im going to go look at some saginaw transmissions there are 3 speed and 4 speed transmissions...is one stronger than the other? i know saginaws are not as strong as a muncie but i am going to have a 2300lb car with 250hp and 4 inches of tire on the ground so hooking up isnt a problem(i know i wont)...i saw on a trans site that the muncies the more rings on the inputshaft arent as good is this a strength issue or gearing...is this the same with the 0-1-2-3 rings on the saginaw transs thanks
Generally Muncies with 2 rings on the input shaft are M-20, one ring usually fine spline are M-21, and no rings are M-22, rock crushers. This info is courtesy of Pete at Hudson Performance. I have come across all kind of bastards due to parts swapping which is amazingly interchangable among Muncies. I have in the past used Saginaws with much more horses and rubber and they have stayed together fairly well if you don't beat them, which I do, and I hjave done a fair amount of walking as well. If you can get a good saginaw four speed really cheap go for it otherwise opt for any Muncie, all of which are vastly superior to any Saginaw I have ever had. Just yacking from experience.
whats the deal with the syncro transmissions and non...some have a non syncro 1st? some are completely syncroless...are the ones without syncros trucks only
All the Saginaws, 3 & 4 spd, from '66 and up are all syncro. "GM Saginaw transmission ratio identification Grooves 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Notes: 0 2.85 2.02 1.35 1.00 1 2.56 1.81 1.37 1.00 Third gear on cluster has 25 teeth 1 2.56 1.81 1.44 1.00 Third gear on cluster has 21 teeth 2 3.11 2.20 1.47 1.00 3 3.50 2.48 1.65 1.00 *** The grooves are found on the input shaft. I am sure there are exceptions to this rule." I think the 3spd rings are 3 for 3.50 first, 2 for 3.11 and 1 for 2.56.
so since noone has said anything about one being stronger than the other i am assuming they are the same( yes i know what happens when you assume)
never heard of 3spd vs. 4spd being stronger or weaker. There are several opinions saying Muncie's are much stronger, others say Saginaws are just fine. I got my 1967 3spd Saginaw (2.85 first) for $50 off of craigslist and the insides look like new. For the price, and putting it behind a mild SBC, I think It'll be fine. I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", from what I've read, that applies greatly here. I'm pretty sure that a newer saginaw would be better than a used and abused muncie. Everyone I've talked to personally who've run repair shops for 20 years say my saginaw will be fine in my car, and it will be heavier than yours, probably around the same horsepower. The rings are definitely not indicative of strength, only gearing and therefore what vehicle it likely came out of.
Muncie's are usually said to be stronger. I once broke a Muncie and replaced it with a Saginaw. When I sold the car a year or two later the Saginaw was still doing fine.
Saginaws lasted forever in the low hp applications, they only look weak when you expect them to do too much. Like I did with one behind a big block when I was 17
The front bearing goes bad , the snap rings may loosen up and the spring preload washer next to the rear mainshaft bearing can break up with abuse.But like the guy say above,they can hold up ok or blow up
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