The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 54 Hydromatic 3100

Looking at picking up a 54 trans, frozen motor and frame running gear, no sheet metal , wondering how much this may be worth to purchase as I've never had one yet alone rebuilt one any help will be appreciated .

If you have ideas to put your '54 cab on the Hydra-Matic frame you need to know you'll need to modify your cab.

This shows the differences in '54 GMC cabs. The Chevy is similar.

If you plan on restoring a 1954 Hydra-Matic truck to original factory condition.
Your going need a cab that has the arched toe board.
The manual tranny toe board is pretty much straight across. No Arch at tranny.

The Hydra-Matic truck frame has a different cross member under the Hydra-Matic tranny.
The cross member bolts to ears riveted on to the frame.

To rebuild just the Hydra-Matic tranny you are talking about $2,000.

The thing is you can't do without the Hydra-Matic frame and running gear. So it has value.
But it all has to be rebuilt.
Best bet is to start at a low dollar amount lets say $600 and go up from there.

First check to see if engine number by the distributor boss and the riveted on plate on the tranny match. PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2 PHOTO 3
The boss is the machined flat spot to the rear/left of the distributor.
The engine number is stamped onto the boss.

Buy one of THESE it has a section all about the Hydra-Matic transmission and body, and how it is assembled onto the frame.

Is the 54 a GMC or a Chevrolet ?

There is also an additional cross member at the rear of the Hydra-Matic transmission (it bolts to the frame rails).

Be sure to obtain all the shift linkage (from the inside steering column to the transmission to the carburetor).

The torque-tube is shorter on a Hydra-Matic - you will need that.

If there is a starter button on the left front of the dash, get that, too.

Thank you guys about to start this long journey, and see where this hydramatic takes me. wish me luck I'm going to need it. anyone know of a shipping company lol to ship a pallet of parts? That is my next question?

All of the advice above is great advice. What you need to understand is the reason for the differences. The H-M transmission is much larger so it was designed so that it could be removed from under the truck for service. Therefore the larger crossmembers that unbolt to clear the transmission to drop it out. The brake line routing is different for that reason. It goes behind the end of the transmission so that it is not in the way when the transmission is dropped out below, The trans cover Jorb mentioned gives access to the bellhousing bolts. All for a reason and that reason is serviceability. The H-M has a solenoid starter instead of the stomp starter. It has an automatic choke carb instead of the manual choke for a manual trans. There is a neutral start switch that mounts to the steering column. Chevy and GMC use different linkage and neutral start switch setups and are not interchangeable. Tim mentioned the driveshaft length difference. The engines and transmissions were matched at the factory in that they were align bored together. The transmission can be used on a different engine as long as run-out checks are made and corrections made with offset dowel pins to keep the transmission from shaking itself apart. I am going to send you some contact info in a private message of someone that helped me a lot in shipping a transmission and parts around the country.

gene ty very much for the critical info...everyone thank you all! that is why we have the best members in the world! Rock on Stovebolt! here we go! I found a guy local transmissions by gene! google him amazing vienam vet and all he does is hydramatics! amazing man just passing on some info myself...he is honestly the last of a dying breed of restorative guru...google him matter of fact call him 6 days aweek 24/7 lol yup surprised me too!

Gene rebuilt a 1954 3100 Hydra-Matic transmission for me last summer. I will not be able to test it until maybe next Spring.