swapping early 3.09 1st into later case
What I am referring to is am I better off taking the gears out of the older case and using them in the later case and retaining the later style interlock side cover or use the older ball/detent style. Additionally, what synchros should/can I use older or newer? I'm planing on rebuilding the transmission. Sorry did not meet to take over the thread!
You can put either synchronizer system into either box and either cover onto either box. They say the late style brass is stronger, but on the street, I haven't proved it. They say the steel forks are stronger, but on the street I have never broken one.
I have put hundreds of these together since the 70s. For about 6 years I did a lot of assembly line work on all kinds of transmissions. In that line of work,I doubt we ever got the same gears back together. We/I just slapped 'em together. I had parts stacked up on the shelves and just took whatever I needed.
Saginaw 3 speeds were a worst case. The strippers, after they came out of the washers, just threw everything together in shopping carts, gears in one cart, cases in another. "Here's your job for today" they said. I think I used to slam them out 8 per day. They were so easy. Not so on the Muncie 4 speeds. What a piece.
I always liked doing Top-loaders.
Then they put me on bigger stuff
And bigger
And bigger.
I did one Powershift set-up from some piece of heavy equipment, I think it took me several days to overhaul. They made me take it apart, thinking that would help. I said "Hell-no, get me a picture, or a cross-section, sumpthing, I'm no Einstein." They got me one. It worked after I got done, and no pieces were left over; Not one.
They gave me more and more of that. I loved it.
But the pay was crap, so I moved on. Never found another job I liked as much as that one until 12 years later.