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Transmission trouble!

Bilbo

Bilbo

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
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Location
Magnolia, Texas
Well, Clarabelle started growling in 1st and 2nd. Hard to downshift to 2nd. Drained gear lube and it looked like bronze metallic paint...
So... repair, rebuild, or does someone have a 3 speed for torque tube available?
 
Bilbo said:
Well, Clarabelle started growling in 1st and 2nd. Hard to downshift to 2nd. Drained gear lube and it looked like bronze metallic paint...
So... repair, rebuild, or does someone have a 3 speed for torque tube available?
Click to expand...
The bronze is probably synchronizer dust.
 
Bill Hanlon said:
The bronze is probably synchronizer dust.
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Yeah. I wonder if it's just that, or what all else is damaged. I've never worked on transmission before. Don't want to dig in unless I have a plan. Don't suppose we can switch out the tail stock on the tyranny you have?
 
Hey Evan. My transmission is making noises and the oil looks like metallic bronze Paint. Should I get it rebuilt, or do you maybe have a 3 speed for torque tube?
 
Should have a half dozen or so but how many are truck and how many are car I'd have to check. If push comes to shove you could puts the guts from a car one into your case. If Bill still comes this way he could carry one back or although I have not used them yet I've heard Fastenal is the best way to ship large heavy items. End of next month is Pate and I think you usually attend and so do I.
 
coilover said:
Should have a half dozen or so but how many are truck and how many are car I'd have to check. If push comes to shove you could puts the guts from a car one into your case. If Bill still comes this way he could carry one back or although I have not used them yet I've heard Fastenal is the best way to ship large heavy items. End of next month is Pate and I think you usually attend and so do I.
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Evan! My hero. I'd like to try to get one so I can replace mine before Pate. I'll find a couple of pictures of my tyranny and post here for reference. Don't know when or how Bill Hanlon comes home, but he might be persuaded. If not, I'll gladly pay freight.
 
Bilbo said:
Evan! My hero. I'd like to try to get one so I can replace mine before Pate. I'll find a couple of pictures of my tyranny and post here for reference. Don't know when or how Bill Hanlon comes home, but he might be persuaded. If not, I'll gladly pay freight.
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Closest we will get is Arlington at about 4am Sunday morning.
 
coilover said:
Should have a half dozen or so but how many are truck and how many are car I'd have to check. If push comes to shove you could puts the guts from a car one into your case. If Bill still comes this way he could carry one back or although I have not used them yet I've heard Fastenal is the best way to ship large heavy items. End of next month is Pate and I think you usually attend and so do I.
Click to expand...
Evan, you wanna pm me an
coilover said:
Should have a half dozen or so but how many are truck and how many are car I'd have to check. If push comes to shove you could puts the guts from a car one into your case. If Bill still comes this way he could carry one back or although I have not used them yet I've heard Fastenal is the best way to ship large heavy items. End of next month is Pate and I think you usually attend and so do I.
Click to expand...

Hey Evan. Here are a couple of pictures of my transmission. From front flange to rear flange is 14inches. 10 splines. If you would, PM me and let me know what you need for the transmission, if you have one you feel is OK.
F 52 Chevy Engine Swap (06).JPG
F 52 Chevy Engine Swap (32).JPG
 
Tried a PM but not sure if it worked. You have a car transmission which is identical except no rear mount and the trucks always used bearing where sometimes the car used bushings. Here is a pic of each.

IMG_4261.JPG
IMG_4262.JPG
IMG_4261.JPG
 
Comparing the pictures the Chevy transmissions are different than the GMC (much longer tail housing). I have a GMC in the storage yard that I will check out. The GMC looks like a later fully synchronized unit but takes a torque tube. I have several later trans that probably have the same guts. Here is a picture of the fully synchronized case and the Chevy case. Yours looks like the former.

IMG_4264.JPG
IMG_4265.JPG
 
I picked up a great used tranny on eBay and shipped it from Utah to Eastern Washington by Greyhound. Just sayin'...
 
Received a replacement transmission today, courtesy of Evan (coilover). Looks like a suitable replacement. Cleaned up and painted to prep for change out. Will order ball socket gaskets tomorrow and plan the swap as soon as I can arrange it.
20170327_133508.jpg
20170327_171851.jpg
 
Well, Bill Hanlon dropped what he was doing and came over Saturday to help me change my transmission! Got it installed and Bill had other commitments and had to go. I finished the installation and linkage modification. Took a test drive today, and it looks like it's going to work fine. The tranny we removed is a Borg Warner T89. We installed a Muncie 318, which is likely what would have been original equipment. I think I'm gonna try to find parts enough to repair/overhaul the T89. Many thanks to Bill Hanlon. and Evan (coilover). Evan, I expect to be at PATE Swap Meet, so I'll see you there!
 
Bill Hanlon said:
That paint is a little too orange for a GMC Bill.
Click to expand...
But it takes a good picture! When I go back to see details later, because some question arises, I can look at pictures before crawling under the truck. Not that I don't thoroughly enjoy being under my truck! Especially with a hundred pound transmission on my chest!
 
Be sure to clean the paint off the flywheel to crank flange mount area before tightening that sucker up.
Same goes for the front of the trans to bellhousing mounting surface.
 
Just an update on this thread.

Bilbo has rebuilt and reinstalled the BW T89 tranny. But we were both having a hard time understanding the origin of the T89 that he was working on. This tranny was used in many HD 3 speed situations in both Ford and Chrysler products varying from early T-Birds through 60's Hemis. But this one has a connection on the rear for a torque tube driveshaft. Turns out it was an option for HD 3 speed in '54 Chevy trucks and probably '55 models until the 1/2 ton truck converted to an open driveshaft.

His GMC body is sitting on a '52 Chevy frame. The engine is a '55 235 which may help to explain the tranny.
 
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