I have a gm TH 350 automatic married to a 350 chevy small block in my newly renovated 46 Chevy short bed and would like to switch to a standard tranny since I live on the hilly side of a mountain in Hawaii. Appreciate any recommendation of what I should be looking for, whether rebuilt, or pulled from another GM vehicle. Many thanks, Steve
Have you considered a T5 5 speed overdrive transmission? Many different gear choices depending on what you can find in the Aloha state.
You will need to consider your current rear axle ratio when choosing the T5 to get the best gearing for your expected driving conditions.
Lots of info from many fellow Bolters. Pay special attention to info posted by member Lugnutz as he has considerable expertise and knowledge when it comes to T5’s.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
I know there is a lot of support for the T5 as mentioned above but I have an NV3500 5 speed w/overdrive that was used in Chevy trucks (both S10 and 1500's) but you need to find the 2WD version. There are a lot more 4wd versions out there but conversion to 2wd is a major deal.
The NV3500 has a bad rep as not being a strong transmission. I have personally seen the abuse that these will take and hold up to. My Brother In Law BEAT on his '90 GMC 1/2 ton daily and the transmission never quit. I recently picked up a 3500 from a Pick A Part for less the $200.00.
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A daily driver option is the T5. A T5 that’s ready for service is rated for 250 HP and 300 ft-Lb of torque. Not sure what you can find in Maui. A T5 will not take abuse but for normal driving it would be fine with a 350 SBC. What rear axle gear do you have?
Have you considered putting a manual shift valve body on the 350 transmission? TCI (Torque Converters Incorporated) sells a couple of varieties, mostly to drag racers or for round track cars. It simply eliminates all the automatic shift options and the transmission goes into whatever gear you select- - - -and stays there until you move the shift lever to some other position. It's a giant leap backwards in transmission technology, but so is a stick shift transmission! Better install acetylene gas headlights and a hand crank for engine starting while you're at it!
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