The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Saginaw 4 spd OD

While I'm swapping engines in my 37 truck,good time to install the OD unit from the truck's 3 spd onto a Saginaw 4spd.
I got a few Saginaws laying around, the tranny with a 3.11 first gear looked the best, I rather have the 2.85 first gear like the 3spd OD that was in the truck, but ya use what ya got.
I dumped the gears out of the four speed,cleaned em outside in gasoline,the 3 spd is clean inside, rebuilt it last year.Inspected it all and I used all the new bearing from the 3 spd as the 4 spd used the same.

gears and stuff
Had to drill a hole in the 4 spd case for the rod interlock to kick the tranny in direct drive for reverse.The 3 spd and 4 spd cases look identical,but the cast bosses for the reverse idler gear are different .
Put it all together, check all the gears,good to go.
A few Bolters asked me how I did the Saginaw OD linkage in my 37 Chevy PU.Looks the same 3 or 4 spd with the OD, this set up was done last year with the 3spd OD, now on the 4 spd shown here.This set up has the shifter body just sticking up through the floor,about dead center between the seat and firewall and about 5 inches left of center between the doors.A woope do in the gear lever moves it over,and it looks just fine if you're not anal.
Linkage
Different view
The whole thing

Thanks for the pics Tony. I've got one of these that I want to put in my '37. Wasn't sure what to do about the shifter location. I also have to get some damaged mounting ears welded up and have the tranny gone through to make sure it is ok. Wish I were the wrench that you are.

P.S. Sorry I missed out on your 261.

Gotta be the world's shortest shifter linkage. Good job!

-ftyler

I used to have a Saginaw 4-speed with OD years ago. I thought about putting it in one of my old trucks, but decided I didn't want to build linkage. You make it look easy!

looks like a neat job,,good pix also,, guess that will keep you busy so you wont be so horny all the time

Tony....T-5 And Sagalot will not take the HP and torque of a 302 well for long

Don't tell me the ratings on each.....they WILL bust.

Do you want something you hav'tta be really careful with?

You gotta trust me on this...honest

The fragile Saginaw is a myth,I have personally abused these trannys,it's not a problem if assembled with proper shims so the gears don't bang around taking out the snap ring retainers.Send me your Saginaw,I'll make it bullet proof
Besides, in an [censored] light 2900 lbs truck, the tires will spin before anywhere near tranny blowing torque is put the pavement.Geez, I could easily smoke the rear tires with a 261 Chevy.

Tony--

Thanks for the pix--good job on the linkage--I'm inclined to share ur view that these are tuff units even tho I'm runnin the muncie--not as stout but easier for an old fart to handle and no problem behind a 235.

For the life of me I can't figure out the attraction of the 4 sp OD--guess ur using the OD as a stand alone push button deal in high gear--if u got the rig actually hooked up where it upshifts--I don't see the point. Have u ever used the govenor on that rig???? :p

Geeeee Tony Maybe you never been in truck with a strong 302 in it
Maybe you 302 won't make enough power to matter

BUT don't tell me about Sagilots being good They are crap!!!

No myth! No discussion!!

2900 lbs. im thinking of running one of my 50 chevys with no box no front body just lights and radiator 500 hp. stroker 350 auto caddy rear think i can even keep it on the road bet it wont waigh over 1800 lbs.it will have doors

Jim,you have told me my choice of pistons are wrong,told me the intake is wrong,told me the tranny is crap.Thanks for the help .

Buzzin,the OD is obiviously nice for hiway use,the 4 spd has better ratios than the 3 spd. Yes, the governor works, I have a switch on the shifter to control the OD also.You can split the top 3 gears using OD and direct just to be cool.The recently deceased Jack Halton,who was a good friend,ran a Saginaw 4spd OD conversion behind his 302 GMC for many years and 50,000 miles,he also abused the truck at a dragstrip a few times,he never broke the tranny. What's the attraction? just something different.My wife's 51 has a NP 4spd OD,the one like a Mopar muscle car tranny.It's a rugged unit,but the gear ratios are kinda wide spread.I could use a Ford topload 4spd OD with an adapter,but I like GM stuff.

you guys are funny!
i've blown up way more muncies than saginaws....
never lost a cluster gear in a saginaw...

I jammed hard on a Saginaw 4 in a 350 powered 79 Monza I had as a youngster, never missed a lick. Brian

Your welcome Tony

Hey I didn't say 'You are crap' (lately)

You know I'd like to see your 302 experiance succeed ......

Did you get your pistons yet?

Guys you can run a lot of tranmissions behind a V-8 that just won't work behind a large torq'y six

Back in the '70s I replaced a Pontiac overhead cam six in a Firebird with a mildly modified 350 Chev.

After I broke the Muncie I replaced it with a Saginaw, and as gas prices when up, I added the OD to the Saginaw.

Never had any trouble ever with the Saginaw. I kept the transmission when I sold the car, and only let go of that transmission a couple years ago, after one of my brothers ran in it several other cars.

I suspect driving style has a lot to do with how long they last.

Jim, yeah I know you want my 302 to be a good one, that's why you're nagging me to do it right .I have a way of not listening when I am listening,that's why I get along with women, I can think like them.
No pistons yet,knowing my luck, the plane bringing them to NY went down in flames

Only if that "large torq'y six" is a Cummins 5.9L, Detroit Diesel or another of the tractor trailer (1100 lb/ft torque) big six engines.

Any transmission that can handle a built small block can handle anything a low-med rpm 302 can put out.

Tony--

I have no doubt there is an estrogen based logic that most men cannot understand but I'm pretty surprised to hear that you claim to actuallly use it.

My muncie ratios are:

1 direct 2.96
1 over 2.07
2 direct 1.6
3 direct 1.0
3 over 0.7

You wanna be tighter than that????? I just don't understand how ya gain anything by doin all that work with the four speed(never understood why the sainted sixpac did it either--ya know he sold that rig, expensive Patrick's shifter and all)--plus ur gonna be shiftin all the time and ur overdrive is worthless in the lower gears?

Splain it to me, Tony--please use regular male logic.
:p

Buzz, let me splain to you First,the old Muncie ratios are 2.94 in first and 1.68 or 1.67 in second.
Now the 4spd OD I got is 3.11,2.20,1.47,direct and .7 in OD
Now splittin the gears in and out may be ok with a 235 driven like a girle man on his way to a Tapon convention.
But real men like to do board shifts and burn rubber,things a guy shouldn't do unless the OD is locked out,then you're stuck with the straight 3 speed.
Did you know that wimpy Muncie spd trans was standard equipment behind the 409's?

Tony...First you tell us your Horney all the time

AND

Now that you think like a woman......

Son It's one or the other not both!

And PLEASE REMEMBER TO FOLLOW TOM'S PISTON CLEARANCE ## OR YOU WILL STICK THE MOTOR!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, I was raised by women
You mean Tom Langdon? I don't do any business with him.
Venolia has sent me their recomended clearances.

Sounds like ur buyin Profit's schtick on a weak sag transmission. Goin to lock out the od for drag racin--gonna be doin a lot of shiftin--hope nobody passes u while ur shiftin.

I'm suspicious that the real reason these T-5s and sag fours get installed is upshift ratios are pretty even--typically about .7--carlike feel--almost girly --Patrick even advertises it in his catalogue. Oh well :rolleyes: sell that govenor on ebay--no need for it now--just take the solenoid to ground in hi gear. :p