Early Chevrolet transmission gurus!

What year did Chevrolet start using synchronized gears, and would those (or later) gears fit into an earlier casing?

I'm back and forth about using the original trans for the '28 speedster- being able to fill it with later gears and putting a Laycock overdrive behind it is an idea that's been bouncing around in my empty head .

Thanks as always, Bill

 

Bump for today- lots of lookers, but no takers

Any ideas? I've heard that '37 was the first year for syncro'd gears, but can't confirm.

 

Okay, I'll bite...........don't know much about really early Chevs, but 1937 was a significant year for chevy as that year model introduced the redsigned 6 cylinder 216 engine and the trans was fresh too. The old ads from parts catalogs typically said "fits '37 theu '54 transmissions".....although they differ in that '37/'38 they were floor shift and thereafter column shift, but the innards had a a long production run.

I do know the '37 up were syncro on 2nd & 3rd......don't know about '36 and back.

Ray

 

I know it can be done, I saw a '39 coupe at a show here recently that had '55 on internals in the '39 case. I have no idea what's involved, you'll need to pull some gearboxes apart and start measuring. This wont give a full synchro box though, but you get better layshaft bearings. Corvettes and 348 Impalas had a close ratio gear set.

 

Thanks guys! Will have to see if I can find some- had an older friend with a barn full of early Chevrolet parts back in PA, but not so much down here... will keep looking.

If anyone has an earier trans with syncro'd gears and can do some measuring, it'd be greatly appreciated- lengths, widths, and bearing measurements as well