'38 BUICK SERIES 40 TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY COMPLETE

[Guest CharlieD]

Looking for a complete transmission assembly for a '38 Buick, series 40.  Contact Charlie at 716-434-5286, NYS

 

[MCHinson]

Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum I suggest you call Dave Tacheny at 763-427-3460 between 4 and 7 pm Central. He is the best source for used 1936-1941 Buick parts. I would also suggest that you might want to consider joining the 36-38 Buick Club. You can find out more about the club at: http://www.3638buickclub.org/

[auburnseeker]

Are 1937 and 1938 trannies the same or atleast interchangeable?  I have a parts picking place I'm headed to that has mostly 1937 parts though there are  some 38's but I would bet there is a good 37 tranny to be had reasonable.  If I recall I saw a few in a line in the corner.    They are all parts pulled by a collector years ago and stashed inside.  Best part is I'm in NY state as well. 

[pont35cpe]

Seeker, I`m pretty sure they are different, the `37 has a collar(which the throw-out bearing slides on) that slips over the front input shaft and is bolted to the transmission. The `38, the collar is an independent piece and does not bolt to the front of the transmission. The `37 bell-housing has a larger hole to accept the diameter of the bolt on collar, the `38 has a smaller hole machined to accept the independent collar. The other difference is(I think), the `37 input shaft is 1 1/4" dia. and the `38 is 1 1/8"dia., both are 10 spline.  Tom

[auburnseeker]

Is there any other easy way to tell?  A number on the side of the tranny or what not to be positive?  I can check when I go back in a couple of weeks.  I have found a few 38 parts and I know there are a couple of engine units and as mentioned a few trannys so I would hate to not bother looking and one end up being there. 

[pont35cpe]

Both `37&`38 40 series are floor shift, and may be identical other than the front input as I described. The 40 series is a smaller transmission than the larger series, and the top shifter plate has 5 bolts, the larger trans. has maybe 7 bolts. I don`t know any of the casting numbers. My brother has a `38 coupe and sedan stored away, he lives in Okla. and I plan to go there in a few days, maybe today, I could check his for casting numbers. Maybe someone reading this posting could verify.

[pont35cpe]

On 9/17/2017 at 8:26 AM, pont35cpe said:

Both `37&`38 40 series are floor shift, and may be identical other than the front input as I described. The 40 series is a smaller transmission than the larger series, and the top shifter plate has 5 bolts, the larger trans. has maybe 7 bolts. I don`t know any of the casting numbers. My brother has a `38 coupe and sedan stored away, he lives in Okla. and I plan to go there in a few days, maybe today, I could check his for casting numbers. Maybe someone reading this posting could verify.

Visited my brother today and the `38 tranny is as I described, casting number on left side of case is 1301637-4..  hope this helps.. Tom

[auburnseeker]

I'll make notes when I go so I know what to look for. 

[thehandleman]

ok I looked up the 1938 Buick Tranny in my Hollander 16th edition Interchange, page 218 Item 259 for the 1938 Buick Series 40 it has Part number for case as 1305765 ,  see picture below for Interchange and you can decide:

[thehandleman]

here is note #253 and also here is the parts on a 38 Buick 40 under item 334G series 60.80.90 trannys are diff from a 40, I hope this helps you find what you need:

[jeff]

Input shaft (integral to clutch gear) is different, different arrangement to return oil as mentioned above.  Different size spline means you would need the clutch disc to match.  Pilot bearing surface doesn't engage the pilot bearing as deeply. 

 

Housing - oil return is in the same general place, but is a different size and shape than the feature it aligns with - caused significant oil leak on mine as the mis-match tends to dam up the returning oil.

 

Internally, synchronizers were changed, this is no big deal but you cannot have half one style and half the other.  Some slight differences in the shifter mechanism details, but they interchange.

 

My '38 had a '37 gearbox for years - don't know why.  I had a '38 spare, so I finally rebuilt the '38 with the best parts from both.  I ran into issues with all of the above.

 

Get a '38 if at all possible.