Um, I think you are agreeing with me :) The OD was really built for a slant six in my opinion.
I wouldn't box the od into that small a corral; the bigger the engine or the lower the operating rpm, the better it can be fit into the combo; which is why I suggested a 220*cam as about the maximum cam size. The 220 power peaks around 5000,and torque peaks around 3500,and will likely be shifted at 5500 in a streeter. The splits in the od box are .54 and .60 so dropping into second will be 2970 and into third 3300. This makes a powerband requirement of 2500....... A little more than the 727/904s(.59/.69splits), but not outrageous. And the overdrive comes as a bonus. So as long as you put the right LSA cam in there,IMO, it's not all that bad. And if you then gear it hit the power-peak at 60 mph in second gear, then you don't hardly feel the 1-2 split, cuz that takes about 4.10s to no more than 4.30s. First gear is gonna smoke the tires anyway with that starter gear, so the pull is from 33 to 60. The mistake that guys make with this box, IMO, is running lo-perf rear-gears and having to get into third before 60mph. That just brings acceleration to a grinding halt. I ran 4.30s and bigger, and left the line easy,lol.
I like your gear vendor solution, but that is expensive and not just a drop in, you did have to modify your tunnel to get it in there correct ?
A couple of shots with the bfg to get the critical spots, then I just dropped the tail about a quarter inch in the 73-up spool mount. and of course the driveshaft had to be shortened.
I am running a 340 with a 3.55 rear and standard tires.
Yes a 340 gets a lil torque-challenged as you go up in camsize without an accompanying compression increase. I knew this would happen so just started with a 360. And I saved quite a few paychecks to get the aluminum heads, so I could crank the pressure up to 185psi or better. With the extra pressure, I could run a 110LSA cam. I ran the 3.55s for a short time during the first summer I got the odbox; but redline was 95mph in second gear,so the 3.55s had to go...... lol
I tell you what tho, when I put the GVOD behind it, and with the 3.55s again, and with that 223/230/110 cam, hi-way rpm was a tic under 1600@65. I put a lil 600 on her, cranked the timing up, and, leaned her right out. On one trip, point to point, she hit 32mpgUS. That made it all worthwhile.
I first licensed that car in 1999, and the GVOD came in 04/05(not sure which). That unit has saved me so much gas money, and so much wear and tear, that I bet I could freshen the engine , maybe a couple of times, on the stash.
