Engine and Transmission Tech

If it involves traipsing through wrecking yards hunting for cool old parts that will go on our V8-powered Brits, you can count me in!

I'm looking for a flywheel inspection cover for the 198/215 bellhousing; I'm sure we could each come up with something cool that would provide a salvage-yard roadtrip excuse....

Kris

I think you are right about the T-10. They were not common as a GM transmission, much more common in Fords. In fact I don't think I ever saw one for a GM before. They used an identical shifter to the Muncie and the only difference for the Saginaw was the longer control rod for reverse, so any shifter for one will fit the others.

On that overdrive, it was different from what we see nowadays. To upshift you would let off the gas and then step on it again lightly and to downshift you'd stomp the pedal and sometimes that didn't work. It also freewheeled on coast and I don't remember if it did that in all gears or not, it may have. It's been 35 years since I drove one.

Jim

Yeah. The Saginaw4 has the reverse in the side cover. It sure looks like a T10 to me. I didn't know they sold specials with manual. It makes sense though since it was an econocar.

I think a trip to salvage would be awesome! I got my 7.5" rear for my Vega from French lake. Nice guys. A big selection just laying around in the weeds. LOL!

What do you know about the one in Iowa, Tony?

NixVegaGT Wrote:
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> What do you know about the one in Iowa, Tony?

Only that the guy didnt have any H-body stuff. He is a bit of a Ford guy and has an orignial Boss 429 in his private collection. I was told that there was a cosworth there biut it had been sold.
It was getting dark and I didnt have time to look the yard over thoroughly.

A reader of my Star Tribune blog highly praised a Grand Forks yard called Weekly's. Anybody heard of that?

I have no idea where Grand Forks is, but it's close to the MN border isn't it?

Be fun to find a yard with classics that isn't on the net. More cool stuff may as yet be undiscovered.

Another yard I've heard of--it might be in Hanover, MN--is mainly British stuff.

That could be cool too. Here's some parts I'd like to score--215 drive shaft, V8 badge from early '60s Olds, windshield washer with working pump, late '60s-early '70s AM/FM radio with pushbuttons, Olds air intake badge (the ring that sits in the top piece, stock shift ball from Olds/Buick '62-'63 4-Speed.

Kris

I haven't heard of that one. Grand Forks is right on the ND/MN border. They aren't on the web? Huh. I haven't been to Windy Hill for a long time. They had a pretty picked over group of Monzas and Vegas. (That's what I was looking for) It's a pretty big place though. May be more classic British stuff. I'll give them a call and see.

If we plan a trip to Grand Forks we could pop by there on the way...

I stopped by Windy Hill looking for my 215 V8 a number of years ago. They had two, I believe, one without intake and one a two barrel with one or both of the heads unbolted. At least in the area I was looking, the cars were well picked over.

Yards don't always know everything they have, though. The engine I scored from Rohner's was in a car at the side of the yard, down a hill--not by the other Specials and Skylarks they had grouped.

French Lake has buildings and buses and trailers full of parts and I'm sure a lot of that stuff is not inventoried. There's probably a stickshift bellhousing at Rohner's and French Lake, hidden somewhere.... I missed one in an Olds wagon I'd walked by many times because it was a three-on-the-tree. Only when I saw the engine gone did I look closer and see three pedals. Doh!