4 SPEED TRANS ID?

[Tinbender]

I've got a 57 chev in the shop that the owner wants to change from a 4 speed to an auto.(orig. auto trans car) Can someone ID it for me? It's cast iron side loader,with an aluminum tail shaft housing. Has 13-04-065-904 cast in the side of the case. Under that it has E.23.80 and W.G. DIV . Any idea of what it's worth would help too. I may trade him out of it, if it's something I can use in my 33.

[Tinbender]

BTTT

[oldchevyseller]

well a muncie has 7 side cover bolts and the borg warner has 9 side cover bolts, for a quick id on it!! then go to this site and figure your date codes and other id capabilities, it is all in there http://members.rogers.com/1970-z28/muncie.htm

the left tranny is muncie, the center is saginaw , the right is borg warner

[atch]

tin,

try these:

http://links.chevelles.net/links/WorkShop/ID_Your_Chevelle_Parts/

http://www.rancefi.com/CompPricing/Hurst/trans1.htm

the mr gasket link contained in the first link above is the best, but i can't get it to launch today. maybe you can...

[Tinbender]

Thanks,looks like a T-10. Any opinions on the T-10? Is it better than the saginaw I have now?

[atch]

better?

maybe; maybe not. depends on what you're gonna do with it.

my understanding has always been that from strictly a strength standpoint that muncies are the strongest, then borg warner, and saginaws are the least strong (i hesitate to say weakest).

that said, however, i've got a saginaw and a T-10 in my shop and i'm going to use one of them in my modified behind a 401 hailhead that produces gobs of torque and should make about 375 horsepower. i'm leaning towards the saginaw because:

1. the saginaw is a wide ratio and i want that for street use;

2. the T-10 is a closer ratio and if i were going drag racing (or even road racing) it would work better (however, see #1 above);

3. no matter how much horse pressure i can develope, the tall skinny tires i'll have on the back will light off WAY before i could tear up anything in the tranny; &

4. i've got a '72 SS El Camino that has the original saginaw 4-speed tranny in it that came from the factory. my now deseased buddy Wally ordered this car new and i'm the 2nd owner. i don't treat it terribly badly, but i know how wally drove it for 25 years and if this thing can withstand wally's driving one just like it will surely work well in a less than 2,000 pound car the way i'll be driving it.

so, all that said, i believe the T-10 to be stonger, but i'll probably use the saginaw. somewhat of a waste, though, 'cause i paid over twice as much for the T-10.

speaking of which, around here a good T-10 fetches around $300 - $350; saginaws bring $150 - $250.

[willowbilly3]

I've seen more than one of the aluminum T-10s spew their guts on the pavement. A cast iron one shouldn't tho. The T-10 will shift better than the saggy if you are full powering it. Also many of the saggys came with a shifter that bolted to the floor insted of the tranny so that may be part of the bad rap. Some aftermarket shifters will cover up the speedo hookup on the tailhousing.

[Tinbender]

Thanks Mike,thats what I needed to know.