i got a saginaw 4 speed form a guy at work today. all it is , is in the pic below... (along with the blue 2.02"S )

anyways, i also have an 86 Ta that i am going to take the drivetrain and tpi system out of. 305 tpi MAF motor with 700r4.,

my project car is an 84 monte ss, i am going to rebuild a 4 bolt 350, with the 2.02 heads. i cant decide on weather to install the tpi or a carb setup on the engine, but am also wondering which trans would be better. what would you guys do?? (input on the tpi vs. carb also sought after.)

i have herd a lot of talk about saginaws being junk, but can they be beefed up with rebuild kits?

thanks guys, brian

 

Man, kinda hard to give advice on this one. Those 2 choices of trannys are so different from each other, it really depends on your preference I guess. As far as I know, there's not really any aftermarket stuff available to "beef up" a Saginaw. They'll handle a decent amount of abuse, but of course the Muncie or Super T10 are stronger units. It really comes down to whether you prefer an automatic, or if rowing through the gears manually is your preference. Another factor that would weigh into it heavily, at least if it were me, is whether you want to have overdrive or not. If you do a considerable amount of freeway driving, the 700r4 would probably be the better choice since it has overdrive. If it's going to mainly be a strip car, or a street racer, the Saginaw might not be so bad. Of course, even in that application, the Muncie or Super T10 is a better choice.

 

Saginaws are junk. The only upgrade you can do... is go to a Super T-10 or Muncie 4 speed.

www.garagemotorsports.com

 

If you want a manual transmission then I'd say get something else. If you want an automatic the 700 is a good choice. Low 1st gear and an overdrive. Whatever tranns you get I'd say get something with overdrive unless you don't get on the highway much.

Presonally I'd go with the TPI setup. That's just me, I like fuel injection better than carb. I just think that overall fuel injection starts better, runs better, and has better overall drivability.

 

You can't ask us which is better when comparing a manual vs automatic. Is this a drag car? If so, auto may be better. Street car? Daily driver? All things to consider. Whichever works best for you though. And yeah I haven't heard a single good word about the Saginaw 4 speed.

Side note, whats the casting number on those heads? Just because they have 2.02" valves doesn't mean they're not over-hyped, outdated "performance" junk from the 1960's. Wouldn't want you to be disappointed.

 

dont worry. after i wrote the origonal post, i looked up the casting numbers.

3998983

seems o be 1.94, 1.50's, POS"S.


oh well. at least they were free. ill just have to get the set of heads off of my dads enf=gine bench that have the casting numbers of

3973414 i guess those will have to do....


are the 1.94, 1.50 any good. says that the are:

76 CC Chambers
Intake flow 150.8 CFM
Exhaust flow 91.1 CFM could these be decked and ported to be decent heads, or are they a waste of time???

 

According to www.mortec.com


Can't find anything for 3998983, you sure its not this?
3998993....72-73...307/350......75cc chambers

Your other set...
3973414....70......350..........LT1-350/370hp, Camel hump, 64cc chambers