Saginaw three speed to TH350 swap linkage Q

[6cylinderstepside]

I've owned plenty of 67-72 and 73-79 V-8s and Inline sixes that I used to know every part and bolt size by heart, but I've been out of the game doing other stuff for about five years and I am getting rusty...

I have a '79 with a three on the tree Saginaw three speed and I am going to swap it for a TH350 and I am set on this since it's just a cruiser and a no brainer swap and I can reuse my driveshaft with a short tail 350, I only say that to say that this isn't a transmission choice question.

I have an opportunity to pick up a spare inline six WITH the 350 auto but it is from a '68 model truck. My concern is the shifter linkage. I can't recall if the tranny linkage is different between the generations. My gut says they are different. What is right?

[6cylinderstepside]

So I looked up photos of the auto linkage and then looked at my current linkage and it seems to be the same. I wouldn't have thought manual linkage would be the same as automatic but it appears that way. I might need a longer rod but I'll know pretty quick once I get it installed. Picked up a freshly rebuilt TH350 today and skipped the other deal.

[cadillac_al]

I didn't think they would be the same either. Good luck.

[6cylinderstepside]

Yeah it totally looks the same and the bracket on the side of the tranny looks the same too.

Everything I read said the yoke had 10 splines on the manual and the TH350 was 27 so I've been trying to locate one and I pulled the driveshaft and the yoke slipped into the new tranny perfectly, so that's another thing down. I only have an hour of daylight after work to "play"... Everything else I need I can get new like lines, a tranny cooler, mount and speedo gear.

[beamn7]

Splines should be the same, saginaw and thm350 short shaft are same length so driveshaft should be same and yes, if you are talking about the 3 on the tree linkage, the linkage for 2nd / 3rd shift fork is the same as the auto linkage. Did same swap years ago on a friends truck. I would recommend changing the column to an auto column though. He opted to keep the 3 on the tree column, made for sloppy shifting on an auto...

[6cylinderstepside]

Yup already bagged a tilt auto column just the other day! Thanks for the confirmation on the linkage!

[MikeB]

I just converted from a 3-speed manual trans and column to a TH350 and auto column on my 82 C10. The bracket on the frame used by the 3-speed linkage works perfectly with my TH350 linkage.

I sold my manual trans, column, and linkage, and ended up buying OE auto trans shift linkage, so don't know if you can use any of the manual trans linkage, other than the bracket I mentioned above.

If you have an auto trans column, I do have a new Lokar kit that will work. Started to use it and decided to go OE. Works fine, but might need to be re-bent to clear headers.

[6cylinderstepside]

I am planning on finally yanking the transmission tomorrow, I just realized that I haven't gotten a flexplate! Hopefully the "zone" will have one in stock.

[jcwren]

Resurrecting an old thread, but what's the shift pattern on the TH350 with the manual shift linkage?

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by jcwren

Resurrecting an old thread, but what's the shift pattern on the TH350 with the manual shift linkage?

Manual shift linkage won't work with a TH350. But the manual trans linkage uses a frame bracket that can also be used with the TH350 linkage.