I am contimplating putting in patricks saginaw conversion and wanted to get some feedback what will i gain, i already installed pats rearend from 4-11 to 3-55 to 1 and am getting 60 miles and hour max. Does this sound right and will i improve my speed with the saginaw conversion by the way i have a 235 inline six now. thanks for any feedback
I personally like the Saginaw 3 speed Trans. However high gear is 1:1 and 1:1 is the same no matter how you look at it or no matter what Trans. you use. 60 miles an Hr. seems a little slow for 355's, how tall are your tires? If you run a taller tire it will help with your top end and cruising speeds. The benefits of the Saginaw are you have a smoother shifting Trans. with synchros all the way down in to first gear and it will be more reliable than the old torque tube 3 speed. I've used this Trans. myself on a couple conversions along with a Camaro rear end and the stock 235 and was very pleased.....Big Tim
What Jim Said ! The top gear ratio remains the same between the modern Saginaw tranny and the original one for any year AD . If you have 3.55 gears and only can go 60 MPH ,you _obviously_ have tiny little tires as this is what my old '49 has except I have the correct size Radial LT 16" tires and it'll go 65 ~ 70 MPH all day long and not over speed the 235 engine doing so . Up grading the tranny can be a very good thing *BUT* you have to dot all the I's and cross all the T's for it to work they way you expect it to .
I did the same thing you are doing. Patrick's 3:55's and the conversion to the saginaw. You are correct about top speed, I can go 60MPH with my 216 comfortably, beyond that its really reving too much. Your 235 should be nicer. But the truck's suspension seems a little under engineered for higher speeds. The Saginaw with 2 grooves on the input spindle really smoothes out the shifting and downshifting is wonderful with synchro. Like big Tim states...they all are 1:1 on the output side. Hope this helps. Flashlight
Ron, Call Hoopers and talk to Anthony or Dave and see if they know of a set-up which may get you a little more travel speed. You may need to change out the whole rear-end to get what you really want as it did. Also talk to Robert (latrucka) and see what he has scored for his ride.
saginaw I do have 16 inch tires but it seems to top out at 60, so iam trying to see what might work as far as hoopers i already changed from 4-11 to 3-55 so the rearend is going to stay that way. thanks for you guyses input
Ain't right Ron - Something sounds amiss. I could go 60mph with the 4:11 gears in my 235. I had a little windfall and decided to spring for Patrick's 3:55 rear end gears and bearing kit. I haven't had a chase car check it yet, or used a GPS, but I'm easily keeping pace or passing the interstate traffic to town and have power/pedal to spare with lower rpm.
Oh you guys and your 1/2 tons... I wish I could go 60. I have had it up to 50 before, and man she was singin! My 3/4 ton doesn't go too fast.
Ya, but~ If your neighbors give you any trouble, you can wrap a chain around their house and pull it into the street.
My 3804 is a one ton has a 342/1, it travels down the road on 16.5's at driving speeds. I believe Ron has seen it on the highway in the high desert. 411/1 was also way to slow for me had the engine singing to loud, so I had to make it better by having the system I have now built to fit the AD width.
tach check My friend told me to put a tach on it and check the rpms and go from there thanks guys for your input.
I dont think you changed the speedometer gear in the transmission. Use a GPS or time it on the interstate. The interstate has mile markers and 1/10 mile markers. Use a stop watch and hold it on 60-mph for 1-min and watch for the mile marker. You may be a lot faster than you think.
i don't think Ca, has mile markers, they used to have odometer check areas in central and northern Ca, but not in southern Ca. i've never scene a mile marker until state line Az or Nevada. He may need to change the mechanical transducer to match the tire size and gear ratio Bobby
Ron, Willard is on to something. Did patrick send you a new speedo transducer to install when you put in the 3:55 gears. The teeth are different in the 3:55 transducer. If you put in the Patrick conversion to a Saginaw, you need to change the worm gear on the tranny, and have the right transducer gear, he sends those automatically. I thought I was slow as well, had my wife drive behind me and i signaled to her 40MPH, 50 MPH etc. It was right on. Flashlight
transducer No they didnt send me a transducer when i changed my rearend gearing my spedo has broke since the changeover I havnt done the saganaw conversion yet.
The transducer he charges for, you send you old one to him and he changes out the gear. When you put in the new tailpiece from Patrick make sure they sent you the worm gear for the shaft as well. That's part of the conversion kit included. Flashlight
