55 Gasser is finally home!!!!!

I know just what you are saying.

Mama gave me the green light to go out and find a good 4 speed, but as we all no, life is what happens while your making plans. Lets put it this way, I never thought I'd be making payments on a mower..... So  since the money for the new trans is gone, looks like I'll be using the old Saginaw instead. So today I pulled her out and cleaned her up, along with the bell housing, shift fork, bell crank, flywheel, and presser plate.

Now for some more bad news, sometime during the move I misplaced (yea yea I know lost) the throwout bearing, flywheel bolts, and presser plate bolts.  So do any of you fine folks have any idea how to figure out what throwout bearing to use when I have no idea what the trans came from?

Don't know much about the GM stuff, but the Ford stuff is all coded, provided nobody chiseled the code tag off it. Maybe some casting numbers will give some guidance. There can't be too many variations of TOB for a saginaw. As long as it fits over the front bearing retainer, and fits within the confines of the bell, it should be fine. Our local NAPA here in Western NY has an awesome bunch of old car guys behind the counter, with their experience split up amongst them relating to ford, GM and Mopar. It is really rare if you go in looking for something like this and they can't help you.... but they are here, and you're far away. It shouldn't be tough, if you can find a parts supplier that still keeps their old catalogs around.

The parts stores down here are a joke. Went to napa first, girl said she wasn't sure she could still get throwout bearings,auto zone wanted to know if it had A/C, at pep boys I stood at the parts counter for a long time, until a girl stocking shelfs told me that no one work at the parts counter, and I'd have to go to the check out to get parts. The young fella at the counter had no idea what I was asking for.

That's the problem with modern era parts stores. Our local stores here usually have minimum 3 people on staff at the counter, and our NAPA manager/co-owner was in high school trade school when I was, and he has been with the store since 1979- gives him 35 years experience. He really knows the product line. And many of his co-workers have 20 plus years there under his training. So collectively they have over 100 years of parts experience. Do you have any idea what era this tranny would be from? If you got me some dimensions, maybe I could have him look into it, find what it may be, and mail it to you in a priority mailer. Knowing the input bearing retainer OD would be the first step... after that, I would have to see what he throws back at me for dimensions. Possibly a couple of casting numbers, maybe? Also maybe a dimension between the fingers of the fork? And they never throw out a catalog, especially if it would provide applications for muscle car and classic car info, since 3 of those guys are hobbyists, with one of them being a hard-core Mopar racer from the late 70's. He also moonlights doing race engine prep in his home machine shop- and can really make a wedge motor go.

Thanks for the offer Doc, I may have to take you up on that. I really miss the old school parts guys, there was a parts man up home when I was young, who could find anything and knew most part numbers by heart. Most of the stores today have become like the old Nationwide Auto parts that were around when I was a young man. A good place to buy oil and wax but not a parts store
The problem with Saginaw is basically they used all the same cases and tailshafts for all applications, the only difference is the guts. Which makes them a pain to identify.

Chris55 wrote:  I really miss the old school parts guys, there was a parts man up home when I was young, who could find anything and knew most part numbers by heart.

I think those day are long behind us brother. Doesn't do me any good to go to a parts store. They have to order stuff I need. I can order stuff myself. I want it now.

Chris55 wrote:Thanks for the offer Doc, I may have to take you up on that.  I really miss the old school parts guys, there was a parts man up home when I was young, who could find anything and knew most part numbers by heart.  Most of the stores today have become like the old Nationwide Auto parts that were around when I was a young man. A good place to buy oil and wax but not a parts store
The problem with Saginaw is basically they used all the same cases and tailshafts for all applications, the only difference is the guts. Which makes them a pain to identify.

I have a lot of luck identifying them

pepboys speedshop wrote:

I have a lot of luck identifying them[/quote]
you need to come down here and train these folks. Or better yet just move down here and take over one of these stores.

I wish I could

According to my local NAPA fellers, their N1488 release bearing fits a huge number of applications from the fifties right on thru the 60's and 70's musclecar era as well, with VERY few exceptions. Hope this gets you something you can use.

Thanks to Doc I got my throw out bearing, and also snagged some pressure plate bolts. Now just waiting for a bronze pilot bushing from NAPA.


Some more stuff I painted.




Some valve covers and a fuel pressure gauge I picked up for her.



I know it's not alot of progress, but at least I'm moving forward.....lol

Glad you "got 'er found". I finding out once you hit 50, any progress is a lot of progress.... I just run out of gas and attitude by the end of the afternoon.

Chris55 wrote:Thanks to Doc I got my throw out bearing, and also snagged some pressure plate bolts. Now just waiting for a bronze pilot bushing from NAPA.


Some more stuff I painted.




Some valve covers and a fuel pressure gauge I picked up for her.



I know it's not alot of progress, but at least I'm moving forward.....lol

Mna, its great progress!
any car saved it a huge victory!!!!

Not for the 55, but some valve covers I did for the 47. have a Caddy air cleaner I'm gona paint to match. Trying to find an intake with the oil fill tube in the font, so I can move the pcv.

Cool Valve covers. Bot sets!

Chris.
I got one you can have. It is already Chevy orange.
I will post a pic if you want to see it?

Thanks Mike, that would be awesome.

Well I've done it now! I've registered the 55 for the Tri Five Nats., all ready paid the entry fee and reserved a hotel room so there's no turning back. Now I just have to get her ready in time. Anybody want to move to Florida for a couple months? Wish me luck!

My wife would let us move there right now.

Sounds like you are going to have a blast. I need to make another trip down to Jacksonville to pick up a straigh axle  and springs for my 64 c10. I have someone holding it for me. So where is the Nats held?

You can do it Chris!

Making some progress, but not sure if I'm gona be ready by the 10th.
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Nice, love me some fender well exit headers.