1965 valiant /6 to 340 a833 and 8 3/4 rear swap

[adamtheoret]

Hey guys new here but long time Mopar guy

I want to replace my slat 6 and auto trans with a 340 4speed setup. I have a complete motor/trans and rear end in a donor 1979 volare. Few things I'm wondering.
From what I'm reading, motor will line up to the k frame but I will need some other motor mounts? My Colum plate has no grommet in it for clutch linkage but I'm ok with cutting a hole there. I'm looking at getting a set of pedals from a 65 Barracuda because I understand the pedals from the volare won't work? Is a different cross member required for the trans or will the factory one work? Im wondering about the clutch linkages and z bar from the volare would work in the valiant? I understand I will have to shorten my driveshaft from the volare to fit in the valiant? I'm also wondering about the center link of the 65 has the drop or not.

Sorry to ramble just looking for any help or advise anyone has.


Thanks guys

 

[Keith Mopar]

Yes you will need the correct motor mount for an early A to a 340. It does work best if you can get some early A pedals from a donor. The trans cross member should work ok but you will need a drop center link.
I do have a picture of the 2 drop center links I could post when I get in.
The Z bar in an early A is shorter than other cars and the fork is different on the early cars. I believe I bought my 4sp parts from Brewers.

As far as shorting the driveshaft it will depend on weather you go with an 8 3/4 or 7 1/4 and if the trans has a conventional U joint or not.

 

[adamtheoret]

Thanks alot for a reply

This is the center link on the car, appears to have a drop to it. Could this be the correct one or is the other have more drop to it?

I'm going to order the mounts from Schumacher's.

The trans I have for it has conventional u joint and I'm going to use the 8 3/4.


If you could share some photos of your setup including the clutch linkage and the center link is appreciate it!

Thanks again

 

[MadScientistMat]

Yeah, you'll need to shorten the driveshaft. IIRC I had to take about 2 1/4" out to go from a 7 1/4" to 8 3/4", and I had it changed to the larger yoke instead of using a conversation u-joint.

 

[Professor Fate]

Also-
You will need a V8 cable-style throttle linkage, an early A ('66 and earlier) unit will bolt in, but you may be able to make the Volare unit work with a bit of creativity. your slant 6 uses a pivot-rod style throttle, which is totally unworkable for a V8.
Depending on your options, make sure you get the V8 accessory mounts (PS pump, alternator, all pulleys).
Not sure what you're planning for exhaust, but the F body manifolds may not fit. Headers for early As aren't cheap.
The transmission crossmember needs to be modified to accept a dual exhaust system.
You'll need the radiator from the Volare as well.
I'm not 100% sure (I'm old and half senile) but I think I remember the F bodies (Volare/Aspen) had a weird rubber-isolated driveshaft that doesn't lend itself to shortening. You MAY just need to have a new one made or come up with a different shaft to have shortened. And no, your Dart shaft won't work.
Brewer's sell an adapter linkage to use the 10 1/2" clutch in an early A. You could probably get the Volare parts to work with a bunch of cutting/welding/bending/fabbing, but I don't know what your skill sets are. You may be ahead to just give Brewer's a call.
You will need to install a transmission tunnel "hump" to get the floorpan to clear the four speed and linkage. You may be able to cut the Volare one out and modify it to fit, otherwise Brewer's sells reproduction ones. The tunnel needs to be cut and the new hump welded in.
The Volare rear end is most likely an 8.25, it can be made to fit, BUT-
It will have a 5x4.5" bolt circle, and your Dart front will still be 5x4". Are you planning on swapping on the F body knuckles and disc brakes, too? Then you'll have 5x4.5" all the way around.
F body rear ends are a bit wider than A body rears.
F body rears use a strange Iso-clamp mounting system to mount the axle tubes to the rear springs. These will need to be cut off and conventional spring perches welded on. This also means you will need to re-set your pinion angle before you weld them on.
I'm sure there's more, but this will get you started.
Are you SURE on the Volare having a 340 and 8.75? If so, they had to be swapped in- the best that could be ordered in an F body was a 360 and an 8.25 (and that "four speed" would most likely be a 3 spd.+ overdrive). If they were swapped in, ignore what I said above about making the 8.25 fit except you will still need to weld new perches on because of the difference in the spread of the springs.

