Converting an automatic 74 Swinger to a 4 speed
In a streeter,
to properly bang gears, you sorta need ~4.30s, and a short period cam, then shift at 5000 or so. With 26.7" tires your redline roadspeeds are; 35,48,66, and 92; there you go; 3rd bangshift comes at or near the speed limit. I can tell you that even a smoggerteen feels like a racecar with 4.30s.. But, of course, cruising 65 mph will not be fun as the rpm is ~3500. 55 is doable at 2970; but 55 feels sooooo slow. On the flipside, 500rpm with that short-period cam is 3.5mph with the 2.66low, and 3mph with a 3.09. To make it interesting, put a small-port top-end on that 360, with a TQ, and let her mooooooooooan. Gosh that is soooooo addictive. You will be having sooooo much fun.
I would consider a 3-pedal solid longroof A or F roller, as partial-trade, with a black,brown,or tan interior, lol.
Too bad yur so far away.
BTW;
@jonn6464 mentions that you need a driveshaft. What you really need is the 727 front yoke, cuz the standard 2.66 trans comes with the larger than 904 mainshaft. However, the 6-cyl F-body overdrive trans comes with the 904-sized yoke. With this trans, you can run 3.73s or even 3.55s
Here is a roadgear comparo; first the 2.66/4.30s, then the overdrive with 3.73s, then with 3.55s; With their associated 65mph cruise rpms, and 5000rpm roadspeeds.
11.44-8.26-6.02-4.30;65=3513 shifts 35/48/66/92 Saweet!
11.53-6.23-3.73-2.72 ;65=2222 shifts 34/64/107/146;1st&2nd not bad
10.97-5.93-3.55-2.59 ;65=2116 shifts 36/67/112/154;It's going away
as you can see, the overdrive box trades away the 48mph gearchange to get that low cruise rpm. You cannot get it back without sacrificing first gear; so you need a stout engine to pull that 5.93/6.23 second gear at low rpm; like a Magnum, that is to say, a Hi-compression engine. The bonus here is that with the Hi-C /short-period cam/ teener, and cruising at 2100/2200, she has the potential to be very fuel stingy on the hiway.
But in all honesty, a Five-speed would be a better choice.
Something with ratios like the AX-15, or NV3500; the former has ratios of
3.83-2.33-1.44-1.00-.79; splits of (.61-.62-.69-.79) and the latter has
3.49-2.14-1.38-1.00-.73; splits of (.61-.644-.725-.73).. I like the NV for its better placed Second and higher First thus having more progressive shifts;
The NV ratios work fairly well with 3.73s with roadgears of
13.02-7.98-5.15-3.73-2.72, and 5000rpm shifts at
31/50/77/107/ and forget winding up od,lol. A great second gear for a 318 is around 8.00. Compare Second gear of 7.98 here versus 8.26 with the 4.30/A833 combo; and 65=2225 with those 3.73s.. But the NV does require some serious tunnel work. See pic below, it's too tall to fit into the factory tunnel.
You can make
a similar combo with a Commando A833 and a GVod but it gets pricey. The advantage here is no tunnel work, a true bolt-in, except 2 things; the driveshaft needs to be shortened, and you have to make yur own shifter mount.. The ratios would be;
3.09-1.92-1.40-1.00-.78od and roadgears with 4.10s are
12.67-7.87-5.74-4.10-3.20.. With 5000rpm shifts the road-speeds are;
31/51/69/97/ and forget od again. and 65=2740 . I have run this combo for about a year with a smoggerteen, and I liked it. (edit;actually I ran 4.30s) With an HO367, I swapped the 4.30s for 3.91s then 3.55s, and liked the 3.55s. That is what is in my car today, many years later; (Commando/GVod/3.55s) and she loves it.The road ratios with this combo are;
10.97-6.82-4.97-3.55-2.77, The 5000 rpm shiftspeeds are;
36/58/80/112 and 65=2240
But you lose the shift into Third at or below the 65 mph speed-limit, it moves to 80mph. No big deal for the HO367..... but again, you sorta lose the shift banging thing; not going into third until 80 at WOT
To it's credit, city driving and short shifting with this combo is a lotta fun, and the combo always has a fun gear to play with. In everyday driving I shift at about 2800. The 367 is pulling easy and sounds great thru the full-length 3" duals, this puts the shifts at 20/33/45/63 and into od at 65.
