4-5 speed swap....is it worth it?

[Bonnewagon]

The factory equipped the base model A/G's with the Saginaw 3 speed manual trans. They changed the round tail housing with a flat sided one so the shifter could be mounted more forward, thus clearing the base bench seat. The 4 speed Saginaw also had that tail housing, which I discovered I needed AFTER the trans was installed . Any other trans with the usual rear mounted shifter won't clear the bench, unless you use a convoluted shifter handle that bends forward, up, and around the bench. Bucket seats eliminate the problem altogether, but positioning the shifter farther to the rear also might cause the shifter and/or linkage to hit the trans tunnel.

 

[chevy2480]

On my T10 shufter is tail mounted and it clears my factory 40/60 bench with no issues.

 

[rwd_pete]

I had a couple of '81 Malibu 3 speed standards. The front of the shifter boot is just below the edge of the radio part of the dash.

 

[t01blaze]

Unless I'm missing something, this transmission has the "regular" non-gbody rearward shifter mount and seems to work fine. If I could have my shifter mounted in my car like that I'd be very happy.

http://www.oldspower.com/vb/showthread.php?t=27378

 

[t01blaze]

I had a couple of '81 Malibu 3 speed standards. The front of the shifter boot is just below the edge of the radio part of the dash.

Can you fix the picture link?

 

[rwd_pete]

I haven't mastered posting pictures, but if you check "Most Recent Photos" on the GBodyForum home page it's posted there. If you know what I did wrong posting it, let me kow and
I'll fix it.
Pete

 

[pontiacgp]

from rwd pete's colection

 

[Bonnewagon]

t01blaze, watch out, that Olds link came up as infected with a Trojan horse, my AVAST! caught it. Anyway, as rwd_pete said, the factory shifter is real close to the dash. Perhaps some model seats clear better, but my '81 Malibu bench seat was super close to the shifter, no other arrangement would have worked. I went with Firebird buckets anyway, but as I said, the rear mounted shifter/rods were banging against the trans tunnel. As much as I liked the rearward position with a short straight shifter arm, I gave up and went back to the stock forward mounted shifter, even though that made my console fitment difficult. Here is a pic of the stock location, and the hole left by the rear mounted shifter. Then a pic showing how it ended up.

 

[bill]

Hey guys....
Thanks a bunch for the replies. Gives me much to think about. I would like to go with a more modern t-5 or t-56 with the Hydro clutch set up, although I havent given up on the idea of a vintage era muncie either. I think I should talk w/ Brian at G-body parts. I think he has the parts and the knowledge, and could probably have it done within a few weeks in his shop if and when I can get the car down there...... instead of yrs if I do it myself...lol

 

[pontiacgp]

if you decide to get a T5 WC spend a few extra $$ and get a good aftermarket shifter. I bought a hurst shifter and it cured a problem I thought I had with the transmission, the stock shifters are very sloppy