I may acquire a 60 Chevy in the near future with a 235. Trying to weigh options as far as drivetrain goes. The 235 runs decent, but the clutch is gone. Here are a couple of options with questions, if I keep the 235. First, I just pulled a good Saginaw 4 speed out of the coupe. Will the Saginaw that I pulled off a 327 bolt up to the 235? Seems I'd need an adapter. Or could I put the clutch between the 235 and the 3 speed original tranny? It's a coarse spline 10 or 11 inch disk. Another option is an aluminum powerglide. Are there numbers or some way that I can know if it will bolt to the engine without and adapter. How can I tell a 6 cyl. powerglide from and 8? There is a difference, isn't there? Thanks for the help!!! If I get the car, I'll post pics.
I think the only way you'll put a Saginaw behind a 235 is with a truck bellhousing - but I could be wrong. The V8 Powerglide won't swap in because prior to like '65 or something the boltpatterns were different. Someone may make an adaptor, I don't know. To me six-cylinders were always something you replaced - especially in a car as big as a '60 Chevy.
Yes, the Saginaw will bolt to the '60 bellhousing. Not sure on the PG, if I remember commectly there is a plate bolted to the back of the block, and the trans bolts to it...I'll go check one this afternoon. Brian
You can run the 4speed behind the 235 but you will have to take the part on the 4speed that the throw out bearing rides on, off and swap it with the one off of the original three speed. When you do that the bolt holes won't line up to bolt the 235's part on to the newer 4speed so you will have to drill new holes. I just filled my old holes with silicon when I put it back on and put it in. I ran that set up for years in my 60. Also there is a difference in a 6cyl powerglide to a v8 glide in later years I know with the aluminum ones the 6 cyl glides didn't have trans cooler lines and the v8 trans did. The 6 glides also had big holes cut in the bell housing. If you want to run a later model glide you are going to have to get adapters for the 235. Unless you can find a glide that came out from behind a 235. Hope that helps any. Pm me if you have any more questions about the car. I have one that I have been driving since 99' with lots of different motor and trans combo's. Mine has a 250 six in it now with a 350 turbo trans.
Could I just use the clutch I have with the 235 and 3 speed? If so, I may just do that for now and save up for a 283/327 with the Saginaw combo.
I put a Saginaw 4speed behind my '57 235 engine. All I used was a V8 bellhousing I got from the junkyard. Everything bolted right up. As I recall I think even the clutch pressure plate worked fine. I do think I had to buy a clutch disc as the splines were different. The 6 cylinder starter bolted up too. It's been about 6 years now but I think it was that easy.
Use a 5-speed from an '80's Camero or trans-Am The splines are right and the gearing is good. You might have to thik about changing the tail shaft for one from an S-10 if you need to move the shifter forward, but in a car as large as the '60, I think you could get by without doing that. r
I don't know if this helps, but here's my two cents: I bolted a T5 to a '62 235 using both a '57 car bellhousing and a '60 truck bellhousing. Stock 235 flywheel, pressure plate, and throwout bearing. Matter of fact, the only thing different was the clutch disc. T5's have the same bolt pattern as a Saginaw. According to the transitive property (remember algebra?), if A = B and B = C, then A = C. Thus I reason that Nads is right and it will all bolt up as easy as pie. Ed
The 235/Saginaw 4spd seems to be a common setup among the 50's Chevy PU crowd. Lots of stuff out there on Stovebolt.com, etc., if you want to collect additional info.
The Jalopy Journal
