recently picked up a 1955 chevy 3100 very good condition. 235 with 3 on the column. i want to do a 4 speed trans swap, I've have previous cars with the saginaw and i thought it ran great. i was just wondering what modifications i had to do. do i have to replace the trans cross member, and will i have to get the driveshaft shortned? i know it'll bolt up to the bell housing and i can still use the mechanical clutch linkage so thats good. but just trying to complete a list of things i have to purchase in order to make this swap happen. i figured since it has a pretty substantial rear mean seal leak, this would be the ideal time to just go ahead and do the swap. thanks for the help guys.
There is no crossmember, or at least it didn't come with one. A '55-'57 Chev pass. driveshaft should be a direct fit - an inch or so difference in length between a 3 speed and the PG/OD shaft, so try it before you buy it ... you'll need a yoke that fits the Saginaw, and a '63-'64 Chev pass. yoke does the job.
^^thats true, if you don't mind a floor shift (assuming you don't since the 4spd) that would be the way to go. Since the 4 will net the same final drive as the 3spd that's there.
ideally 5 speed would be great but I'm on a limited budget and i still need to get a drop axle and 2 more stock wheels and I 2x1 intake and split manifold, all that stuff will ad up quickly. and I'm assuming that a 5 speed will need a different bell housing, different clutch linkage, etc? just want to drive it without burning too much of a hole on my pocket. but is fed consider it. what's needed for the 5 speed?
There are a ton of 5 speed swap threads on the board. Use the search function. I believe Fat Hack started a massive one.
Another option is the 3 speed OD trans, you could wire it for split shifting and essentially make it a 6 speed. Also, you could still keep you column shift if desired. don