 

[adamtheoret]

Also-
You will need a V8 cable-style throttle linkage, an early A ('66 and earlier) unit will bolt in, but you may be able to make the Volare unit work with a bit of creativity. your slant 6 uses a pivot-rod style throttle, which is totally unworkable for a V8.
Depending on your options, make sure you get the V8 accessory mounts (PS pump, alternator, all pulleys).
Not sure what you're planning for exhaust, but the F body manifolds may not fit.
The transmission crossmember needs to be modified to accept a dual exhaust system.
You'll need the radiator from the Volare as well.
I'm not 100% sure (I'm old and half senile) but I think I remember the F bodies (Volare/Aspen) had a weird rubber-isolated driveshaft that doesn't lend itself to shortening. You MAY just need to have a new one made or come up with a different shaft to have shortened. And no, your Dart shaft won't work.
Brewer's sell an adapter linkage to use the 10 1/2" clutch in an early A. You could probably get the Volare parts to work with a bunch of cutting/welding/bending/fabbing, but I don't know what your skill sets are. You may be ahead to just give Brewer's a call.
You will need to install a transmission tunnel "hump" to get the floorpan to clear the four speed and linkage. You may be able to cut the Volare one out and modify it to fit, otherwise Brewer's sells reproduction ones. The tunnel needs to be cut and the new hump welded in.
The Volare rear end is most likely an 8.25, it can be made to fit, BUT-
It will have a 5x4.5" bolt circle, and your Dart front will still be 5x4". Are you planning on swapping on the F body knuckles and disc brakes, too? Then you'll have 5x4.5" all the way around.
F body rear ends are a bit wider than A body rears.
F body rears use a strange Iso-clamp mounting system to mount the axle tubes to the rear springs. These will need to be cut off and conventional spring perches welded on. This also means you will need to re-set your pinion angle before you weld them on.
I'm sure there's more, but this will get you started.

Thanks

I put the 8 3/4 rear in the volare about 20 years ago , I still remember the day lol. It's got 3.55 and a sway on it. All those parts (the 340, 833 4spd, drive shaft and axle were from a 70's cuda.

I was curious if the front disc brakes would swap over to the valiant which currently has drums on the front?? I want 5 x4.5 wheel spacing all around.

I was hoping to see some photos of how the clutch linkage is mounted up in an early A if anyone has any photos??

 

[Professor Fate]

Thanks

I put the 8 3/4 rear in the volare about 20 years ago , I still remember the day lol. It's got 3.55 and a sway on it. All those parts (the 340, 833 4spd, drive shaft and axle were from a 70's cuda.

I was curious if the front disc brakes would swap over to the valiant which currently has drums on the front?? I want 5 x4.5 wheel spacing all around.

I was hoping to see some photos of how the clutch linkage is mounted up in an early A if anyone has any photos??

A B/E body four speed will have the shifter mount fighting for the same space as the crossmember hoop, or back between the seats in an A body.

The F body brakes/knuckles will fit if you use '73+ upper control arms with the large ball joint, or a set of ball joint adapters.

 

[adamtheoret]

A B/E body four speed will have the shifter mount fighting for the same space as the crossmember hoop, or back between the seats in an A body.
View attachment 1716484690
The F body brakes/knuckles will fit if you use '73+ upper control arms with the large ball joint, or a set of ball joint adapters.

Maybe it wasn't a cuda it was from, was a long time ago...

If that engine and trans is installed in the volare, shouldn't it work in the valiant?

Thanks again

 

[Professor Fate]

Maybe it wasn't a cuda it was from, was a long time ago...

