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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,953 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,953 | How difficult is it to rebuild a Task Force 3 speed transmission? Do you need special tools and are most parts like bearings and seals still available? | | | | | Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,867 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,867 | I rebuilt the 3 speed in my 53 last spring. Other then my anal cleaning techniques it probably would have been about an hour from start to finish. I think I spent around $120 for the synchros, bearings, gaskets, etc... All easily available.
It also says in the manuals that the reverse idler gear bushings are not replaceable. I tapped them out and replaced with a slightly larger ID bushing, then honed them down within a thousandth of an inch or so and used my dremel to auger an oil channel spiraling around the inside of the bushing. Polished them all up and stuck it all back together. No problems.
That 3 speed cant be any harder then my 53s. Theres about 15 parts total... The only tool I had to make was using a piece of flat 1/8" steel I cut about a 25 degree angle into each side so that I could slide it down and unlock a lock ring that held a bearing into the case. Other then that a couple of sockets and some break in grease and your set.
Jeff | | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,953 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,953 | Thanks Jeff. I'll be knocking on your door this spring with transmission in hand!
Bill | | | | | Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,867 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,867 | Bring her by!  Jeff | | | | | Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 20 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 20 | And I will be calling you for some pointers when I tear into mine this summer!
Thanks for the confidence-building ppost!.
Chris | | | | | Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 582 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 582 | oldblue;
I also rebuilt my 3 speed in my 1949 GMC which had the original tranny. Not too difficult but a good shop manual does assist. I bought a used tranny off Ebay for $25 and used that as my "sacrificial" unit whenever I wasn't sure how to do something. You can still get parts for the old units off Ebay and through various vendors. I did document some or most of my rebuild process on my webshots album at the link below. Take your time and you'll be able to get it done. Probably one of the hardest parts for me was to get and measure the clearance on one of the countershafts at the rear bottom of the tranny. Think the clearance was to be .010" and I had a difficult time getting my feeler gauge in there. Did some guesstimating and after the rebuild, the tranny is quiet and shifts nicely. Good luck! | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | They're not hard at all to overhaul. Most parts like seals and such are available from the flaps (go to Napa for the gaskets, though). A manual is a good idea to have handy, or you could just print off the online version. A couple of tips, have a can of wheel bearing grease or Lubriplate handy, this is needed to hold the needle bearings in place when installing the clutch gear onto the mainshaft, and a bottle of Lucas Oil Stabilizer makes for an exellent assebly lube, too.
Bill Burmeister
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