What choose a reverse valve body?

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Garethw

Mopar. Because rocket science is too easy.
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Just curious, what is the advantage of a reverse valve body? The manual valve body part I can understand. But why do some choose a reverse pattern?
 
Because pulling back on the shifter is easier to do under hard acceleration.
 
Ahh, makes sense. Figured it was a racing application.
 
No it's because it's impossible to accidently get it into PRN You might miss 2nd but all that will happen is that it will end up in 3rd
 
No it's because it's impossible to accidently get it into PRN You might miss 2nd but all that will happen is that it will end up in 3rd
That's impossible to do with any ratchet shifter. Even with a forward pattern.
 
Nothing is impossible, so a with reverse pattern you are shifting away from neutral.

and for racing a manual valve body is excellent.
 
The reason is to avoid the possibility of hitting neutral or reverse. If you want a good RMVB go with cope's. I have one in two of my cars, love them. Another benefit is low band apply which helps protect the sprag clutch. Not all rmvb have low band apply so read the details.
https://www.coperacingtrans.com/?product=crt-727-904-pro-street-reverse-manual-valve-body
I run the billet rear servo and 4.2 lever.
https://www.coperacingtrans.com/?product=727-billet-aluminum-lowrev-servo-67up
https://www.coperacingtrans.com/?product=4-2-lever
 
While you sitting at the line you can put it in 1st pull up to the line pop it in neutral rev the motor and pull it back 1 click into 1st
 
The original purpose was to change shifting direction away from neutral for the 2-3 shift. Lousy aftermarket shifters in the bad old days would allow a 2-n shift, if you weren't careful, and it's hard to be "careful" In a racing situation. The design for a torqueflite, particularly a 727, cleaned up the shift overlap too, so the rmvb could be faster too.
There is some question if it is needed now that shifters, particularly ratchets, are much better.
The advantage of a normal pattern in a drag car, is you can kick the trans into neutral after a pass, to save load on connecting rods, and to allow more accurate plug readings, something that can't be done with a rmvb. The new (nhra legal)
shifters all have a lockout to keep you out of reverse.
For what it is worth, I have two reverse manual valve bodies, and one forward pattern manual body. I love em!
 
That's impossible to do with any ratchet shifter. Even with a forward pattern.

I had a 70 340 Cuda with a slap stick round shifter ball with a button in the middle, one night getting on the highway full throttle about 6000 RPM in 1st hit the shifter for second gear and pushed the button and it went right into reverse, the motor never slowed down it just started smoking the tires in reverse. Now that I'm smashed against the steering wheel my foot is smashed on the gas and I can't even lift so I just pulled the shifter back into drive and kept on going like nothing ever happened. The trans was fine, didn't hurt anything no even my pride. So yes it can happen with a ratchet shifter.
 
AND NOW yet another annoying story from the old days

My first "mine" car (in high school had been somewhat driving Dad's "work" car, a 55 Chev stick waggon with a 5 hole 235)

So my first "mine" was a 57 Chev Moredoor 210, 265 2bbl and cast iron Powerglide. I had to look this up evidently the pattern was PNDLR, and the SHIFTER was a CONVERTED 3 speed on the column stick, so there were NO detents. This so called friend of mine was driving, and on the "pretence" of "finding more gears" he must have put the damn thing into reverse at least 3 times in about 10 seconds at about 40 MPH with me over there yelling at the top of my lungs and trying to get my hands on the key.

DAMN I WAS MAD!!!!

By the way that PG in all it's "cast iron-ness" lasted just about part of 1 whole summer. In went a 3 speed with a Hurst "misery shifter"
 
By the way I had a manual valve in my 67 "if I ever get it together again" and liked it a lot. It will be again. Guys claim they get tired of constantly shifting, but I grew up "on sticks." If my legs were stronger I'd still go with a stick.
 
Factory light weight.

20191004_133408.jpg
 
My buddy finally made it to the last round in his 77 Camaro. Went from first to neutral cause he cant get used to that shift pattern. Sounds like a dumb shifter too. Should be locked out of neutral. Need to go have a talk with him
 
Never say never!
Ok, with "modern" ratchet shifters, you'd bout have to be a dumbass. Especially with something like the Hurst Quarter Stick. It's obvious there's more than "one" reason. lol I've always kinda wanted to do a column shift with a reverse valve body.
 
AND NOW yet another annoying story from the old days

My first "mine" car (in high school had been somewhat driving Dad's "work" car, a 55 Chev stick waggon with a 5 hole 235)

So my first "mine" was a 57 Chev Moredoor 210, 265 2bbl and cast iron Powerglide. I had to look this up evidently the pattern was PNDLR, and the SHIFTER was a CONVERTED 3 speed on the column stick, so there were NO detents. This so called friend of mine was driving, and on the "pretence" of "finding more gears" he must have put the damn thing into reverse at least 3 times in about 10 seconds at about 40 MPH with me over there yelling at the top of my lungs and trying to get my hands on the key.

DAMN I WAS MAD!!!!

By the way that PG in all it's "cast iron-ness" lasted just about part of 1 whole summer. In went a 3 speed with a Hurst "misery shifter"
Yep, the old iron glides were PNDLR. If you wanted to force a downshift you tapped the lever down. If you pulled on it while yanking down, you get reverse.... at about 40 miles an hour. Im not sure how often i did it. Over or under five?
 
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Ok, with "modern" ratchet shifters, you'd bout have to be a dumbass. Especially with something like the Hurst Quarter Stick. It's obvious there's more than "one" reason. lol I've always kinda wanted to do a column shift with a reverse valve body.
Got one! My a12 was that way when i bought it. The mechanism had been modified so a tap (with a slight push) from first to second was all that was needed, then a pull to drop down into third.
Loved the manual body. Shift early to be quiet, shift late to bark second..... every time.
 
Got one! My a12 was that way when i bought it. The mechanism had been modified so a tap (with a slight push) from first to second was all that was needed, then a pull to drop down into third.
Loved the manual body. Shift early to be quiet, shift late to bark second..... every time.
They are nice. I've always loved the instantaneous shift.
 
Today if you want a manual valve body spend the extra money and get one with a clean neutral. And the shifter that goes with it. Never compression brake the engine at the end of a run. With a clean neutral you can go from high gear to neutral and not compression brake the engine and not have to worry about going into reverse and crashing the car.
 
Ratchet shifters typically require a front-entrance cable to the trans. Good luck with that!! It takes a better person than me to make that work with the headers and all. I MUCH prefer the rear entrance cable setups. I have a Cheetah shifter that just flat-out works. They can be set up for forward or reverse pattern or clean neutral.
 
The only stumbling block I have found in reverse valvebody (Slap Stick style floor shifter) was my friend and mechanic help I let take a run with my 10 sec Duster. He ran back to back 13 sec. The 2nd run I was closer and it sounded like he was leaving in 2nd gear. The 2-step button is on the shifter. Sure enough? When he let go of the button to launch the force set him back and he was pulling it into 2nd by still holding the shifter. Lol. Once corrected he still ran a couple 10th's slower. But was his first 10 sec pass.
 
Ok, with "modern" ratchet shifters, you'd bout have to be a dumbass
Years sgo I had just bought a 70 ford F250. Someone had swapped in a 460. It was automatic. In all the 60s fords i had had if you were full throttle and threw the shifter all the way to L it would only downshift one gear.

To my suprise this transmission would go into whatever gear the selector was pointed to, (AT ANY SPEED)

lets put it this way...

Im a dumbass!

Foot to the floor at 75mph on the freeway threw it down to L

Imagine my suprise at the RPM and the fact that that i actually slowed down real fast.
 
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