Traditional manual trans options 56 324 Olds?

Now the Saginaw 4 SP has me intrigued... Would have to spring for a wilcap adapter kit, but other than that... Thoughts?

 

Trans is not a tough unit if you get on it. I have seen small block Chevys blow them apart. Getting by that they are reasonably plentiful. I have one behind my 300 hp 348 but I do not abuse it for fear of the obvious. The input shaft usually has rings or grooves cut around the shaft. As many as three if I remember correctly. Depending on the number of rings will tell you the gear ratios. I have that info somewhere in my files. Uses the std GM bolt pattern and a std rear yoke which makes the drive shaft assembly a snap. Shifters are numerous and readily available used or new.
Bottom line would be that it could save you some up front dough depending on the adapter costs.

 

'37 Roadmaster like vtwhead mentioned would be a great choice, short, stout and smooth shifting, plus it's all bolt up, follow F&J's lead

 

I used a 10k mile Monza Saginaw in my 30 Mopar roadster 30 years ago with a NOS Hurst shifter with properly adjusted limit stops. 327 w/323 SureGrip 8-3/4 posi with pretty big radials. I hammered that car quite hard, never broke anything.

A well worn trans with a sloppy shifter might not be good.



I love the 37 Buick trans with the 51-59 Olds gears, but I am not sure if I'd beat it quite as hard.

I was looking at gear sizes yesterday, and I noticed the width of the teeth on the 51/59 Olds input shaft were wider than the 50 Olds which is basically a Cad/LaS trans gear. Gear width might not be proof that they are stronger, because other factors need to be compared if racing them hard.

I got a big pile of Olds stuff from a gas-class racer that quit in 1962. He had a bunch of blown gears that I did not take. In hindsight, I should have, so I could have seen which styles broke more often. He told me that when he finally bought a decent set of new M&H slicks that "were just too sticky for his car" is when he started breaking way too many parts. That's when he quit.

He used 37 Cad/LaS, 50 Olds, and 51-59 Olds Selector transmissions. One of the few broken gears I have of his, is an input for 51-59 which took off half the width of all the teeth. I should post a pic, as it almost looks like the input must have walked forward to be able to do that. Then I wonder how that could be possible.

 

Well, after researching the cost of the adapter and associated parts, it's looking like the 50 olds will be my only budget friendly choice. I wish I had time to get just the right set up but I'm up against it. Oh yeah and the $$$ part...

 

I would not worry about a non syncro first gear trans,if you know how to shift without using the clutch you can also downshift without using it too which means first gear can be had while moving.

 

I do not think that you will be disappointed with the Olds set up and besides it is more traditional. I am messing around with mine at the moment trying to get the short shaft attached to the 37 Lasalle. Your next challenge will be locating a yoke that fits the 50 short shaft. There are a bunch of threads on here somewhere relative to that subject. I can find them if you cannot.

 

I measured and did a spline count on my Olds output shaft,
gave that info to my local driveline shop and they gave me what they said was a powerglide yoke, it fit perfect.

 

I wish we could figure out the yoke spline specs on the 50 Olds and the 51-59 Selector transmissions.

I just posted this somewhere here; I have a 51,000 mile3 speed non syncro trans and yoke from a 66 C10 Suburban one owner. I took that yoke that had no slop on that trans, and put it on my 41,000 mile 55 Selector. It fits 100% perfect; zero slop in any direction. Yet, when I take that 55 Olds yoke and try to put it on the C10 trans, it won't fit. It barely indexes, but I doubt you could get it to go, even with a 6lb hand sledge. So that means there is a difference.

I wished I still had a 50 yoke here when I tried that swap. A couple years ago, I did try a 50 yoke on a Selector, and vice-versa. One way the yoke at least tried to index on the wrong trans, but would not go. The other yoke on the other trans, would not even index.

Now I wonder if that C10 yoke might have fit the 50? and if so, is that C10 yoke the same as a PGlide yoke? (who cares if the U-joints are not the same, just the spline issue is what I mean, by "the same")

 

Ha! there you go....the power of the HAMB.

