Sag 3 Tranny?

Ok, so just some general opinion: I am building a Chevy 292 i6 for my 51 Chevy Deluxe. I would like to keep the 3 on the Tree.

I know a guy who knows a guy with a 67 Saginaw 3 speed ****** for $100.

What do we think of this?

 

It's an ok trans,,I run one every day and I kept the 3 on a tree. I love it, just want to put it in "Park" when I stop the truck,,lol. The collars are supposed to wear quickly,,would be cool to find an NOS one on eBay 'er sumpin'. Good luck.

 

292 has a LOT of torque. Those old 3 speeds weren't very strong. I used to swap them out in my old 57 Chevy every month or 2, with only a mild 327 up front. I DID drive it pretty hard sometimes, though.
If you are going to baby it, it will hold up, maybe!

 

It is probably the best option, better than the earlier 3-speeds (55-64), if you want to keep it on the column. If that is the case, you might want to look around a little more and find a Saginaw 3-speed overdrive; which would make it nicer on the freeway.

 

I saw a 5 speed on the column custom made, anything can be done.
I loved the t5 in my 53, shoulda kept it.

 

The Saginaw trans you are talking about are GREAT. I had one with factory OD in my 67 Bel-Air and the engine and trans are now in a Chevelle wagon the eng/trans has over 150,000 miles on them with no trouble. The problems are the column shifters. They wear and there are no parts available. I have another ag 3spd sitting on the shelf waiting to go into something.

 

You should be good to go with any Saginaw as long as it has the synchro first gear. I'm partial to the truck boxes myself, they hold up very well. I have a stash of Saginaws from cars as well as trucks myself.

I used to be able to get rebuild kits for sprucing up the column shifters at my local Chevy dealer, not sure if you'd find they any more. Someone has to make them though.

Bob

 

if anyone one know who makes those kits .. i would love to know . jake

 

The early 3 speeds were non synchro 1st gear and made by Muncie. You can identify them by their round shift selector shafts. They are the weak ones.

The Saginaw 3 speed is a much better trans. It is stronger, has synchro first gear, and can be identified by the shift shafts with two flats on them rather than round.

 

You do realize that you'll have to change the driveshaft and rear end too, right?