transmission options and questions

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sparkie573

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Hey all.
I will be doing a 5.7 swap into a 70 roadrunner and have some questions and need opinions or insight....

I am about to buy an engine and have it narrowed down to 2.
I can buy an entire wrecked 04 2 wheel drive crew cab Ram for $3500.
Or I can get an engine, tranny and wire harness from an 09 charger for about $2500.
both of these engines I will be ale to hear run. and if I get the truck I could part it to recoupe some cash...

My questions are what is the torque rating of the 545rfe and is it able to be built to hold up if I mod my engine down the road?

OR- would the nag1 be a better option but is it still really expensive to swap in and control?

OR- is there another better option? I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible.

So everyone knows. My plan is to get everything swapped in and going, to get all of the kinks worked out and then get another 5.7 and either do a stroker build or put a little boost on it. So this is why I have questions on the tranny because I would really like to only modify the tranny tunnel once..

what would a good budget 5 or 6 speed be to go with besides the tr6060 o t56? anything that would hold up to my plans?

I appreciate the input very much, thanks.
 
To be honest the 545rfe seems like the more logical choice. The nag1 is hard and expensive to get working and is just as large. With the 545rfe you can get a wiring harness already made unless you plan on re-using the truck harness and PCM. Hopefully the 04 doesn't have a skim(security)....

Riddler
 
That was kind of my thinking... If I'd does have skim, I can just get it takes out?? I had planned on having it tuned or using a diablo or something else.
 
I believe the 09 engine with have VVT, so that might be some extra complexity that you may or may not want to tackle. The only real good way to make them work so far is the factory computer, but the factory computers on those cars are tied into so many other systems that it can be tough to separate all the systems. I know there is some VVT development going on in aftermarket computer systems, but I think it's still in its infancy, so it might not be the most complete or capable system.

For what it's worth, my T56 swap probably ran me around $2500-3000 all told. That included the transmission, bellhousing, and clutch parts to make it all work. I know that it's tough enough to handle just about anything I want to throw at it as well. There was a bone stock one sitting in a 1000 whp Viper in the local club for several years.
 
Possibly the 04 using the MSD 88863 controller and a carb instead of the EFI unles your dead set on the EFI this solves allot of problems you can use a 727 with the gearvendors over/under drive unit
 
I've installed a 545RFE in my 70 Duster, behind a 5.7. My motor is a bone stock 06 Wagnum take out, so I have no concerns about the 545 being up to the task. There are places that can make a 545 live behind gobs of torque and HP. The floor pan and torsion bar cross member will have to be hacked, but it's no big deal. If I were leaning towards a stick....it would hands down be a Jamie Passon 855 5 spd. :prayer: Good luck.
 
That was one of my thoughts behind using an A833. Later on, if money is less tight, I have very little to change to use the A855...
 
Yep....just add an 18 spline clutch disc if you're running a 23, and go. The only other thing is.....you'd then have to change your name to 5speeds4me! :D :burnout:
 
Thanks JD...you just saved me 6 grand! Can't be running all over the internet changing my name!
 
Going from a slant 6 with a 904 to a 5.7, is it a possibility to pickup a 727 and use it on the 5.7 without a crazy amount of changes to make it work/hacking of the tunnel to make it fit?
 
A small block 904 and 727 is a bolt in deal as far as fit is concerned. Same with an A-833 for that matter. All other opinions I can think of at the moment require floor modification to one degree or another. From mild bfh stuff to total trans tunnel/t-bar cross member reconfiguration.

But a small block 727 requires no mods other than drive shaft length etc.
 
And Schumaker creative services sells conversion mount bracket kits for a /6 to G3 now too. And they are a site sponsor.
 
As others's have pointed out.

The five speed automatics whether 545 or NAG require major floor surgery including altering the cross member and basically rebuilding the transmission tunnel.

A 518 requires mods to the cross member but has the benefit of an OD. Does require a specific flex plate or a .060 spacer.

727 904 will bolt right up, but requires either a specific flex plate or a .060 spacer.

T-56 requires major floor surgery including a new cross member and tunnel modification, shifter not located in factory location.

TK600 require some floor surgery or REALLY bad U-Joint angles. Shifter not located in factory location

T-5 would probably fit but the 400 ft. lbs. of torque will probably destroy the T-5 pretty quick, even the world class ones are only rated to about 300 ft. lbs.

833 bolts right up, need to add pilot bushing to crank.

Passon Performance 5 Speed. Pack a lunch, they are now shipping but it could be a year before you'll get one. The good news though is not one bad word about build quality or durability.

You can also add a Gear Vendors OD to either a 727 or 833, a small dimple may be required in the transmission / drive shaft tunnel.

Regards,

Joe Dokes
 
There are a couple of other automatic options. Silver Sport Transmissions has adapted a GM 4L60E 4 speed overdrive automatic transmission for Mopars. There is no cutting or modifications required. See: http://shiftsst.com/dart-valiant-barracuda-duster-demon-1964-1976#a41-automatic
TCI also offers a similar automatic that is higher horsepower capable with 6 forward speeds: http://www.tciauto.com/tc/transmission-packageshtml
There are some other potential manual options, but by far the best in my opinion is the Passon 5 speed.
 
To give you an idea of what the 545RFE looks like, here's mine. I still need to hack on the tunnel here and there, and tie the cross member back together.
 

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JDMopar said:
To give you an idea of what the 545RFE looks like, here's mine. I still need to hack on the tunnel here and there, and tie the cross member back together.
Click to expand...
Hey JDMopar,

I know I'm seeing this post from a few tears ago. I'm doing a 5.7 with a 545rfe swap in my Dart. I was wondering if you can send some advice my way.... I was wondering if you have anymore pictures of your build. How did you do your trans mount, what shifter did you use for your set up? Any help or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
All of the pics I have are the ones listed above. I got sidetracked on that build with a home remodel that I got dragged into kicking and screaming.....and by the time I got back to the Gen 3 Hemi swap, I just kinda lost interest. I was going to tie the torsion bar crossmember back together with some thick flat bar over the top of the trans. For a transmission mount, I was going to have one run between the frame connectors and have the mount pad on the transmission sitting on a GM mount that pretty much bolts right up. I sold all my 5.7 swap stuff to a guy in Virginia, that is installing it in a 67 Barracuda. Good luck with your swap!

:thumbsup:
 
JDMopar said:
All of the pics I have are the ones listed above. I got sidetracked on that build with a home remodel that I got dragged into kicking and screaming.....and by the time I got back to the Gen 3 Hemi swap, I just kinda lost interest. I was going to tie the torsion bar crossmember back together with some thick flat bar over the top of the trans. For a transmission mount, I was going to have one run between the frame connectors and have the mount pad on the transmission sitting on a GM mount that pretty much bolts right up. I sold all my 5.7 swap stuff to a guy in Virginia, that is installing it in a 67 Barracuda. Good luck with your swap!

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I hear ya,
Well thanks for the reply. Hopefully you got all your remodelling done. Cheers
 
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