 

Well, thanks to a post on this thread, I found a complete 37 Buick top shifter with the later model olds guts, ready to bolt in and go! Made the deal this morning. Hope to have it in captivity soon! Thanks to all of you for all the help with this process. The power of the hamb indeed!

 

I believe that you are going to need a 51 Olds bell housing to bolt that tranny to and if memory serves me well a 51-63 Olds tail stock for an open drive line. F&J has done a Buick tranny with the 51 guts so he will be your best go to guy for info. If you can't find a 51 bell PM me as I have one I most likely will not use. I think I have a TOB snout and the clutch arm as well.

 

The beautiful thing is that all of that is included! Literally everything is there including the crossmember and pedals if I want them. This setup came out of a running driving olds and is ready to run!

 

What are you standing around for!!............go get it. Great deal.

 

If you never found that thermostat housing, NAPA and O'Reilly can get them. (warehouse item)

Oh, and that 'old Chevy truck with the synchro low' you drove?
It was a Granny 4-speed, the 'low' was actually 'second', and 'second' was actually 'third'...High was 4th.
My cousin drove his Dad's '49 Chev pickup for a year not knowing it was a 4-speed.
I showed him where 'Granny' was...he was like..."Wow...Doh!" Cousin Eddie. What a crazy guy!

 

Good news. The complete 37 Buick 3 speed setup mentioned above has been crated and is on a brown truck headed my way! Won't rest easy until it's all here safe and sound.

 

You da man, Frank. You really know the old stuff. I am gonna print this one out and put in in my "future reference" binder...

 

Hope it arrives in good shape. Can't wait to see the pics.

 

This is a great thread!

I'm working on putting together a stick setup for either my 324 or my 371. One question I didn't find an answer for....if I end up with the early, coarse-tooth flywheel, can i just swap the pinion on my starter to match?

 

No....not interchangable

I do offer starters for either flywheel tooth count

Tony

 

Thanks Tony. I did end up with the 145 tooth flywheel, so I'll be calling ya soon.

 

I managed to sneak out into the garage tonight for an hour and got my motor mounted to my chassis. Ran in to a problem I wish I'd have thought about before. So, as per this thread, I am working with a 39 GMC pickup frame that had been set up for a 324 with dual-range hydra-matic. I decided to go with a stick instead. With the 50 Olds stick bell housing mounted up, front motor mount loosely bolted in place, I lower the motor into the rear cross member only to find out that the rear motor mounts are falling about half an inch to far back to line up with the bolt holes. Is this a known issue? Does the stick cross member sit half an inch further aft than the hydra-matic? Or maybe I have the wrong motor mounts for a stick bell? They are what came with the bell housing when I got it from the guy... I guess that doesn't mean much...

 

HMM! Seems there was a difference in crossmembers as I remember but it is not fresh in my mind (what is left of it) Tony would know for sure as would the other Olds guys that have had more tranny experieince currently than me.

 

I was led to believe that the cross member itself is identical... Any insight from the Olds experts out there?

 

Auto and manual crossmembers are different

 

Concure with what Tony said have had both at one time or another. Shouldn't take much to modify.

 

So, my old memory served me right..........they are different! Shouldn't be too bad to modify the existing one.

 

Even the automatic crossmembers can be different through the years.

 

Got new rear motor mounts in today from Fusick. As soon as time allows, I'm going to weld in some pads/perches to the olds cross member. After speaking with Tony on the phone for a while, that seems to be the path of least resistance in my situation. The one thing he cautioned about was making sure my engine angle was right before going too crazy on the fab... Now my suspicion is that it already right. When I attach the rear motor mounts (original weak ones) and lift on the ass end of the motor so that the motor mounts are not flexing from lack of support at the rear of the feet, and then place a level on top of my carbs ( 4 x 2 ), the bubble shows dead level. That's about a .25" - .35" lift. I figure with a cab, some sheet metal, steering box, manifolds or headers... etc., the front springs should compress a bit more, and I'd end up with just a slight forward tip on the carbs... That should be okay, right?

 

Josh, I have run a Rochester 2GC with a light forward tilt and no problems.By slight I mean a degree or two.