The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop overdrive install

Hi everyone,
I am considering putting an OD 3 speed in my 57 chevy 1/2 ton and started wondering about the shift linkage. I am currently using a shifter mounted on the floor. The OD trans have the solenoid on the same side as the shift linkage and I was wondering if I use an OD trans would it be a major conversion? My truck is not stock and I would really like to eventually put in an overdrive. Any suggestions? Thanks.

is that "shifter mounted on the floor" attached to an original 3 speed or 4 speed? it'd be a "major conversion" only if you consider changing transmissions major or can't figure how to adapt the current floor shift [if it's on a 3 speed] or find the correct column shift parts [if currently a 4 speed]

Bill

I don't consider changing a transmission major actually. I have done this quite a bit. What I meant was how much of an adaptation would be needed to use a floor shifter. I know that these OD's for the most part were a column shift. Right now I have the original 3 speed in the truck, with a shifter on the floor. My concern was having that solenoid in the way of the shifting linkage. I am sure there is a way to adapt, just looking for a little help with the process.

Mike

This will help. This too. I've had the set up like this for 8 or 9 years, only vehicle. Here's what the floor shift looks like. I did the 'S' bend to get the shifter away from my leg.

I have put lots of Hurst shifters on overdrives with the Borg Warner OD. It takes a mounting kit with a crescent shaped cutout for the OD solenoid. I see them on eBay occasionally. Most of them are for Ford, but they can be modified to work on GM because they both use the same BW OD.

the OD 3 speeds were always a column shift so it'll depend on the particular configuration of your floor shift mounting layout - doubt you'll find anyone who's done it, and they wouldn't necessarily have the same shifter you do anyway, so you just have to look it over and decide what's possible with what ya got .... pic of an original install here that might give you an idea of the room

Bill

Thanks Cosmo, that is the type of info I was looking for. Just an idea that someone else may have used. A little help goes a long way. Thanks again.

Mike

Three speeds were all column shift from the factory. Both direct and overdrive. Again let me say that I have installed quite a few floor shift conversions with over drive transmissions. Pictured is an OD that came out of my Y-blocks, but the same setup will work on a Chev. The shifter is a Hurst Mystery Shifter. The mounting may or may not be Hurst. Quite a few manufacturers offered them. I'm not quite sure what Squeeze finds so complicated about this. http://picasaweb.google.com/crenwelgeoil/HurstShifter#5507965444718522434

In the 70's I built a Saginaw 4-speed overdrive by putting the OD from a Saginaw 3-speed on the 4-speed. This was a long time ago and I don't remember a lot of the details.

I recall that making the floor shift linkage work right was one of the bigger challenges.

If I were doing it today, I'd look for the cable based shifter from something like a Citation. I don't know how available those are today, but when I parted one out years ago I was impressed by that shifter.

In reality if I wanted an OD manual in a Stovebolt I'd do a T-5 conversion.

I have a 3 speed with overdrive in my 1966 GMC. If you can do a bit of cutting, drilling and welding, then you can tackle this. The Hurst brackets are fairly universal and have a number of mounting holes to try out. I mounted my shifter a bit higher than the ones in the pictures and I didn't need to put bends in the shift rods. I have the later overdrive with synchro first and 7 bolt side cover (sweet addition, by the way!). I don't have any pictures, but let me know if you need me to crawl under and take some. I ended up making a shift lever handle rather than using the Hurst handle. It got the lever right where I wanted it and has the look of the original 4 speed levers.

I hope this is helpful. Here is the original literature on the web on these transmissions, if you want to read up on them.

http://speedprint.com/deves50/overdriveindex.php

Regards,
Steve
New Orleans

Hey Steve,
How about a couple of pictures,I would like to put the 7 bolt saginaw 3sp/od in my truck. Have a shifter but it's not for o/d trans. 1959 apache, I'm in Metairie.