The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop need help - Patrick's Saginaw shifter kit

Does anyone have decent photos of a properly assembled shifter?

I have the shifter kit and a freshly rebuilt tranny but the pictures Patrick provides with the shifter instructions are totally illegible.

It seems strange that he still cannot provided legible intructions after many years of selling the Hurst shifter kit.

Thanks to a 2003 post on this very subject I found Hurst instructions are online at the Mr. Gasket site. However this is an exploded drawing and I'd sure like to see what the real animal looks like.

So am I the only person at this site who bought an open driveline Patrick's shifter kit? Quit holding out and share your pictures!

had one in my 52, I let Tonym have it,, dont know if he has pix of it, sometimes he will chime in on the bolt....I use to have some pix on my website but lost most of them a few weeks ago when the computer crashed,, I will do some checking,, mine use to have the patricks sagnaw hurst four speed conversion, 3:55 patrick ring and pinion,, real neat shifting and quick..............Fred

Mine is currently at Patricks having the kit put on. It is supposed to be done somtime in the next week. I'll send some pic's when I get it back.

I am in the same fix as you are. The photos in the step by step instructions are pretty much a black smuge.
My best guess is that the reverse shifter arm on the Saginaw 4 speed goes down. This runs counter to the Hurst website that insists that reverse must be engaged by moving the shift left and forward.
There seems to be enough movement in the shifter to shift left and back and still be able to move the reverse idler from neutral position to in gear.

I am going out on a limb as usual, but it is probably pretty straightforward how the shifter mounts to the transmission. If it's a four speed there must be three shifter arms and three control rods. If the shift pattern is a conventional "H" and reverse is where it is suppose to be, then the arms will go only one way..if the arms go only one way, the control rods will only go one way.

If anything is where it isn't suppose to be, the gear selection will be incorrect. Every adjustment is made from the neutral gate. The arms and rods are installed with the tranny in neutral. Then, pulling the shifter back and forth through the gate, everything is fine tuned until this movement is completely free. If you put the reverse arm in upside down, you will know it pronto. Flip it over.

Stuart

I picked up my transmission from Patricks yesterday. I will take some snaps tonight and post them for you!

I recently purchased a two ring Saginaw 4-Speed and the Patrick's kit with shifter to mount to my 51 AD TT Rear End. Following the "instruction manual" is going to be a little interesting to say the least. Check out this website for a more detailed study of the Sagina 4-Speed, including a section on setup of original shifters. http://1968firebird.org/68sm/4spdsag/4spdsag1.html

JNash,

Is something wrong with the "instruction manual"?


Stuart

The "instruction manual" I received is 4 pages of step by step instruction with a picture illustration for each step run off on a copy machine. The pictures are tiny and for the most part illegible. Frankly, I wasn't prepared for the fact that this conversion requires the complete dissassembly and reassenbly of the transmission. Not necessarily a bad thing but you need to know what you are getting into if you are contemplating this conversion. I haven't started work on this yet but will try to follow along with the instructions and see how it goes. It can't be any worse than putting together a sears bicycle on Christmas eve!

JNash,

I have no real interest in Saginaws, but I have installed my share of "Hurst conversion kits". They were straightforward, and didn't seem like they even required instructions. I didn't understand what all the frustration was about with the Patrick setup..maybe it was quite different than the run of the mill conversions I had done.

I actually called and spoke to "Patrick" today in an effort to understand this thread. He felt that if a customer had any questions, they should call him and he would resolve them ASAP. His policy is 100% customer satisfaction or your money back.

I looked at the link you provided and don't see where this item is anything more than a bolt on. What am I missing on this deal?


Stuart

atomarc,
I have the pics. Not sure how to post them here if you give me a address to send them to I will send them.
Aaron

Aaron,

I would love to see them. Take a look in my profile, the E-mail address is shown.


Stuart

My comments refer to the complete kit to change the tail housing on the transmission to fit the torque tube rear end, as well as install the shifter to complete the conversion. Obviously, you don't need to dissassemble the transmission to instal the shifter. The pictures supporting the portion of the instructions dealing with the shifter installation are illegible as well. I'm sure I will be fine with the installation but others may feel a product that costs as much as this one does would include a legible set of installation instructions. Thanks

To All Above...

Thanks to chev235 I finally saw the (pictures)light. Apologies to all. :o

This fuss wasn't about the shifter, but about reconfiguring the transmission extension housing to accept the torque tube arrangement using marginal instructions. Is this right or am I still out in left field. :confused:

Stuart

No need to appologize, going back through the thread, which I'm sure I complicated with my comments, the issue is quality of instructions provided with transmission conversion and shifter products provided by this vendor. In a market aimed towards the home built "do-it-yourselfer" I think it reasonable to expect adequate installation instructions. This is feedback I will give Patrick myself after I have completed the conversion and judged for myself how helpfull the instructions provided really are. By the way, if you can share those shifter installation pics you received I would appreciate it. My e-mail should be on my profile, if not I will make sure it's there. Regards,

chev235,

Could you share your pictures with these folks? I am at a different computer and they aren't available right now. Thanks.


Stuart

JNash ... I'll send the pics tonight.

but when you get it together I will be very surprized if you dont like it, that combination with the 3:55 ring and pinion gear is nice,,, you will find that at 60 plus mph and in fourth gear you will still turn 3,000 or so rpm.. real nice around town though.

I've had that same set-up for a few years now and love it...don't spend much time on the interstate...can't say that I miss it either. Like Joker said it's great around town and a blast on two laners...

Chuck

In regards to Patricks, am I understanding correctly that they make a shifter kit for the Saginaw 4 speed transmissions and that they also sell this same transmission retrofitted with a torque tube compatible extension housing. You can get just the shifter kit, or just the transmission, or the transmission with the kit.

Stuart

Stuart - Yes, yes, and yes, you can get any or all of these items from Patricks. Quality of the parts appears to be very high. Suggest you call Patricks and order a catalog, it's all in there to look at.
Thanks for the comments regarding enjoyment once the conversion is done, I'm really looking foreward to hitting those two-lanes once everything is in! Regards,

I'm contemplating this mod. I have the old Granny shift 4 spd and really want to bring the rpm's down a little bit. I just cant decide between this and the T5. It seems like those are the best two choices though neither of them are simple bolt on solutions...