Talked to my transmission guy-------

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DesertRat

DesertRat

Leading edge boomer
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I was going to build my 904 with a gearvendors and the transmission guy suggested a 1990 518/727 2 wire non lockup transmission he could build for me that would be better than a gearvendors unit. I did the search routine and couldn't determine if anyone has acutally done this change. Could use a little input here, such as how it wires and controls up and down. It would be less than half of the 904/gearvendors with a warranty and seems like the way to go. My rear axle is an 8 1/4 with 3:71 SG unit brand new by RRP. Please chime in if you have an opinion good or bad.
Thanks, DR:burnout:O:)
 
I would also like to ad, those things are said to be HUGE as far as the power they suck up...(518s)
 
What is your overall goal, an O/D? There's nothing wrong with a 904 to 518 swap. True, it will rob a little HP, but if your goal is an O/D, just have to prepare for the floor/crossmember mods needed vs the cost of the GV unit.
 
I personally would do the 200r4 That's what I'm gonna do on my FB. I think in the long run you will save money, less work, be happier.
 
If you put the money into a bigger engine, you probably wouldn't need the o/d; But I don't know your combo or your app..............so
Yes the A/T&o/d has been successfully done here several times. One fellow even wired the O/D to be used as a splitter. He couldn't rave enough about it.

A) The A500 set; 2.74-(1.89)-1.54-(1.06)-1.00-(.69), splits of;(.69)-.78-(.69)-.94-(.69) If you swapped in

B) the 2.45 set, 2.45-(1.69)-1.45-(1.0)/1.0-(.69) with splits of (.69)-.86-.69-(.69)

C) The A999GV; 2.74-(2.14)-1.54-(1.20)-1.00-(.78) with splits of (.78)-.72-(.78)-.86-(.78)

D) The A904GV; 2.45-(1.91)-1.45-(1.13)-1.00-(.78) with splits of (.78)-.76-(.78)-.88-(.78)

AS you can see the GV splits are superior in every way. So more money for sure, unless you have to pay someone to cut up your car and fabricate the mount and stuff. But those D) splits would be killer with the right combo. Imagine 6 useable gears, with a real tight 4-5 shift; thats about a 744rpm drop at 6200. That could make a fast teener all right. Or a 360 with a 2bbl cam.........
 
I drove a nice 727 with a gear vendors behind it. I tried to use it to split the gears while at full throttle. It's just not practical. The Gear Vendors would not shift unless you lifted the throttle slightly. Then you would have to shift it back down while upshifting into the next gear and then back up again and repeat. I'm sure some guy could do it after practicing long enough, but as far as making the car quicker. Not! The car was quicker and pulled harder using the 727 alone and then clicking it into overdrive at the end.

Top that off with the disappointing ratio of overdrive you get for all that money and driveline angle adjustment, and it's nothing I would ever want in one of my cars. A four speed automatic with lock-up converter of your choice is the only way to go. The lock-up used with a properly set-up, higher stall converter is the closet thing to a 5 speed automatic you can bolt into a Mopar at this time.
 
But dont you have to cut with any auto overdrive transmission? Just less with some? What I have seen with the a500 or a518, there is less than a GM brand. Plus with GM you need special adapter to bolt it together.
 
jbc426 said:
I drove a nice 727 with a gear vendors behind it. I tried to use it to split the gears while at full throttle. It's just not practical. The Gear Vendors would not shift unless you lifted the throttle slightly. Then you would have to shift it back down while upshifting into the next gear and then back up again and repeat. I'm sure some guy could do it after practicing long enough, but as far as making the car quicker. Not! The car was quicker and pulled harder using the 727 alone and then clicking it into overdrive at the end.

Top that off with the disappointing ratio of overdrive you get for all that money and driveline angle adjustment, and it's nothing I would ever want in one of my cars. A four speed automatic with lock-up converter of your choice is the only way to go. The lock-up used with a properly set-up, higher stall converter is the closet thing to a 5 speed automatic you can bolt into a Mopar at this time.
Click to expand...

I mentioned this in another post; The GV does not shift particularly fast when using their computer thingy, but slam battery volts into it with a push-on/push-off switch,it is lightning.When slamming gears and shifting into O/D at WOT you will not see a break in the blackies, and it will chirp the tires at 80mph.
And you can put full power through it on the inshifts, but you MUST NOT back shift through it. So when you finish your run you must lift off the gas to outshift it and leave it outshifted. You do not have to outshift it for engine braking. You just cannot put power into it during the outshift. And finally, that computer also prevents the unit from engaging when reversing.Reversing with it engaged will kill it almost instantly;ask me how I know;$1200 mistake.
So to recap; With a 904GV, you can have 6 very nicely spaced full power upshifts.But around town it's best to leave it alone until cruise time.

I also think tho, that there is such a thing as too many gears for most streeters. I have to agree with the 3+1 autos, being a nice option.
And if you believe that the .78 o/d is not enough, remember that there is no reason to run 4.30s with this set up.
With the A999 ratios you could trap in 2nd over. This will allow 4.30/1.20 =about 3.55s for the same trap rpm, and the starter gear would be 9.73, compared to; 4.3 x 2.45 =10.54 in the regular box. Set up like this with the 3.55s, your street shift would be first, second, second od, third od.And cruise would be 3.55 x.78 =2.77! That would be 2160 rpm@65mph, locked up,with 28s.
 
