Saginaw 4-Speed Issue

[vtwhead]

I had a Hurst on a Saginaw and had issues shifting. Dropped the arms off the tranny and put it in nuetral then slid a 1/4 inch rod into the alignment hole to synchronize the shift arms on the shifter with the shifter in nuetral, then hooked up the rods to the tranny. Worked fine after that. FWIW.

[B.A.KING]

good luck and keep after it.just for the record,i run a saginaw in my 59 el camino,i don't abuse it but it has lasted 23 +/- years. now i have worn out the shifter tho:<)

[Johnny Gee]

I see good suggestions about resolving the issue the OP is having. What I don't understand is why people are quick to say the Saginaw is the root of the problem and that changing to a differant trans will resolve a clutch adjustment .

[squirrel]

Thanks Johnny.....I was wondering that myself.

[grm61]

Also check for loose bellhousing bolts, and the bolts that hold the trans to the bell..If things are moving around your clutch wont dissengauge fully.

[fleetside66]

Originally Posted by vtwhead

I had a Hurst on a Saginaw and had issues shifting. Dropped the arms off the tranny and put it in nuetral then slid a 1/4 inch rod into the alignment hole to synchronize the shift arms on the shifter with the shifter in nuetral, then hooked up the rods to the tranny. Worked fine after that. FWIW.

I was assuming he did that right out of the chute. You did that, right? (Nothing wrong with the Saginaw, by the way. I had a few of them & they all worked fine if you don't beat the living hell out of them.)

[Cadzook]

Originally Posted by Johnny Gee

I see good suggestions about resolving the issue the OP is having. What I don't understand is why people are quick to say the Saginaw is the root of the problem and that changing to a differant trans will resolve a clutch adjustment .

Just ignorance! Some people fall for extreme brand loyalty.I've had Muncie, Borg Warner, and Saginaw 4 speeds. They were all fine. I really thrashed on a Saginaw behind a 427 and never broke it.

~Alden

[lippy]

I too agree, sounds like the clutch to me. Lippy

[mixedupamx]

I beat the hell out of the saginaw 4 speed in my nova with a built 6cyl and never had any probs. nothing wrong with a saginaw as long as you dont try to put 500 hp through it. I had a MR gasket shifter and it shifted great!

[carlisle1926]

I see another possibility. It might be a leverage/ ratio issue. The clutch pedal might not actually push the clutch fork in far enough because it wasn't designed for this engine/trans. There is always the possibility that even if all of the play is taken out of the clutch pedal so that it has zero play, that when you push the pedal down, it is only partly dissengaging the clutch. I would shut the engine off, remove the inspection plate and have someone push the pedal all the way to the floor and look at the clutch to see if the disc is free once the pedal is all the way down.

[Engine man]

Originally Posted by squirrel

It could be the clutch is not releasing all the way. If that's the case, it would probably grind when you try to put it in reverse. How much free play is there in the pedal, when you push on it very gently, before you feel resistance? It should have about an inch of free play, if it has more, then it probably needs adjustment. Also if the pressure plate has a worn lever, or the clutch linkage is set up wrong or worn, that could be causing the clutch to drag.

It could also be an issue with the shifter adjustment.

Might even have too thick of oil in it.

If it shifts ok without the engine running, the clutch isn't disengaging properly. This can be caused by the pedal linkage not pushing the throw out bearing far enough or it can be the clutch disc sticking on the input shaft due to rust so it rubs the flywheel and turns the input shaft making it difficult to shift. You need to put graphite or molybdenum disulphide on the input shaft as a lubricant after cleaning the rust off. It could also be that the person that installed the transmission let it hang on the clutch disc so the disc is warped and acts like a thicker disc.

As for oil, these older transmissions need thick oil, especially in the summer, so the synchronizers can get enough drag to work. 80/90 gear oil is what most are supposed to have.

[outlaw256]

most everyone here has told you what to check and they are dead on.your problem isnt the trans.if it slips thru the gears when its not running id be checking the clutch assembly.sticking disc, pr.plate. bearing etc.a nd as far as a saginaw goes back in the 80s i took on out of a vega and put it behind a 461 hp. 327.after putting the guts of a muncie all over the hiway. and that trans took a really bad beating.still good when i sold the car.

[budd]

it could end up being that you just toasted your first clutch, pretty much every guy i knew when i was 16 and first driving did just that, myself included.

[1- shot slinger]

All definite possibilities. I'm not exactly sure what to look for on my own, so I have a friend coming over the end of this week to help me out. I'll post my findings as soon as we check it out.

Thanks again, guys!

[budd]

lets have an update, did you figure this out yet?

[40FordGuy]

Ditto on the clutch...Sounds like replacement time has arrived. If that's a GM factory shifter,..I'd be giving it the evil eye as well. Another thought,...is there enough lube in the trans ? And, is it the correct type.....

Happy Roddin' 4TTRUK

[Noland]

clutch adjustment. I had the same problem with the saginaw I put behind my 390 cadillac in a model A. Thats what happens when you put a chevy in a ford Haha. I dont feel that the clutch need replaced because its still grabbing in just not releasing enough. You just need to find a way to get the clutch to release more.