Modern trans

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MuscleCar91

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Hey guys just tossing this idea around in my head, are there any modern trans that would drop in with out many problems. Just thinking with a new trans 4speed auto? Might improve in mpg and 1/4mile, and I figured one might be had for decent price at the junk yard. While keeping a carb'd big block under the hood?
Thanks,
~Nick
 
With an auto, not really that many cost effective options. Stick shift and you get some choices, but it is still costly.

When you add up the costs, it is really hard to justify for most cars that see average hobby use.

As for cheap, an A518 would bolt up to the engine. Trans tunnel needs mods and actually if the trans will have very much power thrown at i it needs some mods as well IIRC.

A GV might be the easiets option but that is what 3 grand? Then to do much better in the 1/4 you need the added cost of a new pig out back.
 
Look at the Tremec 5 spd conversion or the new Passon 5 spd that's coming out, it looks like the cats meow but it ain't cheap. The other way would be an gear vendors overdrive like George did.
 
SomeCarGuy said:
As for cheap, an A518 would bolt up to the engine. Trans tunnel needs mods and actually if the trans will have very much power thrown at i it needs some mods as well IIRC.
Click to expand...

No, it WILL NOT. Adapters are required. A518 (& A500) have a LA bellhousing bolt pattern.
http://smrtrans.tripod.com/smrtransmiss ... o/id9.html

You are correct however about it needing to be beefed up to live behind ANY kind of power. I contacted MoPar Performance about a decade ago to ask about using one of their A518s right out of their catalog behind a mildly built, aluminum-headed 340. They told me it would not hold up...

I have an A518 in my SS/T. What a POS. Had to go in for a complete rebuild under warranty at only 14K miles. Truck has <75K miles on it and has had the tranny COMPLETELY gone through twice. Every time that I tow with it I wonder if this is the last trip for this thing... My advice to Nick: Stay away. Stay far, far, away... :cents:
 
nick....gear vendors overdrive is pricey but good for 1200 horsepower and could be beefed up by them to handle 2000 horsepower :thumbsup:
 
So as everything else today nothings built as good as it used to be... A Passon trans would be awesome but way out of what i was wanting to spend lol
 
ACME A12 said:
SomeCarGuy said:
As for cheap, an A518 would bolt up to the engine. Trans tunnel needs mods and actually if the trans will have very much power thrown at i it needs some mods as well IIRC.
Click to expand...

No, it WILL NOT. Adapters are required. A518 (& A500) have a LA bellhousing bolt pattern.
http://smrtrans.tripod.com/smrtransmiss ... o/id9.html

You are correct however about it needing to be beefed up to live behind ANY kind of power. I contacted MoPar Performance about a decade ago to ask about using one of their A518s right out of their catalog behind a mildly built, aluminum-headed 340. They told me it would not hold up...

I have an A518 in my SS/T. What a POS. Had to go in for a complete rebuild under warranty at only 14K miles. Truck has <75K miles on it and has had the tranny COMPLETELY gone through twice. Every time that I tow with it I wonder if this is the last trip for this thing... My advice to Nick: Stay away. Stay far, far, away... :cents:
Click to expand...

Not to poo poo your truck but my Dakota had 200k on it, 200 passes at the dragstrip, and it towed a 8500 pound enclosed trailer all over the west coast. I never did anything more than change the fluid. It has/was the best truck I have ever had, boy I miss that truck. I also believe that I am the only one that hadn't had to rebuild the trans every 30k.
 
moparchris said:
ACME A12 said:
SomeCarGuy said:
As for cheap, an A518 would bolt up to the engine. Trans tunnel needs mods and actually if the trans will have very much power thrown at i it needs some mods as well IIRC.
Click to expand...

No, it WILL NOT. Adapters are required. A518 (& A500) have a LA bellhousing bolt pattern.
http://smrtrans.tripod.com/smrtransmiss ... o/id9.html

You are correct however about it needing to be beefed up to live behind ANY kind of power. I contacted MoPar Performance about a decade ago to ask about using one of their A518s right out of their catalog behind a mildly built, aluminum-headed 340. They told me it would not hold up...

I have an A518 in my SS/T. What a POS. Had to go in for a complete rebuild under warranty at only 14K miles. Truck has <75K miles on it and has had the tranny COMPLETELY gone through twice. Every time that I tow with it I wonder if this is the last trip for this thing... My advice to Nick: Stay away. Stay far, far, away... :cents:
Click to expand...

Not to poo poo your truck but my Dakota had 200k on it, 200 passes at the dragstrip, and it towed a 8500 pound enclosed trailer all over the west coast. I never did anything more than change the fluid. It has/was the best truck I have ever had, boy I miss that truck. I also believe that I am the only one that hadn't had to rebuild the trans every 30k.
Click to expand...

I have never had a single issue with the tranny in my '97 SST. 90,000 miles and still going strong. It will tow my open trailer with an a, b, or c body on it like a champ. Not sure, but I think the towing package upgrades to the HD trans. I do know it has the factory trans cooler on it.
 
droptop said:
moparchris said:
I also believe that I am the only one that hadn't had to rebuild the trans every 30k.
Click to expand...

I have never had a single issue with the tranny in my '97 SST. 90,000 miles and still going strong. It will tow my open trailer with an a, b, or c body on it like a champ. Not sure, but I think the towing package upgrades to the HD trans. I do know it has the factory trans cooler on it.
Click to expand...

Lots more stories out there that are more akin to mine than you two lucky dogs... a buddy of mine up in Ohio even tried to return his '97 to the stearlership under state lemon laws after it sh*t the tranny twice at less than 20K miles...he finally agreed to let them put an entirely new tranny in it and promptly traded it in on a new phord. Too bad, as he was a lifelong Dodge Truck guy and the whole thing soured him forever - he's not a hot-rodder or even a car guy so brand loyalty to him is based solely on reliability and the treatment that he receives at the stealership - just a guy that wants to drive his truck to work everyday and go hunting occaisonally, and not be let down...and now he's a blue oval guy...
 
Heat is the enemy of these dodge truck trannys , the factory coolers are too small and they also have a stupid nylon check valve in the factory tranny lines . Cut the tranny lines just behind the check valve and then run big rubber lines up to a huge aftermarket cooler in front of the radiator . We have done a ton of these conversions and had no problems after doing these changes . Even the deisels have to small of a trans cooler and the stupid nylon check values that meld and clog the lines .
 
Ford was bad about tiny trans coolers in the 90s. Changed out a few for aftermarket.

My bad on the bellhousing lining up on the 518.
 
moparstuart said:
Heat is the enemy of these dodge truck trannys , the factory coolers are too small and they also have a stupid nylon check valve in the factory tranny lines . Cut the tranny lines just behind the check valve and then run big rubber lines up to a huge aftermarket cooler in front of the radiator . We have done a ton of these conversions and had no problems after doing these changes . Even the deisels have to small of a trans cooler and the stupid nylon check values that meld and clog the lines .
Click to expand...
x2 on heat is the enemy :thumbsup:
 
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