Applications to find an A-500?

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67Dart273

67Dart273

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Been at least thinking about an A-500 based OD. yeah, I know...........crossmember. But I found some threads that seem to say you don't need to chop up the floor.

So just what do these come in? that would fit a smallblock?

According to what I've found....

http://www.dippy.org/forum2/index.php?topic=231.0

A-500, 40RH, 40RE, 42RH and 42RE, 44RE

But I don't know "what all" used 'em. EG can you use a Dakota V6 box?
 
Trucks have them but there light to heavy duty depending on what the truck was made for, so yes, a V6 A-500 could be used BUT inside may be a lighter duty set up over a 360 in a 2500 by a good bit.
 
Any idea what year / models? I saw one www claiming back to 88. This would hopefully be "all manual" shifted.
 
Huh? The automatic you want to shift manually?
Off hand, I don't remember the first year they came out. It was in the 90's. The big thing here any how is you want to have a non lock up.
Do your home work before purchasing.
I myself would like to get there as well for my '79 Magnum. When the time comes, I'll be looking around the net to see how has them the way I want it.
Sorry to say that from here, my knowledge well is only a Dixie cup in size & 90% empty.
I've been running an A-833 pretty much my whole life. Any automatics have received little if anything over stock.

I just like to row my own boat. And with vigor! LMAO
 
Anything with an "E" designation is computer controlled. You will want the 42RH.
 
Dakota and Jeeps. Pre 90 model had a fluid flow issue that shortened its life. Corrected by cross drilling sprag for 90 and up. 90 91 92 is all I would want.
 
I don't think you're going to get any A500 or A518 in a A body without surgery. I think they drop right in to diplomats and the like, though.
 
jos51700 said:
I don't think you're going to get any A500 or A518 in a A body without surgery. I think they drop right in to diplomats and the like, though.
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There's a photo thread on this very thing. 518 requires floor enlargement. 500 requires reworking the crossmember. Nothing is written in stone, the car isn't even together again, yet, after paint. What I need is the year / model "range" to find good cores, and what all can be "built"
 
A 500 requires the same floor/crossmember mods as a 518 does.
The OD-section is the problem area and is the same between the 500 and 518. And especially the flange 'nubs' where the OD connects to the tranny itself.

If you don't want the trans oilpan scraping and catching on everything on the street, you want to do some floor remodelling to get the transmission to sit as high as possible in the tunnel.

Remember the 500/518s all have the 'deep oil' pan.
 
^Correct, the same OD unit was used for 500/518 42RH/46RH 42RE/46RE. Just a different clutch count. Which can easily be upgraded in the builders sleep.
 
BigBlockMopar said:
A 500 requires the same floor/crossmember mods as a 518 does.
.
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PoisonDart74 said:
^Correct, the same OD unit was used for 500/518 42RH/46RH 42RE/46RE. Just a different clutch count. Which can easily be upgraded in the builders sleep.
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According to this thread

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=178459

a 500 into a Duster was done without floor / tunnel mods, except for the crossmember. Poison, did you have to mod the actual floor in yours?

If the one done in that thread leaves the trans hanging (shaft angle) seriously different, rethinking might be in order.
 
A lot of it depends on how the stance of your car is.
For those who like the stock and 4x4 looks, there won't be much or any issues with ground clearance.

My own Dart has been 'tastefully' lowered slightly ;) and the transmission pan being the lowest part hanging from under the car, it is of some concern sometimes.
I think there's about roughly 2.5-3" clearance under the pan to the street. 3.5" for the exhaust and 4" to the framerails.


IMG_3901_zpsve6lcxyo.jpg
 
Holy moly, 2.5 doesn't sound like much. Is the shaft centerline where it belongs? Why can't you use a smaller pan?
 
All 500/518 transmissions come stock with a deep pan. There are simply more valvebody parts in there. You can't put a normal pan on it.

The transmission is mounted as high as it can go inside the tunnel, but it still slopes down a degree or two more than I liked.

But like I said, my car is fairly low, so the transmission became a slight thing of worry after I installed it.
But after I also installed better torsionbars and shocks, the problem of the low oilpan is hardly there during daily driving.
 
Thanks for the comments. I'm still in the "think" stages, LOL
 
I'm not an od trans specialist but from everything I've read Redfish is correct about the early ones having oiling issues so you want a 90-95. If I'm not mistaken 96 is when they started with the electronic shifted units. Wish I could say if the ones in a Ram truck or van are heavier duty but I haven't been into them so I'm not sure but I'd say if you can find one from one of them it's a better chance that's it's heavier
 
fishy68 said:
I'm not an od trans specialist but from everything I've read Redfish is correct about the early ones having oiling issues so you want a 90-95. If I'm not mistaken 96 is when they started with the electronic shifted units. Wish I could say if the ones in a Ram truck or van are heavier duty but I haven't been into them so I'm not sure but I'd say if you can find one from one of them it's a better chance that's it's heavier
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This sounds about right. I'm hoping (if this "goes") to go with "all manual" VB. How this might affect an "e" (electronic" series trans I don't know yet.
 
I just finished my 42RH swap. The trans is from a 91 dakota v-6 two wheel drive. It already had 4 disk clutches in it just like my 904, and with a transgo kit it shifts great. I dont see how you could go this route without cutting out the crossmember. In my car (68 dart) the tailshaft would hang down way too low, that OD section just doesnt fit up in there.
I used a GM trans mount and made my own crossmember, and put in a reinforcing strap around the tunnel against the floor. The hardest part was getting the undercoating off. The overdrive is great. The stock shift linkage, cooler lines, and speedometer hooked right up and I used the throttle cable from the truck- had to shorten the drive shaft and get a 727 slip yoke. For now I have toggle switches controlling the lock and OD.
 
67Dart273 said:
This sounds about right. I'm hoping (if this "goes") to go with "all manual" VB. How this might affect an "e" (electronic" series trans I don't know yet.
Click to expand...

Don't know what you are doing, as you've really not said yet, but if you are thinking of the OD transmission in an older model, the 42RH is your boy. Any of the RE transmissions require the computer to shift. No way around it.
 
Why the hell would you go through all the trouble to install a heavy/bulky, pretty much non-fitting OD-transmission and then, turn it into manual box in the end?

This would only make sense if you're missing your left leg to depress a pedal with or something...
 
BigBlockMopar said:
Why the hell would you go through all the trouble to install a heavy/bulky, pretty much non-fitting OD-transmission and then, turn it into manual box in the end?

This would only make sense if you're missing your left leg to depress a pedal with or something...
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In a very crass way, you have hit the nail on the head. In my "yooth" I loved stick cars. But age, arthritis, and all the rest have taken their toll. No more, can I row a hard to shift 833 and great big BB clutch. Automatics are THEY way if I'm to do anything at all.
 
jas0162 said:
I dont see how you could go this route without cutting out the crossmember. In my car (68 dart) the tailshaft would hang down way too low, that OD section just doesnt fit up in there.
I used a GM trans mount and made my own crossmember, and put in a reinforcing strap around the tunnel against the floor. The hardest part was getting the undercoating off. The overdrive is great. The stock shift linkage, cooler lines, and speedometer hooked right up and I used the throttle cable from the truck- had to shorten the drive shaft and get a 727 slip yoke. For now I have toggle switches controlling the lock and OD.
Click to expand...

I understand cutting out the crossmember. What the original thread I indicated suggests you don't have to cut the FLOOR. I'll tell ya. We would appreciate photos of how you did the mods!!

I'm not the least bit interested in "auto shift" I want manual VB and manual OD
 
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