Speedo gears

[Regular Guy with an Elky]

Hi ,
I have a Saginaw 4 speed I’m getting ready to put in a 1983 El Camino. I need to replace the speedo drive and driven gears. I need a 10 - 19 gear set.
I have been looking online and found a set at classic transmission solutions but the set is for a th350 auto and they say the set will not work in the Saginaw.
The parts look the same is there really a difference and any ideas on where to get what I need? I’m getting info overload and seeing a million parts that all look the same. Does anybody have any good advice.

Also all the foot pedal kits I see seem to be missing one part or another . Any tips on the best most compleat kit out there?

Thanks

 

[pagrunt]

Depending on the TH350, the drive/driven gears should interchange. I'm understanding the BOP case uses the different design as the Chevy uses the same as the Muncie & Saginaw uses. I have one of each driven gear to try to zero in my needs for my Saginaw. Most few came from the dead TH350's I've had in the car before the conversion. BTW, what is the rear ratio & tire size along with if you know what the drive gear color/tooth count with what is in the Saginaw. If things match up right you might just need the driven gear.

 

[Regular Guy with an Elky]

Depending on the TH350, the drive/driven gears should interchange. I'm understanding the BOP case uses the different design as the Chevy uses the same as the Muncie & Saginaw uses. I have one of each driven gear to try to zero in my needs for my Saginaw. Most few came from the dead TH350's I've had in the car before the conversion. BTW, what is the rear ratio & tire size along with if you know what the drive gear color/tooth count with what is in the Saginaw. If things match up right you might just need the driven gear.

Looks like a seven tooth drive gear. I have a 3.5 to 1 first gear my tires are 25 inches and my rear is a 2.41. I’m hoping the car would be drivable with that but if not I will change the rear in the future and probably not use 1st gear. Or is my thinking all wrong?

 

[Bonnewagon]

I have that same 3:50 to1 Saginaw in my Bonnewagon. I tried to use the 2:41 rear but it sucked. A 2:73 rear was a bit better, but I think a 3:08 is perfect. That gets you an overall ratio of 10:78 to 1. Nice easy takeoff, excellent highway cruising. I now have a 3:23 rear and I can climb trees with it. But I needed more gear for towing and I can take off in second if I want to.

 

[pagrunt]

Looks like a seven tooth drive gear. I have a 3.5 to 1 first gear my tires are 25 inches and my rear is a 2.41. I’m hoping the car would be drivable with that but if not I will change the rear in the future and probably not use 1st gear. Or is my thinking all wrong?

First, I'll agree with Bonnewagon the 2.41 sucks with a stick. Since your first gearis 3.50, a 3.08 would be better but a 2.73 could do as this was what most stick cars came with. Between my car & my boy's project, both will be 2.73 rears & 3.11 first which after checking numbers will be simular to a M20 Muncie with a 3.23 rear. Keep on mind change to the rear will need the driven gear will ne changed. With having a 7 tooth drive gear odds are that Saginaw came out of a Vega/Monza or clone & might need a ratio adapter box cause they lowest tooth count driven gear don't get the speedo where it needs to be. I have to get one for both cars cause I picked up Saginaws with a 7 tooth gear.

 

[Bonnewagon]

When I had a 400 in my Malibu wagon, I used the 3:11 to 1 Saginaw. It worked best with a 3:23 rear. Excellent take off, not bad highway. I needed the gear adapter to make the speedo work.

The 3:50/3:23 set up needed the most extreme driven gear I had in my collection. I forget what the tooth count was but if I needed one more tooth it would have needed the adapter.

 

[Regular Guy with an Elky]

I have that same 3:50 to1 Saginaw in my Bonnewagon. I tried to use the 2:41 rear but it sucked. A 2:73 rear was a bit better, but I think a 3:08 is perfect. That gets you an overall ratio of 10:78 to 1. Nice easy takeoff, excellent highway cruising. I now have a 3:23 rear and I can climb trees with it. But I needed more gear for towing and I can take off in second if I want to.

I thought I was looking for around 8.5 to 1 for a street driven car and 10 to 1 for racing . Did I find some bad info somewhere?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Not necessarily. I prefer a 10 to 1 ratio because I am stuck in traffic a lot. I don't want to burn up my clutch just to get rolling. I can sit in traffic and just push the clutch in and out, not touching the gas pedal. It depends on your engine too. A torquey long stroke low rpm big motor can get a car going pretty easily. A short stroke engine may need to rev a bit more to get going. Out in the country you may come to a stop only once in a while. Here in Shitty City, you are stopping every 1000 feet, at every intersection. What I do believe, is that the better your overall ratio, the longer your clutch will last. When I was young and stupid, I burnt up way too many clutches. Now that I am old and stupid, I hardly ever change a clutch.

 

[spidereyes455]

I once had a 3.50 first gear Saginaw in my grand prix with 4.11's out back and a 400 sbc . You could pull a house off its foundation and drag it down the street with that thing, but you could barely get across a typical intersection before it was red lined.