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Well the trans is back together and installed in the car. Happy to report that it is shifting well both standing still and moving. It was quite a experience rebuilding this and if anyone ever happens to want to tackle it I can pretty much say I know this trans inside and out pretty well so don't hesitate to ask questions. The actual rebuild went well, the hardest part was dealing with the snap rings. I had several different snap ring pliers but I have to admit I did not have the correct one. If I did this again I would definitely make sure to get the correct style pliers. I went with a complete rebuild kit and used what I feel was a high quality kit. There are some that were cheaper but this is not something I want to do again. I also decided on using a hard to find GL4 gear oil. I used some made by Brad Penn and it is sold as "classic" gear oil for older style transmissions including Muncie, Saginaw, Borg Warner etc. So, finished it today and took it for a ride, all seems to be well. The initial issue was the result of a broken 1/2 slider hub which I posted pictures of earlier. Here it is ready to go back in, changed the color from black to a cast gray..... Oh, by the way, this beast is heavy!!!

Glad to hear you got it back together.

Sta-Lube 85W90 GL-4 can be found at NAPA for $35 a gallon.

Manufacturer : CRC

GL-4 Multi-Purpose Gear Oil (85W90)

I heard NAPA had it, of course a gallon is a lot. Saginaw takes about 1.5 quarts. Most auto parts stores only have GL5 and there is a ton of info about whether this is ok to use or not. Some GL5 can have a negative effect on brass or bronze syncro rings. Many guys also recommend staying away from synthetic in these older transmissions. I just decided to stay with standard GL4 oil.

Well Clyde now it's time for a "ROAD TRIP"! It will wash Clyde it was meant to get dirty. If you get near by I might even help wash it. I am glad you found this nagging problem and the fix turned out somewhat painless, as there is room for this to have been a lot worse. Harry

Well i don't know about "painless", as it was a pain to do and I have some scars to prove it. However, I am glad it is fixed and seeing what the problem was now, I was lucky the whole trans just didn't lock up. Now it's back to the fun things like cleaning and polishing.......

I just installed a rebuilt Saginaw tranny in my '78 Monza Spyder and it works fine. I also installed a brand new Zoom flywheel, pressure plate, and throw out bearing at the time attempting to keep other problems from occurring.

Where did you get the rebuilt trans from?

Clyde this is awesome, and doing it yourself makes it even better, you must have a press?

I do have a press but it was not necessary. The only thing that may require it (according to the service manual) is the 1st/2nd slider assembly. I was able to just support the gear and tap the end of the mainshaft with a rubber mallet. When reassembling it it doesn't require anything special as the slider assembly slips over the splines on the mainshaft. I could never understand why they said the 1st/2nd was pressed on while the 3rd/4th just slips on the splines. So, in the end it wasn't a big deal to get the sliders and gears off the mainshaft and it can be done without a press. Yes, there is a sense of satisfaction doing it yourself and knowing every single part in there.

I'm getting ready to tackle my transmission soon, too cold to work in the garage for long periods(-36 this morn), and I'm wondering what parts/kit you bought for the rebuild Clyde? My 4-speed trans whines in 1-3 gear and is getting sloppy/clunky in the shifts. Any suggestions?

Rick

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