Ok guys, need your help here, I have a 50 3100 with a 4 speed gearbox and it needs new bearings. trouble is I cannot locate any over here in the England. no one can match up the numbers on the bearings so please someone must have rebuilt their box at some time and knows a modern replacement for them. anyone know modern numbers or can anyone supply me with some???????? Chassis is nearly finished and rolling but this problem could really hold things up! Thanx guys Neil Mad dog and englishman! ________ PORNSTARS MOVIES
I found good rebuild parts at Novak Coversions for the sm420 gearbox. GMC and Chevy used this tranny from 1947 through 1967 on trucks from 1/2 ton up to 2 tons or so. There is also a military version of the same transmission. The Jeep builders love the low first gear for climbing, Novak makes Jeep conversions for the SM420. Nate has written about the SM420 in several past discussions as well. Your transmission is set up for the closed torque tube drive, but the rear bearing covers and yolks can be switched out. If you switch yolks from an open yolk sm420, make sure you keep the matched speedometer gears as a set from either transmission. I had very good service on parts from Novak. Thunder54
Neil, If you post the numbers from your old bearings I can give you the current #. Also, does the pilot shaft have about 18 needle/roller bearings? Tom
RE: gearbox Bearings It's been quite a while since I rebuilt one of these but Bower / BCA Bearing Co. listed all the various beqrings in the paper catalog last time . I've seen this tranny factory fitted to a 1969 Chevy C-10 pickup if that helps . I believe the simplest thing is to buy the beqring & synchro kit from Novak . I know there's lots of military vehicle groups in the U.K. & Europe so I imagine they'll have parts sources as this tranny was used in Gamma Goats into the 70's. Dodge used this tranny too for many years . Good luck hunting ! . -Nate
RE: gearbox Bearings Yes it does have the 18 needle rollers, bearing numbers are as follows. 41209, 43307, 43308, and 1206 (poss 1208 bad marking) Over here, unless you want a bearing for a modern car or will lead the supplier to the shelf where rhe bearing you want actually sits, its hard to find someone who will go that extra mile to help you out, shame because it never used to be like that, the older generation understood the notion of delivering a good service to the customer, Novak? can you post a link please? Mad dog and englishman! ________ Lesbian humping
RE: Novak Link I am happy to state that there is still _ONE_ person left who understands Customer Service , I now longer serve the public tho'... Anyway , I simply put " SM420 " into either my IE or Google browser and they popped up , you'll know it's them when you see all the jeep related comments and they offer overhaul kits containing bearings , synchro hubs and gaskets . . Sadly , my local vintage junkyard packed up and moved to smaller digs recently , they had TONS of good SM420 parts & trannies but always wanted WAAAYYY to much $ for them and so stupidly sold it all as scrap metal when they closed up shop.... -DUH- I don't get why junkmen would rather sell for 1/1,000th the price as scrap than lower the price when you're standing there with $$ in hand..... -Nate
RE: gearbox Bearings You can use this site to get current numbers and other info. Here are some of them. Usually the new number will be the last 3 numbers of the ND (New Departure) number. BCA (Federal Mogul) bearings are USA made and costs less than SKF. https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,make,CHEVROLET Main shaft Bearing - BCA Part # 307L SM420 4 Spd. Manual Transmission; (10 Spline) {Ball Bearing Outer Race Radius = 0.0598" Bore = 1.378" Outer Diameter = 3.1496" Width = 0.8268" Inner Race Radius = 0.0598"} $29.79 Main shaft pilot bearing - BCA Part # W1518Q SM420 4 Spd. Manual Transmission; (Qty 18) {Needle Bearing / Width=0.752"} $8.29 Main shaft seal - BCA Part # 471341N SM420 4 Spd. Manual Transmission {Oil Seal / Acrylates / Shaft Size=2.25" Housing Bore=2.996" Outer Diameter=3.001" Width=0.437"} Also here is the Novak site. If you need everything this kit looks like the better deal - consists of all the gaskets, seals, small parts, bearings, 2nd-3rd & 3rd-4th synchros and instructions. Novak Kit# SPS420-1 $198.00 Master Rebuild with synchros, SM420, 1947-1953 http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/sm420_parts.htm Good Luck!
RE: gearbox Bearings Nate, I too have wondered about the mindset of salvage yard operaters. I sure would like to hear their side but from where I stand it sometimes makes no sense whatsoever. First and upfront let me say I'm not a cheapo and deal in some pretty high end stuff. That said, I don't haggle with the yards since I get refunded but I've gone to the yards when they were actually crushing and offered double what the vehichle would bring for scrap plus say they can have it back for weight after I've pulled the part. They won't here of it. I guess they just want to prove you must pay their price or ---- it. It's like seeing two bills on the sidewalk, a five on the right and a ten on the left and you ignore the ten because your right handed. That's not dumb, it's stupid.
RE: Junkyard Dufus' Evan ; You are _SO_ right ! . I used to run a VW junkyard and if you had the $ , I'd sell you the part . Snce I typically sold at _less_ that 50 % of the new part price , few ever bothered to haggle but I would , except on things like engines or trannies as those were in high demand at all times . I too have gone to places I trade with and offered $150.00 per car , to strip off stuff just before the car were to be crushed , few even take me up on this most generous offer . Go figure , I always thought the idea behind business was _MAKING_ MONEY ! . I must be wrong -Nate
