1985 C10 2wd Swapped Engine/Trans Identification

[Srubydo1986]

It most likely this transmission im surching to see what it is. But the engine is a ford and the tranny is a chevy.

or this one

[Captkaos]

How many rods (if any) are on the transmission? Where is the shifter located?
If there are no rods and the shifter is mounted on top, it would be the SM465. If there are 2 rods and the shifter is bolted to the rear of the trans it would be a 3 speed, 3 rods and bolted to the rear of the trans and it is a 4 speed.

It could also be the 3 speed overdrive trans....

[SKarpenz]

Thanks for the help so far guys. I didn't get a chance to work on the underside of the truck today, but the last I remember, there are only two rods on the trans and the shifter was towards the rear. That is what I think I saw, haha.

[Srubydo1986]

yep car tranny but i donrt know which one havent been around to many manuals as much as i love them.

[SKarpenz]

From the back, that crossmember thing is what you see on the bottom:



These are all from the side/bottom:

[SKarpenz]

Just thought of something. When I bought new slave cylinder, I bought it for a C10 with 350 engine, and I guess that would make it a slave cylinder for truck trans. Is the slave cylinder any different for a car trans like mine? Maybe the cylinder does not make the fork travel far enough to make the clutch dis-engage and engage? Could someone shed some light on this for me?

[Russell]

Most likely a car transmission. There is a possiblity it is the 4 speed with overdrive that occasionally got put into these trucks from the factory though...

Quite possible that your slave cylinder isn't right for it. By not being able to find a gear, do you mean that it grinds, or just doesn't go it? The rods on the side may need adjustment...

[SKarpenz]

I can find a gear or two sometimes and maybe neutral. No grinding, just mush.

[SSC's76]

It's a Saginaw 3 speed, can be either truck or car not very tq friendly either way but should be ok to start with.

Most likely you have a linkage/shifter problem. Take the rods off and see if you can enguage the gears by hand. The biggest problem with this setup is adjusting the rods properly you can go to mr gaskets site and download the PDF that will give you8 step by step directions on how to adjust the shifter.

[benoit454]

I agree it only has 2 rods and that's a 3 speed. ones for 1st and reverse and the other works 2nd and 3rd. Had the same one in a 76 c10, it held up to alot of abuse. it got done it by about a 7 grand 2nd shift without the clutch.

I never seen a hydraulic slave cylinder/clutch setup on a 3 speed, the previous owner must have really thrown together what they had or could find.

[SKarpenz]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm gonna take the rods off tomorrow and play with it I guess. If its the tranny thats messed up, ya think it would be best to rebuild the current one? Or what should I replace it with?

[benoit454]

If you take the side cover off where the rods are, you'll know if it's the transmission. Nothing to go wrong with one except for snychro going out, if it's something else it be a broke tooth or bad bearing whine, when or if it moves/drives, or you'll see a broken shaft or tooth.

You can get the parts and kits cheap for them. As for replacing it, a th350 short tail, or another 3 speed or car four speed should fit in it's place just fine.

[SKarpenz]

Sweet. I drove the truck once, kind of by accident, but like 2nd gear is all I could get and it didn't whine or anything like that. Maybe I can diagnose the probem tomorrow, that would be sweet.

[SKarpenz]

Eureka!

I *kind of* found the problem. The thing that was going on was when the first rod went from 1st -> 2nd gear and I tried to go to 3rd gear, the first rod wouldnt go into "neutral" and 3rd gear was not engaging. This led someone to jar the shifter and apparently knock the shifter assembly off the shift rods (if that makes sense). I just got under there and aligned it and the gears are shifting fine, sort of. The problem is 100% in the shifter assembly because I can run it through the gears from under the truck like butter but the shifter feels iffy, haha.

Any suggestions?

[benoit454]

Well this is not such a good idea but I've done it trying to diagnose a problem before.

Unhooked both rods from the shifter, put both rods in neutral.

If you can figure out or know for sure which is first that help alot.

if not then trial and error.

Grab one rod, throw it in a gear, jump in, PUSH IN THE CLUTCH, start it, and let out easy, see how easy it moves.

Shut off, grab that same rod and throw it in the opposite gear, say you pulled back on it the first time, this time shove forward. Jump in, clutch in, start it and try it.

After you've done one rod, if it wasn't the 1st and reverse rod, put it in neutral underneath, then do the opposite rod, first one direction then the other.

Now when you find 1st for sure keep note of where it is, and see how it feels. How well it takes off, how much you have to slip the clutch or rev it to get it to go.

Once done, put the shifter in neutral, take THAT rod ONLY, the one for 1st, move the little ball end of it, to where it falls in the shifter arm without having to pull or push, make sure BOTH the arms on the trans are in neutral on the side cover, and the shifter is in neutral.

Once that rods hooked up, jump back in, clutch in, start it up in neutral and let out slowly to make sure neutral works, rev it up to be sure. Now try out that gear, 1st and reverse. See if it engages just like when it was unhooked. if it acts just like when it's unhooked then it's fine. As far as the shifter goes, for that rod.

Now hook up the other rod the exact same way, both the rod and shifter in neutral screw the ball on the end to adjust them so they fall in the shifter arm hole easily.

Now try it out. Try to drive it awhile to hit all the gears.

Now if it acts funny in all the forward gears NOT hooked to the shifter, like you have to rev it up alot to make it pull out and it's like in 3rd gear all the time and never any better, you may have clutch or trans problems. if she drives and pulls out fine in first just as she should, like idle, and pulls forward, you should be good to hook them up on the shifter.

Then once you do, if she acts worse then with the rods unhooked, the shifter is worn out, broke or just need to change it.

Looks like an indy universal 3 speed to me, they sometime pop out of gear or mesh up and screws with trying to change gears, like won't go in or out of gears. Then of course they wear out and throw very far without fully going into gear on the trans.

If I'm not mistaken I think the furthest arm back on the side is 1st and reverse and that rod shuld be pulled towards the rear to engage 1st. That should make it up and to the driver's side on the shifter. Basically I think the rule of thumb is they are backwards. if the shifter is left it's the right arm underneath, and if the shifter is forward then the rod gets pulled back, and vice versa.

[SKarpenz]

Thanks alot man, I think I figured it out now. But it still feels kind of sloppy, I'll just play with it some more I guess.

[SKarpenz]

Well the trans is cool now, but I can't start the truck for the life of me. It isnt even firing. I got new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor and it is all in sync but it will not spark! Any suggestions?

[benoit454]

did anything get unplugged?

Does it even crank over?


Also do you know for sure it's getting fuel?

I'd check and make sure it's getting fire, you know take a plug out lay it on the block, plug the wire in and crank it, or get the crap zapped out of ya and grab the wire with a thick rag or gloves and try cranking it.

Gotta make sure it's gettin fuel and no spark, or gettin spark and no fuel, or worse not getting either. Then we can help ya out further.

[SKarpenz]

Definitely getting fuel and no spark. I'm sure its all plugged in too. I'm going to have the coil tested tomorrow. It is also cranking over, it just cranks and cranks and cranks.

[benoit454]

Yea need to make sure your coil is good. I was going to say I'd check the coil, kinda bet it's bad if you get no fire to the wires or plugs.

if not that, might check the module in the distributor, assumeing it's HEI style with coil in the cap.