Technical Chevy GASSER TRANS questions

I'm building a 1957 Chevy Belair 2-Door Hardtop into a g***er, and diving into transmission research.

I want to run a "dog-box" style transmission in a 4-speed setup, looking at Jerico, G-Force, etc. and I haven't seen much info around the board looking for info on experience with these transmissions in a street/strip drive and drag build scenario. I plan to do mostly street driving but don't mind the added driving technique in dealing with the clutchless option (lot of choices here).

My quest is for info, videos, stories from experience running something like a Jerico DR4 or WC4 and how you liked it or how you would advise to go on selecting shifter, gear ratios, etc.

Ask me again tomorrow, but right now I'm looking at building a blown 468 BBC, and I'm running a narrowed 31-spline 9-inch rear with somewhere in the 3.55 gear for final drive street ratio. My tires are Firestone cheaters, 30" tall. I'm looking at a McLeod adjustable clutch setup, and Quick Time bell housing, and a Long brand H-pattern rail shifter vs. vertical gate for street.

I'm am still looking at a few different shifters, but what I'm considering is the Jerico DR-4 box, with WC4 road race style sliders to help street manners and make down shifting a little better. The Drag box gears are a rockwell 56 hardness, and the road race box runs rockwell 62 hardness. The drag application runs a less hard, thus less brittle gear hardness compared to the road race stuff. Considering a gear ratio setup something like this: 3.08/1.93/1.34/1.00.

Looking for any feedback on the trans option, gear ratio/rear end ratio thoughts for street/strip use, clutch. etc.....

 

If you can get up with any of these guys somehow through FB or Intsa Gram you might find some help or Quian Stott with SEGA. You might get some real world up to date info. https://www.cl***icgearjammersracing.com/

 

Thanks for the reference!

 

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I'd suggest a manual shift TH400. Just to keep that 60s vibe going. I'm not much for modern technology in old style race cars.

 

Your not a idiot, plus a 400 set up would be cheaper , a lot ! I love mine in the Studebaker. 1.69 60 foot times leaving easy on it.

 

Yea stuff like Jerico is probably a little sketch on the HAMB forum, I wasn't sure. I know they're newer companies than the G***er era cars were running in the 60's but I sure like the idea. I'm open to the input, so thanks for offering that up.

 

Do a search on the Doug Nash 4+1/Richmond ******s. We have discussed them a bit over the years. It will give you a good idea how a race trans will act on the street. They also use the Long Shifter

 

I think it's OK for the forum, but if you look back at what transmissions were available at the time, you see a lot of guys going to automatics just to keep the thing together. It then took a while for torque converter technology to catch up. The 400 with a switch pitch converter was one of the early drag racing automatics that worked pretty well by 1966.

If you're going for the SEGA type thing, then you pretty much have to use modern tech manual transmission and clutch. But they're about appearances, more than technical historical accuracy.

 

I use a Tex dog style in my LSR car and was told not to try to use it on the street. We never use the clutch when shifting and we never miss a shift.

 

And SEGA cars have to use a clutch for shifts unless the rules have changed.

 

Roger that, thanks! Will do...

 

Love SEGA but if you aren't required to follow their rules (or any others) there are a lot of options, one that I like to recommend is the Richmond Super T-10 four speed, this is what is in my roadster.
Now if you really want to mess with peoples' minds go clutch turbo 400 (Google it) they were popular in the mid/late 60's, and yes, some were even used for street driving.

 

In my Falcon g***er with a 464 c.i. BBC I just bought a rebuilt Super T10, and even at the drags with wide wrinkle wall slicks and 4000 rpm launches it never failed me. I wouldn't hesitate to run another Super T10.

 

That's pretty much what it looked like, I was watching some SEGA stuff around YouTube and saw a lot of these applications in some of their rigs. It is what it is I guess, to get you down the track. Sure looks like a hoot.

 

I could be wrong, but I was understanding that the clutch less shift transmissions will go to neutral when you let off the throttle.

 

Right on, that's good to know. I have considered that too. Are you consistently satisfied with the shifts?

 

I'm using a Ford top loader that has been pro shifted by Liberty.
But it will be race only.

I machined the front bearing retainer to fit the Chevy bellhousing.

Also had to drill some new mounting holes.

 

That's a great point too, I have wondered that too but in discussing with the folks at Jerico, the three degree back-cut on the dog rings keeps it in gear under load, and if while under load those are worn down or you have a broke part, it could come out of gear because those slight backcuts lock into each other kind of like hooking your fingers from one hand to the other, so a quick split second blip off the throttle allows that space to develop and the rapid shift to take place. No clutch involved. Otherwise, in a scenario of street driving not under heavy load/torque, the detents in the transmission allow it to remain in gear such as when just cruising to maintain road speed. There's a little clickety clack and a lot of RPM matching to down shift that takes place on the road I'm sure but that's about all I was told. I don't think the shifter has a lot to do with it, maybe a vertical gate shifter would help lock in? but that's not really the street preferred shifter vs. something like the H-pattern these companies offer.

 

@saltflats that's bad to the bone!!!! I like the Ford Toploader setups. I actually have one of the three-speed GM/Ford "Dearborn" 3.03 based toploader transmissions out of a mid 60's Olds 4-4-2. I thought about running it in the 57 but I think I'd hurt it....lol. That setup of yours is awesome. I'd like to know more about that process. What exactly is that donor trans, and what is the process of pro-shifting in this case. I briefly read about pro-shifting and face plating but I need to increase my knowledge and dive in.

 

This transmission would have came from a early 60s Mustang.

 

I have a Liberty modded TKO 500 in an OT car that shows up in my avatar from time to time. On the strip it’s fun. On the street it gets old very quickly, you never get to relax and just ease into and out of gears. Unless you are really going for it all the time, any M21, 22, Super T 10, turbo 400 would be my choice.

 

If you had to pick just one of those four speeds, which one would it be and why? Just curious...

 

I’m not much of an automatic guy, and it’s been 30 years since I played with a super T10.
I have never broken an M 21 or an M 22 despite trying on an ongoing basis. First choice M22, followed by the M21. For dual purpose real world use. Why? Real world experience.

I realize I’m kind of breaking my own rule for myself. Which is, Don’t ask everyone and anyone. Focus on the fast guys, and ignore everything else.
Squirrel and a few others have real world experience, in aggressive dual purpose cars, and I’d listen to them first.
I raced stock and super stock in the NHRA for 18 years. Not a single p*** in a stick car in NHRA compe***ion. My real world stick shift dual purpose experiences are from my own OT fun cars, over the last 15 or so years. I’ve learned that for the most part you can’t successfully have both.

If it were me, I’d decide where I honestly will use the car the most, and build it for that. Then play, and accept the concessions and have fun.

 

Appreciate that feedback! Sounds like you've had a lot of fun over the years, that's cool.

 

What rear gear are you thinking?

 

he said 3.55 in his first post.

 

Missed that, go with a transmission with a lower first gear for more comfortable driving.

 

I believe that the SEGA rulebook recently was amended to allow automatics. I agree on the TH400.

 

I bought it freshly rebuilt, and it came with a Hurst Compe***ion Plus shifter setup on it. It shifted great, and not a hitch at all up or down shifting, at hard shifts, or normal driving. Best 4 speed I've ever owned, and quiet too.

 

No. I just checked their latest rules and they still have the same rule. Must have a clutch, and manual trans are limited to no more than 4 forward gears. No shifting without using the clutch is allowed. No exceptions for automatics.
The manual trans only rule was lifted on rare occasion for an original era G***er like when Gene Cromer's Willys was restored. But those are very special occasions.