3 on the tree

[idahovette]

Back in the day everybody with a tri-five was looking for the Saginaw 3 speeds. We couldn't afford a 4 speed and these were full synchro and direct bolt in except for having to change the slip yoke.

 

[DoubleDingo]

The diamond in the rough is the 3 speed with Borg Warner overdrive. Also a direct bolt in but that needs 4.57 rear gears because of the 30% overdrive. Those 4.57's become 3.19's for highway cruising.

 

[MikeB]

Back in the day everybody with a tri-five was looking for the Saginaw 3 speeds. We couldn't afford a 4 speed and these were full synchro and direct bolt in except for having to change the slip yoke.

That's a flashback! I forgot all about the transmissions in my 55 and 57 Chevy cars with non-synchro 1st gear. But now I remember double-clutching and rev-matching to downshift to 1st while the car was still rolling.

 

[jjester6000]

I spent more than $100 trying to restore the column shifter on my 82 C10. But almost none of the parts were available, and that was 5 years ago. I ended up making some bushings using shim stock to reduce the slop. Also used a hard plastic cap I found somewhere as a bushing! The slop was pretty much gone, but a part I couldn't find was the "shift bowl" which is the cast "pot metal" part that the shift handle connects to. Mine had been cracked where the handle attaches and repaired with epoxy, but I simply didn't trust it. Can't weld those things, either. Sold the whole thing to a guy with a sloppy column, but he had an NOS shift bowl. Perfect for him!

Here's shift bowl:

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On another note, some of the slop can be caused by worn shift forks, which are still available and can be easily replaced.

Also, keep in mind the Saginaws came with up to 4 different sets of gear ratios depending on year and engine size. The base 6-cylinder engines got a trans with a 3.50 1st gear for lots of torque multiplication to get rolling. At the other extreme was trans with 2.54 first gear for large V-8s. And one or two more in the middle for 292 six and 305. 2nd gear ratios were also different to keep the RPM drops between gears optimal.

If a trans with 3.50 1st gear was used behind a V-8, it probably wouldn't handle the torque multiplication for very long. Same was true for Muncie 4-speeds -- most engines got a 2.52 (or 2.56) 1st gear, whereas the high performance engines got 2.20, and above that was 2.20 with straighter cut gears for even more torque handing capability.

I just welded some old nuts and washers I had laying around in the place of bushings.

It does not slip between the gears anymore, and that is all I care about.

 

[jjester6000]

The diamond in the rough is the 3 speed with Borg Warner overdrive. Also a direct bolt in but that needs 4.57 rear gears because of the 30% overdrive. Those 4.57's become 3.19's for highway cruising.

I got a buddy with an OD transmission, and I am hoping to swap it into my truck.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I got a buddy with an OD transmission, and I am hoping to swap it into my truck.

Is it the three speed with overdrive?

 

[jjester6000]

Is it the three speed with overdrive?

yes

 

[Octane]

I had a 1967 with a six cyl. and 3 on the tree.Put a v8 in it and after a few months cracked the tranny case down the side.Must have been a 350. gear for 1st gear then.

 

[DoubleDingo]

yes

Way cool. Do you have 4.57 gears? It's a steep overdrive, 30 percent.

 

[jjester6000]

Way cool. Do you have 4.57 gears? It's a steep overdrive, 30 percent.

No, I got 4:10, and some bigger tires already.

With my '30.6 tires, I will probably be turning 2200 rpm on the highway.

I guess that is quite steep, but I am going to take it storm chasing, and most of my miles will he highway.

 

[DoubleDingo]

That makes the final drive ratio 2.87. Hope you have a good torquey engine. 2200 isn't bad, but if your engine is lacking in power you'll notice it quickly. My Crusty Biscuit has that transmission and 4.57 gears, and it doesn't like grades or headwinds in overdrive. 3.19 is my final drive ratio, and my tires 30.7 diameter.

 

[DoubleDingo]

It's a little bit of a learning curve using that transmission too. The freewheeling feature is blessing and a curse.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I forgot you have the 250 in your truck.

 

[jjester6000]

In theory, can't I engage the overdrive in any gear? I know that is how it works with a Gear Vendors.

It doesn't really matter though, since if I engaged it in 2nd, it would still be 1.05 to 1, not an overdrive.

 

[jjester6000]

In theory, can't I engage the overdrive in any gear? I know that is how it works with a Gear Vendors.

It doesn't really matter though, since if I engaged it in 2nd, it would still be 1.05 to 1, not an overdrive.

Imagine reverse with the gear vendors, that would be pretty fast.

Imagine driving down the highway in reverse.