4 speed granny gear tranny and good??

[kustumizer]

me and my friend have this hot rod project goin on and we plan to put a manual in it.(autos are boring) we can get our hands on a 4 speed tranny but its has a granny gear. Would this be any good behind a 350? Were not goin to be building the motor with any serious power, but has anybody used a tranny like this before?? Thanks Nate

[Tudor]

a granny gear 4 speed is fine if you got a 3.08 or lower rear end gear - or if you have higher gear just skip 1st?

[crow]

Rockcrawlin dudes pay good dough for those. Maybe you'd be better selling it and getting a muncie or saginaw. Do you know if it is an SM420 or an SM465. The 420 is the earlier and lower geared one and good ones are getting scarce. They're both dang heavy.

[kustumizer]

yeah i checked out the tranny today and the thing is monsterous big, i think we will go with a muncie or a saginaw trans. Thanks for the info, i let you know on the part # Thanks Nate

[OldSub]

SM420 will have only ONE PTO cover.

I believe all the later transmissions have two. In any case if this tranny is original with the motor its likely a SM435 or SM465 because Chevy/GMC didn't use the SM420 after 1967 and if I remember right the first 350 was 1968. If I remember right...

[crow]

...and SM420s are a little smaller(got one in the garage) so I'm guessing SM465, they are big uns.

[willowbilly3]

Not sure of model numbers but the earlier ones (67? and older) with reverse on the left, are better shifting trannys. Still granny is pretty much an unusable gear so you really just have this big clunky 3 speed. In which case you might as well run a saggy 3 speed. cheap, easy to find and tough. Plus when you get the bucks or find the right 4 speed everything is a direct bolt up.

[Creeper Larry]

One cool thing about em is they have the shifter located farther forward so the placement is good for a hot rod-(not jamned into the base of the seat)