Ok I found 2 camaros in the junk yard, one is an 82, the other an 84, both four cylinders with the saginaw four speed transmission. I have been told this tranny is stronger than the T-5 and it came factory behind many V8 musclecars. The only problem is, I assume there are going to be lower gear ratios since they are four cylinder trannies. Does this make them weaker?

Also, does anyone know if I could use an early model 4 speed bellhousing, flywheel, and clutch setup. I know this trans is a 10 spline input shaft. Could I just take the bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, and fork from a second gen F-Body?

The 82 camaro has a Z-bar setup, and I would like to use this if it lets me use an early model bellhousing. But the thing looks awfully long since it has to reach from the frame to the side of the 4 cylinder block. Could I cut it shorter to work wit ha V8? Also, could my 73 400 block have the hole to mount the Z-bar pivot ball stud in?

Please help me, I do not want another 700R4 and I would love to have the only 4 speed 400 thirdgen I know of.

 

I have been digging up all the info I can find, and I am not sure what gear ratios this tranny came with. The rule of thumb seems to be the lower (numerically higher) gears the trans has, the weaker it is. As far as I know these are all teh gear ratios which could have come in a saginaw 4 speed.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

2.84 2.01 1.35 1.00
2.54 1.80 1.44 1.00
3.11 2.20 1.47 1.00
3.50 2.47 1.65 1.00

The 2.84 and the 2.54 seem to be listed as the V8 ratios, the 3.11 as the 6 cylinder version, but I cannot find any listings for the 3.5 version. I am afraid maybe this is a four banger version, and since its such a deep gear I am afraid its weaker. Is there any way I can find out the gear ratios of the tranny? Is there any way I can change them? I wouldnt mind having that 2.54 first or even 2.84 first.

 

if you want vader or gm tech why don't you e mail them? lot of us could of helped you but you don't seem to want any help from anyone but vader and gm tech.

 

I think if you want to talk with GMTech you'll need to visit sethirdgen.org
I don't think he comes around these parts much anymore.

 

i have a whole drive train out of a 82 z28. i have the lg4 305 and a saginaw 4 speed i looked up the gear ratios on it and they were 1st 3.42, 2nd 2.28, 3rd 1.45, 4th 1.00

 

I was not asking for anyone in particular, I am just trying to get help on this. I have not recieved harly any replies on previous replies about this. It seems alot of people here forgot there was ever a four speed available in a thirdgen. I know everyone loves their 700R4s but I am tired of breaking them. This is the second one that has pooped out on me now. Plus I just like standards better anyway. I think im just gonna put in the 4 speed and see what happens. this 400 is quickly becoming the biggest PITA ever.

 

The sag. wide ratio 4sp isn't a very good tranny. Probably not much if any stronger than a good T5. A 700r4 works really well if it has the needed performance parts installed. If you really want a 4 speed, find a rock-crusher or something similiar. Maybe a t10 or something. Installing a 4sp manual from a 4 cylinder car will require some modification to make it work right.

 

I ran a saginaw in my 83Z for awhile until it gave up. Replaced it with a muncie m21 and never had any more breaking tranny problems. Broke 2 t-5's before the saginaw.

I hate to say it, but you might be better off with something like a used Tremec or a 6 speed. Stronger and you have overdrive.

 

If you're really set on using a Saginaw 4 speed, I still have the V8 bellhousing that I took out of mine. If you need it, let me know and it's yours. I live in Dallas, just south of Balch Spriings.

 

Sure I can use the V8 bellhousing for a saginaw. In fact that is kind of a main piece i was looking for, because without it i cant use the 4 speed. I went to the swap meet out at the ball park today, but I didnt really find much. Drop me an email at ward_21@hotmail.com and let me know how much you want for it. I can come pick it up from you whenever is convenient for you.

 

Ward, you have mail.

 

I did the swap. I pulled one out of a junk yard. I was already set up for a hydrolic clutch so i used a bell housing out of a puckup. It took a little beating of the tunnel and firewall but it fit in. It also allowed me to go to an 11in clutch. That part went fine but the trany i pulled out did't have a shifter orthe rods. Also doesn't have torqe arm mount. I made my own ant it works but i had to drop the rear of the tranny a lot to get it to fit. My drivetrain alignment is off. Is there anywhere to get these parts?

 

Umm, I dont know of anywhere to buy them. There is a junk yard here in dallas which has the shifter, rods, torque arm mount, driveshaft, crossmember, everything, but its a 4 cylinder so the bellhousing and clutch are of no use. Did you pull your tranny from a 4 cylinder as well? What type of engine do you have?

 

Hey thatsme, when i sold autoi parts, we could order the shifter rods from hurst. You might want to check into that.

 

The whole 4 speed swap didn't go well for me. The car was my daily driver at the time so I had to mke it work and do it quickly. I have a 305 out of a 79 nova. I pulled it out of an 84 v8 camaro. I got the stock driveshaft and crossmember. My main problem was mounting the shifter. I used a hurst shifter. When I mounted it to the top of the tranny it stuck up way too high. There was absolutely no way to get the bottom boot on. The top of the shifter mechanism was even with the top part of the console. This is witout the rod and ball on it. I ended up making a crossmember to drop the rear of the tranny but it threw my drive train alignment way off.

 

if it helps(or not) i helped put in a sb400 engine into an 82 bird and has the 4 cyl 4 speed in it, we used a 69 chevy truck cast iron bellhousing, the hole for the bearign retainer at front of tranny case was bigger than the tranny, but we centered it and bolted tranny to it and beat floor board in where needed and fabbed linkage, and it works, runs and rives still today, runs hot though.

good luck