T5 Five speed slant six 74 Dart Sport.
The 833 overdrive transmission sucks. The gear ratios are spread WAY far apart in first and second. From 2nd to 4th it is a close ratio design. It seems like it was designed for a heavy vehicle making very little power.
What you say is true,
but the fix for a streeter, as I found out, is to put Second gear where you need it, and let the rest fall where they may, then put a hi-torque 360 in front of it.
A good Second gear on the street with a 360 is not more than ~6.80.
The 833od has ratios of 3.09-1.67-1.00-.73od. To get 6.80 Second you need 6.8/1.67=4.07 rear gears, rounds to 4.10s Thus the Road Gears become
12.67-6.84-4.10-2.99, and 65=2400rpm, about perfect for a hi-torque cam.
While the 12.67 is pretty low, it is however a perfect parade gear, as 4mph=630 rpm ,
and the hi-torque 360 will pull that 6.84 Second gear from 2000 to 6000 all day long which is ~26 mph to 80 mph; and street tires are gonna be boiling most of the way.
I mean I really liked it, especially when I installed 4.30s, (but that novelty was short-lived) except I kept forgetting it was a 3+1, and so the od gears had a habit of shattering...................................... lol
But what you say is absolutely true. Every word.