Hello, my '70 Post 442 (Plain Jane) was originally a manual trans car (now has auto). Unusual car, had a factory bench seat.

I'm wondering if it might have been a 3-speed originally, versus a 4-speed. Are there clues that might remain (wiring, floor hole, anything else)? Linden NJ car, no build sheet found yet.

Does the bench seat figure in to the analysis?

Thanks in advance, Steve

 

The base trans in the 1970 442 was the HD 3spd manual "Dearborn" (don't call it a FORD) toploader. The bench seat was a credit option and had nothing to do with the trans selection. I doubt there's any way to tell without a build sheet.

 

Assuming the bell housing wasn't changed you can look at it closely to see if there is an imprint and wear in the inner bolt pattern from use of the 3 speed.

 

I was going to write that, except for this in the original post...

I'm thinking the bellhousing has been changed...

 

Not in '70, Joe. '69 was the last year for that trans. In '70, GM started making their own HD 3-spd manual trans, a Saginaw unit.

The '70 CSM clearly shows this. Section 7-311.
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-b...aldisplayed=50

 

Right, Joe. I was hoping he got the original bell housing with the car.

 

Which brings up an interesting question: Did the "new" GM 3-spd manual bolt to to the old 3-spd holes or the Muncie 4-spd holes?

 

I think it used the Muncie holes with 1/2 x 13 threads; the inner pattern is for 7/16 x 14 bolts and is the inner Ford pattern of the two that Ford used on their transmissions. Also, the upper bolts were hard to access with the T&C (Ford Transmission and Clutch Division) 3 speed installed in a GM.

 

Correct. Only the "Dearborn" trans used the inner bolt pattern. All GM Muncie, Saginaw, and BW transmissions (until the early 1990s, anyway) used the wide pattern. In the mid-90s GM started using the Ford pattern T5 transmissions instead of the GM pattern ones.