Auto to manual conversion. If you could do it over....regrets, pitfalls, long term opinions???

I swapped my 408 dart sport from 727 to an 833 and loved every minute of it. I had a fairly rare '74 non OD 4 gear with 3:09 1st, 3:55 sure grip rear and centerforce dual friction clutch and factory aluminum bell housing. I had removed the over center spring. It was an absolute blast to drive.

I would suspect a lot of the clutch chatter problems mentioned are due to bad trans to eng alignment or worn / damaged linkage parts. Go over everything from the clutch pedal pivot bushing/bearings to the fork pivot bracket to the z bar alignment, pivots and engine mounts. With a diaphragm clutch pedal forces are a non issue.

My regrets? I always thought that the wide power band and torque of the 408 would respond well to an OD 833, but sold the car out of necessity before I got to try. It would have made highway cruising that much nicer.

I now own a cast iron shorty 833 OD box for a future project. Take your time, source good used parts, rebuild everything prior to installation including the trans. It is easy, interesting and fun.

My 2 cents......