The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Trans running gear issues

I got the truck off the jack stands after pulling the motor and doing rings. Motor runs good, seems like everything is ok there. I drove it around the block and it felt like it was binding in the trans area. Can’t really tell what the hell is up, but either the trans is bad or I screwed up with the clutch somehow.

I let the motor get warmed up; when I first let the clutch out backing out of the garage it felt like it was grabbing, really bad. That went away, however, after putting it in third gear it seemed to be binding, something just wasn’t right. I went about 500 feet, and slowed down. Went into 2nd, and turned a small corner, just didn’t want to go. Sounded kinda noisy too, from the trans area. At first I thought the motor was seizing up or a connecting rod was outta whack. Shut it down for a few minutes.
Started right back up, motor sounded good and was able to pull it back into the driveway.

Next day:
Checked the propeller shaft ebrake - the brake lining is loosened up and it is not binding.
It drove better, just noisy. On acceleration I hear noise from the trans/clutch area, just a loud gearbox sounding loudness. It would subside when I let my foot off the gas. Probably didn’t get over 30mph. Seems like it won’t go much faster than that.

I’m sure I need to pull the transmission, so that’s a given. Wondering if I should just go with a 700R4 or something. I was at the Truck Shop in Orange, talking to a guy with a beautiful 64 Impala Vert, he said, just put an automatic overdrive in it.

Geez, what is the cheapest, easiest way to get this darn thing going? I don’t want to put money into this 4 speed, if I’m getting a new trans, it may as well be overdrive. But the shifter has to be on the floor, not willing to change the steering column.

700R4 and a Lokar Nostalgia shifter.

Did you ask the guy at the Truck Shop how much his conversion was? No free lunch when it comes to this stuff. Do some research and add it up: 700R4 transmission with a torque converter, flex plate, TVS cable, trans cooler & lines, rear cross member & mount, modified drive shaft with new slip yoke. Also shifter assembly. Labor to remove existing components & rear cross member, install new components & fluid.
It could very well cost over $3500.
Fred

SM-420 is a stout transmission, not hard to disassemble / assemble. Used units abound.

My 62' does almost the same thing, in my case it's the clutch/throw-out bearing and all that good stuff. Haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. but I would look there first, maybe search some posts here on replacing the clutch and the other components associated. Could be that there is a worn part that got missed.

also (not sure if its a possibility with a stovebolt) but on other vehicles I have encountered it's easy to install the clutch plate and/or throw-out bearing backwards and it results in similar symptoms on some vehicles.

but looking into clutch parts is alot cheaper than transmissions and all the other parts needed to complete that type of modification.