If that engine and trans is installed in the volare, shouldn't it work in the valiant?

Thanks again

Yep, A and F bodies used the same transmission tailshaft and shifter mounting points. I wasn't sure what mods you may have done to swap it into the Volare.
Oh, and you'll need a '66-'67 speedometer cable to hook the later transmission to your '65 speedometer.

 

[MadScientistMat]

I have an F-body gas pedal in my '66 Dart - made an adapter to bolt it to the floor out of some flat plate. Not sure if you can transplant whole brake pedals as easily, but I put the cover off the (automatic) F-body brake pedal on my '66 and it was a direct fit.

 

[grimreaper]

This is the center link on the car, appears to have a drop to it. Could this be the correct one or is the other have more drop to it?

measurements for V-8 center link......

 

[grimreaper]

If you could share some photos of your setup including the clutch linkage and the center link is appreciate it!

Here are from the factory service manual of the clutch

 

[Muad'Dib15]

Also-
You will need a V8 cable-style throttle linkage, an early A ('66 and earlier) unit will bolt in, but you may be able to make the Volare unit work with a bit of creativity. your slant 6 uses a pivot-rod style throttle, which is totally unworkable for a V8.
Depending on your options, make sure you get the V8 accessory mounts (PS pump, alternator, all pulleys).
Not sure what you're planning for exhaust, but the F body manifolds may not fit. Headers for early As aren't cheap.
The transmission crossmember needs to be modified to accept a dual exhaust system.
You'll need the radiator from the Volare as well.
I'm not 100% sure (I'm old and half senile) but I think I remember the F bodies (Volare/Aspen) had a weird rubber-isolated driveshaft that doesn't lend itself to shortening. You MAY just need to have a new one made or come up with a different shaft to have shortened. And no, your Dart shaft won't work.
Brewer's sell an adapter linkage to use the 10 1/2" clutch in an early A. You could probably get the Volare parts to work with a bunch of cutting/welding/bending/fabbing, but I don't know what your skill sets are. You may be ahead to just give Brewer's a call.
You will need to install a transmission tunnel "hump" to get the floorpan to clear the four speed and linkage. You may be able to cut the Volare one out and modify it to fit, otherwise Brewer's sells reproduction ones. The tunnel needs to be cut and the new hump welded in.
The Volare rear end is most likely an 8.25, it can be made to fit, BUT-
It will have a 5x4.5" bolt circle, and your Dart front will still be 5x4". Are you planning on swapping on the F body knuckles and disc brakes, too? Then you'll have 5x4.5" all the way around.
F body rear ends are a bit wider than A body rears.
F body rears use a strange Iso-clamp mounting system to mount the axle tubes to the rear springs. These will need to be cut off and conventional spring perches welded on. This also means you will need to re-set your pinion angle before you weld them on.
I'm sure there's more, but this will get you started.
Are you SURE on the Volare having a 340 and 8.75? If so, they had to be swapped in- the best that could be ordered in an F body was a 360 and an 8.25 (and that "four speed" would most likely be a 3 spd.+ overdrive). If they were swapped in, ignore what I said above about making the 8.25 fit except you will still need to weld new perches on because of the difference in the spread of the springs.

I have not seen a 4 speed hump for early As on brewers for a while. Also, you can use magnum log style manifolds from an early 00s durango/dakota. My throttle cable hooked right up. I used Schumacher engine mounts for a \6 k frame to an LA engine. They kind of work, but fit weird and the rubber is twisted.

 

[Professor Fate]

I have not seen a 4 speed hump for early As on brewers for a while. Also, you can use magnum log style manifolds from an early 00s durango/dakota. My throttle cable hooked right up. I used Schumacher engine mounts for a \6 k frame to an LA engine. They kind of work, but fit weird and the rubber is twisted.

They currently have them, but in fiberglass.
1963-66 A-BODY FLOOR TUNNEL FIBERGLASS - Mopar A833 4-Speed Transmission & Component Specialists