Rebuilding a Saginaw 4-Speed

jlfloppy · Feb 13, 2020

This message is a reply to an archived post by Glenn F. on January 07, 2010 at 18:48:10.
The original subject was "Rebuilding a Saginaw 4Speed".

Hey, I know this is a very old thread, but was wondering if anyone knew what a good quote on rebuilding a Saginaw 4 speed transmission is on todays pricing.

Thanks.

Bob · Feb 13, 2020

(quoted from post at 19:09:57 02/13/20) This message is a reply to an archived post by Glenn F. on January 07, 2010 at 18:48:10.
The original subject was "Rebuilding a Saginaw 4Speed".

Hey, I know this is a very old thread, but was wondering if anyone knew what a good quote on rebuilding a Saginaw 4 speed transmission is on todays pricing.

Thanks.

It would be impossible to give you any meaningful info without more details.

What model, a "truck" version, such as the "SM420" or "SM 465", or some muscle car tranny (which I am LESS familiar with than the truck versions)?

Or?

What's wrong, any gears or shafts, synchros, or shift collars, etc. damaged/worn out, or just needs gaskets and seals or gaskets, bearings and seals?

The cost of an "overhaul" could vary by a thousand dollars or more, depending on the answers to those questions and others.

If the truck versions, they are not REAL technical to overhaul, and you can get by without many specials tools besides maybe a "bearing splitter".

Post back with more details, likely someone will be able to help you.

Jeff B. · Feb 13, 2020

Saginaw 4speeds were typically passenger car transmissions. Is this from a car or a truck? I can answer any questions you may have about this except the price, and I can even tell you who to call for that, but lets get some more information. I just retired from a 36 year career in the transmission business. Sold tons of parts for nearly all of them.
E-mail me if you like.

gab · Feb 13, 2020

I think Saginaw 4 speeds were the ones in my 69 Camaro and 76 Chevy Monza plus the Vegas, Novas and so on. I've had a lot of them apart, most for hard shifting, synchronizers. They were easy to work on compared to the Muncies and the other popular one, can't think of the name right now, Borg Warner maybe. Got no idea how much money you could put in one now days but they were easy.

jlfloppy · Feb 13, 2020

Hey, sorry for not posting sufficient details before, and thanks for replying.

The car is a 1975 Firebird Formula 350. Some people were also trying to say it is a borg warner T-10, but I am unsure. The syncos are going
out, and the transmission does not always go in or stay in fourth. This was caused by an event where accelerating through a turn in 1st,
terrible noises came from the transmission like someone threw some rocks in there. Anyways, come to find out, the tranny was leaking over
time and was nearly out of fluid, so yeah that will do it I guess, stupid of me not to check. Once i pumped fluid in, some of the noise went
away but fourth still did not stay engaged. I got a quote for at least $1600 for a rebuild, and more if there is more wrong. That is with
them pulling the tranny which I would rather do myself though. Let me know if I can provide more info, this is all I know for now.

Thank you all for replying.

Bruce(OR) · Feb 13, 2020

What is broken? Saginaw being a medium duty trans and the Muncie being more desirable. A few hundred will get the syncro's and seals and a bearing or two. If you blew the input nose or a cluster gear, your price will go up exponentially.

jlfloppy · Feb 13, 2020

I will also say after putting the fluid in the chipping/ rocks sound went away, but a extra tinny whine stayed for a while too. The transmission got me by on a 2 hour highway drive home but definitely a workout to keep shifting the gear back into fourth. It was still in the car so I do not have any component specific info.

Thanks

Mutt and Jeff · Feb 14, 2020

I have found myself watching transmission overhauls by this guy on youtube

I believe he will take shipped units rebuild and return them.
Medatronics Corporation
208 North US Highway 1
Unit #1
Tequesta, FL 33469
Phone: 561-743-5600
Fax: 561-741-7921
Email: [email protected]

cwtech · Feb 14, 2020

The easiest way to identify a Saginaw 4-speed is to look at the side cover. ....Only the Saginaws have all 3 shift levers on the side cover.

Borg Warner T-10's and Muncie 4-speeds have only 2 shift levers on the side cover and the reverse shift lever is on the tailshaft housing.

There are several versions of the Saginaw 4-speeds. ...Follow the link for more info.
Identify your transmission here

tom upton · Feb 14, 2020

From my perspective a Saginaw is good for a 6 banger or a low HP small block, but as far as putting any real amount of torque to one your better off trying to find a Muncie at a swap meet or wherever. I personally have destroyed at least a half dozen 4 speed saginaws, 2 borg warner T10's and even a M20, and M21 Muncie before buying a decent M22 rock crusher. The M22 was a good tranny. This was all in a short box step side pickup back in the 70's. Had a few different engines but back then 11:1 pistons, 2.02 camel hump heads, 750 holley double pumper, big solid lifter cam was still maybe only 450 horse on a good day?? I was a crazy kid that thought the only way to shift gears was with your right foot jammed onto the floor boards, and hit the clutch as fast as you could letting your foot slip off the side of clutch pedal as you pulled the shifter as hard , fast and as in sync with your left foot as humanly possible! Now that I think of it maybe that's why the Saginaw's didn't seem that great

Seriously though from a performance perspective I wouldn't put much effort or $ into a Saginaw.

glennster · Feb 14, 2020

if you got quotes up to 1600 to rebuild the saginaw, go to jegs dot com and order a richmond super t10 borg warner, and you can select your ratios. it is a lot stronger trans for just a few more dollars, and can handle some decent horsepower, even a no2 shot. if you are going to run crazy horsepower go with a lenco st1200. set you back about 5 k,
poke here

Jeff B. · Feb 16, 2020

Easy way to tell one from another is that a Saginaw trans will have all three shifting levers in the side cover. The borg and Muncie units have two in the cover and the reverse shifter is in the main case behind the side cover. Also, the Saginaw case will be cast iron, the borg & Muncie aluminum. Muncie is identified by GM style casting numbers. The Borg warner will have casting numbers of T-10xxx or long numbers that start with 13-04-xxx-xxx.

Rebuilding a Saginaw 4-Speed

jlfloppy

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Bob

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gab

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jlfloppy

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Bruce(OR)

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jlfloppy

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Mutt and Jeff

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