Stupid idea? 4L80E in my Studebaker dump truck

[Lynn]

I really love my 49 Studebaker dump truck. Every time we think about selling it, we find another reason to keep it. Very versatile. The bed sides come off making it a flat bed. The dump bed still works, so hauling crap to the dump is a breeze. I converted from PTO operation to electric over hydraulic. I don’t remember how much of the story I have told here. Originally a flathead six with 92 HP... when it was new. Probably down to 70 hp when I got it. Anyway, once the head cracked, I could not bring myself to spend any time or money on such a weak power plant. So, bought an engine, transmission and drive shaft from a 72 Chevy dump truck. Truck bell housing and 13 inch clutch. Went from a 4 speed with NO synchros (that’s right, from the factory NO synchros) which meant double clutching for every shift to a five speed with mostly worn out synchros. I did well upshifting. Downshifting... no so much. Fab work was a challenge, especially getting the clutch linkage set up to us with the stock pedal. Had to use a bell crank to reverse the direction.

Problem is the five speed isn’t the OD version. With the stock 6.66 rear axle (you read that right!!!) I am really buzzing at highway speeds. I don’t run on the highway very often, but my “go to” place for awesome rich top soil is about 15 miles away, and my sod place is about 25 miles away, 20 of which is interstate. I CAN hit 70 mph, but I am buzzing at 5200 rpm to do it even with the tall 235 80 17 Michelin tires.

I essentially have two granny gears. Even with a four ton load, I start out in 2nd. With 2 tons or less, I start out in 3rd. I NEVER use first gear.

For the last 8 years, I have HOPED I could find the OD version of my trans. It exists, but they are rare, and NOW they are popular with the rock crawler crowd, meaning that they have become very expensive. Best one for me would be out of a mid 90s 3500 HD Chevy or GMC with a diesel and the five speed. Has to be a diesel though, or the input shaft isn’t a match. The gas models (even with a 454) don’t have the one inch input shaft.

Swapping the entire rear isn’t a viable option, as I want to keep these rims. Also, too much fab work involved. So, got to thinking yesterday about looking for a 4L80E. It would be OD. Should be plenty available from wrecked vehicles. My understanding is that they are good for close to 250,000 miles in a regular truck. I never put more than 1000 miles a year on this one. So, I would be comfortable with anything under 100k used.

I have been through something similar with the El Camino. I put a 4L60E in it. Bought it from a wrecked truck with the tow package. GM Goodwrench rebuilt unit was only six months old. I haven’t done a thing to it other than install it. Has not leaked a drop and performs flawlessly. Only spent $300 on the trans. Had to purchase a stand alone controller and wire harness, a TPS set up for the carb and a little motor to convert the VSS signal to drive the speedometer. All together, about $1,000. For the Studebaker, I would also need an external trans cooler, lines and some kind of shifter. The stand alone controller is awesome. I can program the firmness of the shifts, the timing of the shifts, and the speed at which the converter locks up. I have lockup at 52 mph on the El Camino. Will likely spend more on the electronics and cooler than I will for the trans.

My biggest heartburn is the shifter. I am NOT going to mess up my original steering column and put a makeshift column shifter on it. It probably makes the most sense to just use a floor shifter, and modify it to come up through the floor in the stock location. I may have even saved the shifter handle from the crash box, and could weld it on. BUT, I would really like something like a cable shifter that I could mount on or below the dash. Then I could get a new tunnel cover for a ½ ton (cab and floors are identical between the 2 ton and the ½ ton; only the fenders and bolt on hump are different). Why? I can buy a reproduction ½ ton rubber floor covering. They don’t make one that fits the giant hump of the 2 ton. Then I could even seat three people if needed. Thinking out loud here, but SUPPOSE I could still cut a hole for the shifter in the new tunnel hump and do a floor shifter. Would just be much cleaner without a shifter on the floor.

Any reason NOT to put a 4L80E trans in it?

Any ideas on some kind of remote shifter set up? Did a google search, and can’t find a thing.

BTW, it has been a few years since this photo was taken. I am older now, but about 3 pounds lighter. So, as Carl (from Caddyshack) would say: "I got that goin for me."