Unless somebody has had the trans apart and put something back wrong, or left something out, you should be able to eyeball it for a diagnosis. Unhook the linkage and try to shift it by moving the tabs on the side of the cover, If it still won't shift easily, the problems is inside. Broken teeth will be obvious. If it hangs up on the shop floor there is probably wear in the shift forks, a broken synchro or a linkage problem. If possible try another side cover with good shift forks. If a synchronizer has started to come apart it could be dropping pieces of brass into the counter gear cluster. Drain the fluid and check for metal (most Saginaws don't have drain plugs but there is a flat boss on the bottom where you can drill & tap for one). I don't know about the $90 JCW kits but the last Sag rebuild kit I bought was made in China and the countershaft was so poorly made it was not usable. The kit didn't include new synchros either, I think they were an additional $25 or so each, so it's not hard to put $150 or so into a Saginaw, so it may be time to start looking for another transmission.
[This message has been edited by Jack (edited 06-29-2002).]