Louie70Dart said:
But dont you have to cut with any auto overdrive transmission? Just less with some? What I have seen with the a500 or a518, there is less than a GM brand. Plus with GM you need special adapter to bolt it together.
Click to expand...

I put the 200R4 in my A-Body. I did have to cut out a notch on the driver's side on the torsion bar crossmember, reinforced my chassis and fabricate a transmission mount. The method I used to adapt the transmission to my small block Mopar was to bolt on a Reid bellhousing with a small adapter ring that attaches to the front pump bolts of the 200R4 after the stock bell housing has been cut off. It makes for a clean, extremely effective, bolt on, 4 speed automatic overdrive with a one-wire activated lock-up converter that only engauges the lock-up in 4th gear.

There is someone who makes a crossmember braket that lowers the rear of the Mopar transmissions enough to clear the floor, but I would think the angle of the driveline is significantly altered when you do that.
 

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Thanks all for your input. My build is too far down the road to do any cutting in the tunnel or change the transmission mount. Had I caught it earlier I might have done it. The 518 non lockup would have been a good choice but the parasitic losses are really more than I care to tolerate, being a mild build 273 and all. I am not interested in the 6 speed split shift thing either, just want a nice highway cruiser using my new 3.73:1 rear gearset. I am going ahead with my 904-Transgo-2 build with the gearvendors unit. All stock mounting works without modification (clearance top bolts in tunnel) and I understand the schematic and function of the unit. GV sent me the installation manual and schematic even though I haven't ordered it yet. More money but I get what I want this way. The transmission shop guy led me to believe the 518 would be a bolt-in and got me excited. You all have been great in chiming in and I appreciate it, thank you!
Can you say Power Tour 2017?------Cheers to all, DR:coffee2:
:burnout:
 
I met a guy named Al that has done a lot of the 518 OD conversions. Contact him and maybe he will help you out with your goal. His screen name is Mopar373
 
A small group of Mopar nuts from the Bay Area and Sacramento are going to drive down for Track Day and Spring Fling in April. We cut through Hollister on 25, head through Coalinga, and then south on 33 to Willow Springs. It's a beautiful drive on the old roads of California.
 
Thought I had the best of both worlds figured out with the transmission shop. We landed on a 79 999 hydraulic lockup and will install a GearVendors unit in it. Price is right for me even though I know it is a lot of $$. Now I find the lockup converter I will be getting may not fit my 67 273 crank register. (thank you search function) There were allusions made to an adaptor but I thought I would put the question out there as my engine is together and getting painted this weekend and there will be no machine work done on my crank. If it matters, I will be taking my 67 904 and all my previously purchased rebuild parts to the shop for him to use as needed including the Transgo2 kit. What about the crank/converter mate up issue, need input please.:prayer:
:burnout:
 
It depends on who you are buying the converter from.If it is a special order they can change the converter register to the smaller early crank style to fit. Hughes did mine for a late 904 mating with a 67 crank.Didn't cost anything extra at the time it was ordered.That was back in 2004 but I'm sure they(most converter companies) will still do it.
 
Darter6 said:
It depends on who you are buying the converter from.If it is a special order they can change the converter register to the smaller early crank style to fit. Hughes did mine for a late 904 mating with a 67 crank.Didn't cost anything extra at the time it was ordered.That was back in 2004 but I'm sure they(most converter companies) will still do it.
Click to expand...

X2. The converter company I worked for in the past did that on a regular basis. What they do is change the front (engine side) of the converter to the earlier version. Don't let anybody tell you they can machine down the hub of the newer converter. There isn't very much metal there to do that.
 
This morning I confirmed the special build of a non wire lockup converter for my 273 999 drivetrain. The gearvendors unit is on the way so the end result will be (for good or ill) a 79 era 999 transmission with a centrifugal lockup converter and a gearvendors unit, a shortened balanced driveline and my 74 8 1/4 3.73:1 ratio SG with 28" tall 15" LBP tires & wheels. I hope to have the engine and transmission in the car by the end of the first week of February. Damn, I am glad to be done with all that part of it!!!
Cheers-DR:coffee2:
 
The Gear Vendors is much easier to do. Only minor massaging of the driveshaft tunnel with a hammer is needed for clearance. I did a big block A-518 install in my Duster and indeed the rework of the crossmembers is extensive. The end result is very good. I'm very skeptical of all the claims about the much larger parasitic loss of the 518 over a 727 based on what I'm seeing with my car. I know there's some loss but I have been told its about a half second in the 1/4 mile. My car runs low 11s @121 with the 518 and its a pump gas no power adder 440 in a 3500# car. The combo I have should be right around 575 hp and judging by the numbers I'd say thats about what I have. The claims of the huge losses are mainly originating from a trans company that sells kits to guys with Dakota trucks to swap out the 500 and 518s for 727s or 904s.
 
You'll have to cut the **** out of your car.

And the hell with that 518 crap. If you are going that route go with the a500.
 
Well we all know there are lots of ways to skin a cat. My build has evolved from inception but I can tell you that I hire the best people I can and pay them for the best solutions they can give me. For me, with my engine and transmission ready to go in the car, the best solution is a lockup converter-999 transmission and GV overdrive to mate with my 3.73:1 SG. See you all at the track! (except you guys in the racers forum-want nothing to do with those 11 second cars!)
DR---:coffee2:
:burnout:
 
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