Hey guys, I was reviewiing some old threads on this sight about using a 3 speed OD tranny...even with my 4:11 rearend I can get like a 2:88 final drive in OD. I've got a beauty out of a 55' sedan. But... Looking at it I can't see how the floor shifter lever will fit with the overdrive unit and solinoid. I remember a conversation with Patrick's and he didn't have much luck with it unless he retained the column shift. Is there a shifter kit (preferably comp plus) that will fit the 3 speed tranny? Has anyone had any experience with this set-up? Thanks, Flashlight
Slice & Dice ..Is the name of the game here ~ If Evan chimes in then do what he says but the old farm/junkyard way was to get a T-10 shifter and use that , cut off the shift lever and weld up one that clears the seat & looks nice . I always liked it to be kinda hook shaped so the knob was over the seat in 4th gear , of course it'll go forward for third gear with a T-10 shifter... TRhe shift pattern will be reversed when using the T-10 shifter as it's made for a side loader Muncie four speed but it shifts really nice I assum you allready have an open rear end ? can't use that Saginaw tranny with a Torque Tube rear end ya know....
I'm so happy someone knows this switch. But, You lost me there, Its a three speed. Do you mean third will be over the seat? Is the T-10 a 3 or 4 speed shifter? If I can work this switch. The tranny should bolt in, the rearend doesn't need to be touched, and I only need to shorten the driveshaft. I can do that! Flashlight....light finally dawns!
O.K. , you have an open drive line then ? . The tranny is a straight bolt up , once in a while the splines will be different on the trannies input shaft , just change the clutch disc . The T-10 shifter was made for use in the Chevy passenger cars with a Muncie four speed side loading box so you'll have 1St. & 3Rd. forward and 2Nd. gear back near the seat . There are other shifters made for side loader three speeds , I just don't recall the name brands , someone here oughta know , I'm not the only geezer they'll have the correct shift pattern . BRAINFLASH : go over to the Task Force pages , they'll have info on floor shifters .
Nate Thanks, Yes there is a low geared, rear end, open shaft. I haven't been able to positively ID it yet. I can only find a "U" stamped on the top of the differential. I will open it up to see if anything is numbered inside. Its a 10 bolt design. Couldn't get a good look out towards the axle ends. Flashlight
Scrape away the grease on the passenger side A lot of the older diff's had a serial # stamped on the passenger side. If you can find that, it can be deciphered. Look for it on the forward side, mid-way of the axle shaft.
3 speed shifter Flashight, I had a floorshifter on a overdrive trans in my 55.1 before did the s-10 chassis swap. It was a hurst indy shifter.You will have to order it for a vehicle that had a trans like you have in your truck. Call hurst, they will help you. good luck.
Leave It ALONE ! The rear end that is Just get the tranny in and go drive it , see if you like it , if not , then you can chalk mark the brake drum on one side and the driveshaft , jack up one wheel and rotate the driveshaft and count how many turns it takes to make the wheel turn once and do the math . Just like your truck (and me) it's simple If Hust dosn't go back to '55 on the application, ask for a '62 Impala .
Thanks Sonny! Did you like the set-up? The OD unit and solinoid didn't get hung-up or anything did it? I was going to make a really custom shift lever. Something like Nate decribes. I was hoping to find a nice switch to mount on the shifter to go in and out of overdrive. Flashlight
Overdrive Electricals A couplethoughts here : Adding a toggle switch to the shift lever 3" below the shift knob makes it easier to engauge and disengauge the O.D. unit . not using the " governor " in the switchline allows you to use overdive in 2Nd. gear , this makes climbing steep hills quickly a breeze , loaded or empty . (Tenn. folks who live in a Holler pay close attention) You must remember : never , EVER try to reverse with the overdrive unit engauged ! you'll wreck it almost instantly . When you're ascending a hill in overdrive , you MUST lock it out before you crest the hill as the freewheeling can and WILL kill you by preventing engine braking going back down and you cannot lock it out once you're rolling faster than the engine speed allows.... Words to the wise , I'm still alive .
I never knew that about OD. Especially the reverse in OD. I'm still not sure what's up with this tranny. There are in fact, no nice cast and tapped holes to mount the T-10 up to. I will have to make a bracket and weld it to the casing. There is one place with a bolt in it in that area of the casing.
They used to sell cheap 3sp shifters that mounted to the bolts that hold the extension housing to the transmission. Fenton and Spark-O-Matic were two I recall. Before the after market floor shifters were offered we used to fab up brackets to hold the 1940-1958 Ford column shifter to these same housing bolts. If you are not going to be speed shifting there is no law that states your shift rods must be straight so just curve them to miss the solenoid. As Nate stated, if you try to back up with the OD engaged you've destroyed it. This is why I don't like toggle switches. Wired through the govenor the OD automatically disengages at 28mph. Also you don't need a toggle switch to have OD in any of your forward gears as long as you can get to 28mph---a test for a six in low but easy in second gear. The OD is a direct replacement for the three speed so no driveshaft work is necessary but it will more than likely have the course splined output shaft so if your 3sp is a 65 or newer you will need the drivehaft yoke replaced with the older one. Here is a photo of a hard to find 65 up fine splined OD unit next to a three speed; same length. The second pic shows that the shift rods wouldn't have to be curved much miss the solenoid.
Silly me, I sold myself short on junk. I can be short on money, short on patience, maybe even short on manners, but NEVER short on junk. That said, here is a shot of an OD trans with the bracket mounted to the extension housing bolts. The remaining shifter rod is straight and clears the solenoid. The rest of it is around here somewhere I'm sure. The part on the right side is an add on because it came from an old truck that had a trans mounted E-brake.
I'm grateful to you for making the effort to go out and take a picture for me. I must say I'm overwhelmed by the kindness people have shown me on this website. I printed your picture and will take it by some of my local mountain Rat Rodder's and Moon Shiner's. As you know NASCAR was a clean weekend diversion for professional drivers who made their living via other pursuits weekdays. Flashlight
Flashlight, The hurst indy shifter has brackets like Evan showed and the one I had the handlecame back over the seat in third.Evan is telling his age telling about making a floorshifter out of a cut down Ford column shifter.Check e-bay,I have seen them on there.Keep looking,you'll find one.
