. Check it out some time.

 

These two threads might help you out. Lots of knowledge in them:

1951 oldsmobile selector trans shifter

Rocket Olds Swap Meet Holy Grail

 

Wow - those are extremely helpful threads - thank you for posting the links

 

yup, correct transmission for that car
relatively rare setup
a few options to think about;
find or make the hen's teeth shifter to work the selector shift,
or swap the guts and tail out of it and into a '37 Roadmaster top shift transmission,
or get an adapter to swap to the transmission of your choice
the third option sounds good to me considering the correct flywheel is already mated to the engine,
no small deal for the 371

here's my '58 371 with same stock transmission in place in the spare motor pile

and a '56 324 with '37 Roadmaster transmission with selector parts swapped in and bolted to an Olds selector bellhousing keeping it company

 

Wow Paul - I'd like to climb around in that "spare motor pile"

I'm going to have to educate myself a little more about these Buick Top Shift swaps you speak of

Have you had any experience shifting one of these on the tree? This car sat since '62 and shows ~ 32k on the odo...the bushings along the steering tube and through to the gear box look like they just came out of the box -

 

The column shift will work fine, just don't think you're going to power shift it!
I know since I have broken one column shift and two trannies. Yeah it's fun to try, but expensive in the long run!
KK

 

Gordon, the 371 is an externally balanced engine and takes the very hard to find flywheel you have (my assumption) so hang onto it. 37 lasalle tranny will bolt up to what you have if you change the bell housing out to the 50 bell. The lasalle is getting hard to find but they are around. Like Paul said the guts of that tranny will go into a 37 Buick box (6 bolt cover only unit) and give you a floor shift. Or you can get a 50 Olds tranny and a 50 bell and you would be back to a typical tranny with two real shift arms that you could convert to a floor shift. (the latter set up I have available)
Check with Frank up in CT as he had some buick boxes etc.
Walt

 

Yes - I have the flywheel...and definately plan to hold onto it. I've seen more honest politicians than I have standard shift Olds stuff!

 

you have a good setup there, run with it,your stuff is getting hard to find........

 

As stated earlier, the Buick, Olds and Pontiac transmissions shared the same guts and main case, but the Buick is a closed driveshaft (torque tube) so the tail shaft housings are different.
I heard from an old racer that the Olds or Pontiac trans had a more desirable 1st gear ratio, but I've never investigated it further.

Buick also made a 5-bolt trans, and it is very weak.

-Brad