I bought a rebuilt B/W Super T-10 (GM issue) around 1975 for $200, don't recall what the new Hurst Super Shifter cost, probably $150. Have you priced new Richmond four speeds and Hurst shifters lately?
My attraction, then and now, was availability and price. 50 bucks for a castoff trans 25 for a used shifter, 35 for a driveshaft, 35 for a 12 inch clutch disc, 900 for a 59 El Camino, trades and labor for a rebuilt 454 with a 396. Title and all, I'm driving a big block 4 speed 59 El Camino for 3500 bucks . Still cheap by 2005 standards when it first hit the road.
I bought several Saginaws over the years for next to nothing, usually from the guys who said, "it's just one of them Vega transmissions".
Last one I pulled at the pick a part came from a 79 Pontiac astre, basically Pontiacs version of a Vega, this was about 94 and still pushing around a 300 hp 327 in a 3500# truck
I had a 67 with a Muncie out of a Chevelle in my TBucket with a 66 327 Corvette engine. All I remember is I had to be careful if I pushed it hard into second gear or it would get jammed between second and third gears.
If it was the factory shifter I'm betting that was the bulk of the problem. I had a factory four speed 65 ElCamino with the original shifter and it would jam up. Found an NOS shifter and that fixed the problem.
that's why I bought a Hurst. They work a lot better than the originals. Lots of these transmissions were installed in cars with the shifter mounted to the floor, not the transmission.
The small block won't be making more than 400hp. I've always been paranoid about breaking hard to find parts so I don't normally dump the clutch when rodding around. I do shift them fast but I make a solid effort not to shock load things from a stop or get into wheel hop. I was planning on using a stock replacement LUK diaphragm clutch. Not sure on the spring pressure but I can always shim it. I have a pile of Hurst shifters, I can't stand having shifter issues. Apparently Popular Hot Rodding did an article on these transmissions and suggested using a torrington bearing instead of the wavy shim in the cluster gear as well as some other modifications, trying to figure out what issue that article is in. Some other people confirmed that shimming the slop out of them makes a difference so I'm going to do some tweaks while it's on the bench. Little things always add up.
I’d find a better supplier for the clutch, my experience with LUK was less than good, correct box wrong parts inside, throw out bearing needed to be thrown out, pure garbage. Replacement clutch kit was correct fitment, throw out bearing was no better than the first package, ordered a throw out bearing separately and it was from different supplier but junk as well. Finally wound up using an old used one I had laying around
I'd like to find an sfi pressure plate. Have a lakewood scattershield and billet sfi flywheel already. Just haven't picked one yet so was going to run the stocker to get it on the road for now.
I bought one of these for my vette...haven't installed it yet. Says in the description that it's sfi approved, but didn't find a sticker on it. There isn't one on the steel flywheel, either. But the new Lakewood scattershield does have on.
I put one in a '66 Nova SS in 1976, with a stout 283 and a 4:11 narrowed Cougar rear. I did some horse-trading for the Saginaw, which came out of a 396 Chevelle. At the time Hurst didn't make a Comp Plus shifter for it, I went with a Mr. Gasket unit which worked well. That shifter was like $70 at the local speed shop.
My sister has been doing family history. She came across my dad's WWII draft card. He was a tool maker there.
On a transmission like that I always use the weakest clutch available that'll still reliably move the car. That way when the inevitable "do a burnout" call happens where you comply you're more likely to frag a parts store available clutch than a harder to find transmission. I know from experience regardless of intention of taking it easy occasionally the yee haw urge bubbles up lol
I killed the Saginaw in a 78 Camaro 305 just driving it normally. Knocked a few teeth off of the countergear. Don't remember all the details, it was 41 years ago. Replaced it with a Muncie, back when they were available and reasonable.
275hp 327's got them. My 68 Camaro originally had one, but it had bit the bullet like most Saginaw's by the time I got the car, had a muncie in it. the terrible stock linkage and the half fork led to the F body guys hating them. Part of their problem was for certain amount of time they had like half a shifting fork that would cause problems when hammering on them. They now make forks that are a normal full half circle. That was what my grandpa always complained about with the Saginaws was that the odd fork would break and then take everything out as it rattled around.
I ran one it my 65 chevelle with a stepped one 360 inch small block. I beat on the car pretty hard. Single track rear end is probably what saved it. I drove that car anywhere I wanted without any thoughts of if failing on me. Drove that car to the salt flats and ran it down the track 10 time and drove it back home. I would open it up and check the reverse gear for end play. They have a wavy washer there and it can wear. Best fix is to just fit a spacer in that spot.
The Saginaw is a decent transmission,,,,,but it is not strong at all . It was designed for light duty,,,,,,and we should be aware that it is exactly what it was built for,,,,light duty vehicles . I had a friend back in high school that destroyed 10-12 of them in an old truck,,,,with a Six ! He was pretty rough on them,,,,but a stock Six ! I broke a couple of Muncies,,,,,,and an old T-10,,in my Camaro . And I was definitely hard on them,,,,,,behind a pretty stout 350,,,and later a 327 ! Really had a lot of fun !!! The T-10 failed fairly easy at that time,,,it was a 1962 model,,,,close ratio . I kept the old carcass in the barn for years exposed to the elements,,,,moved it a couple of times to different places I lived,,,,almost threw it away once or twice . Several years ago I decided I should try to repair it. Here are some pics of the old broken gear compared to the new replacement . The new gear had teeth that were almost .200 thousandths wider,,,,a lot stronger in my opinion . I switched to the wide ratio because I couldn’t find the correct cluster at that time . Either the later versions were updated with stronger gears,,,,,or my original was cut too narrow to start with . Here’s the pics for proof . Tommy
The Jalopy Journal