But with the GVod I usually shift into 3od first, then 4od. The road-speeds, shifting at 2800 this way are;
20/33/45/57/65 , and the splits are a nice progressive
62-.73-.78-.72 into final-drive
In a streeter,
to properly bang gears, you sorta need ~4.30s, and a short period cam, then shift at 5000 or so. With 26.7" tires your redline roadspeeds are; 35,48,66, and 92; there you go; 3rd bangshift comes at or near the speed limit. I can tell you that even a smoggerteen feels like a racecar with 4.30s.. But, of course, cruising 65 mph will not be fun as the rpm is ~3500. 55 is doable at 2970; but 55 feels sooooo slow. On the flipside, 500rpm with that short-period cam is 3.5mph with the 2.66low, and 3mph with a 3.09. To make it interesting, put a small-port top-end on that 360, with a TQ, and let her mooooooooooan. Gosh that is soooooo addictive. You will be having sooooo much fun.
I would consider a 3-pedal solid longroof A or F roller, as partial-trade, with a black,brown,or tan interior, lol.
Too bad yur so far away.
BTW;
@jonn6464 mentions that you need a driveshaft. What you really need is the 727 front yoke, cuz the standard 2.66 trans comes with the larger than 904 mainshaft. However, the 6-cyl F-body overdrive trans comes with the 904-sized yoke. With this trans, you can run 3.73s or even 3.55s
Here is a roadgear comparo; first the 2.66/4.30s, then the overdrive with 3.73s, then with 3.55s; With their associated 65mph cruise rpms, and 5000rpm roadspeeds.
11.44-8.26-6.02-4.30;65=3513 shifts 35/48/66/92 Saweet!
11.53-6.23-3.73-2.72 ;65=2222 shifts 34/64/107/146;1st&2nd not bad
10.97-5.93-3.55-2.59 ;65=2116 shifts 36/67/112/154;It's going away
as you can see, the overdrive box trades away the 48mph gearchange to get that low cruise rpm. You cannot get it back without sacrificing first gear; so you need a stout engine to pull that 5.93/6.23 second gear at low rpm; like a Magnum, that is to say, a Hi-compression engine. The bonus here is that with the Hi-C /short-period cam/ teener, and cruising at 2100/2200, she has the potential to be very fuel stingy on the hiway.
But in all honesty, a Five-speed would be a better choice.
Something with ratios like the AX-15, or NV3500; the former has ratios of
3.83-2.33-1.44-1.00-.79; splits of (.61-.62-.69-.79) and the latter has
3.49-2.14-1.38-1.00-.73; splits of (.61-.644-.725-.73).. I like the NV for its better placed Second and higher First thus having more progressive shifts;
The NV ratios work fairly well with 3.73s with roadgears of
13.02-7.98-5.15-3.73-2.72, and 5000rpm shifts at
31/50/77/107/ and forget winding up od,lol. A great second gear for a 318 is around 8.00. Compare Second gear of 7.98 here versus 8.26 with the 4.30/A833 combo; and 65=2225 with those 3.73s.. But the NV does require some serious tunnel work. See pic below, it's too tall to fit into the factory tunnel.
You can make
a similar combo with a Commando A833 and a GVod but it gets pricey. The advantage here is no tunnel work, a true bolt-in, except 2 things; the driveshaft needs to be shortened, and you have to make yur own shifter mount.. The ratios would be;
3.09-1.92-1.40-1.00-.78od and roadgears with 4.10s are
12.67-7.87-5.74-4.10-3.20.. With 5000rpm shifts the road-speeds are;
31/51/69/97/ and forget od again. and 65=2740 . I have run this combo for about a year with a smoggerteen, and I liked it. (edit;actually I ran 4.30s) With an HO367, I swapped the 4.30s for 3.91s then 3.55s, and liked the 3.55s. That is what is in my car today, many years later; (Commando/GVod/3.55s) and she loves it.The road ratios with this combo are;
10.97-6.82-4.97-3.55-2.77, The 5000 rpm shiftspeeds are;
36/58/80/112 and 65=2240
But you lose the shift into Third at or below the 65 mph speed-limit, it moves to 80mph. No big deal for the HO367..... but again, you sorta lose the shift banging thing; not going into third until 80 at WOT
To it's credit, city driving and short shifting with this combo is a lotta fun, and the combo always has a fun gear to play with. In everyday driving I shift at about 2800. The 367 is pulling easy and sounds great thru the full-length 3" duals, this puts the shifts at 20/33/45/63 and into od at 65.
But with the GVod I usually shift into 3od first, then 4od. The road-speeds, shifting at 2800 this way are;
20/33/45/57/65 , and the splits are a nice progressive
62-.73-.78-.72 into final-drive
