Tranny doesn't fit, now what

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kanders

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Went to bolt the tranny to the bellhousing last night so I could install the engine in the car and measure the driveshaft length and the large hole in the
Lakewood scattershield is TOO SMALL. I bought the scattershield used from a member here and it fits onto the engine but the input bearing housing on my transmission is too big. I still have the stock aluminum bellhousing so I swapped it and was still able to put it in and get my measurement but what do I do about this problem. Obviously there are different sizes of input bearing retainers/housing but I really need to get this put together to try and race this car for the last race of the season next weekend! Can I machine down the O.D. of the existing housing, machine the I.D. of the scattershield (big job) or just have to find the different housing. Any input (no pun intended) would be greatly appreciated. Kev
 
Your Lakewood is an oldie but goodie and has the bearing retainer pilot hole for a standard 23-spline A-833. The newer versions have the big hole and they come with an adapter ring. Either you have an OD 4-speed or an 18-spline "hemi box". Contact Jamie Passon at Passon Performance (Google) and he can tell you a cure. One sure cure is to take it to a machine shop and have them enlarge the hole to fit your tranny. Hope this helps!
Pat
 
Most likely he has a 308L bearing retainer on a 23-spline. I'm also guessing an early bell which accepts a 307L bearing retainer. I would swap out the front case with one that uses a 307, or I would have a machine shop enlarge the hole in the bell to fit the retainer. Don't turn the retainer down to fit the bell.
Fun with 4-speeds.
 
I talked to Jamie at Passon Performance, he really knows his stuff. I gave him all the numbers off the tranny and he searched the computer bank in his brain and told me my trans SUCKED. It's a 1976 OD unit. Not much good for drag racing because of the gear ratios. I was about to put the scattershield on the CNC machining center and I'm glad I didn't yet, have to consider my options now. Maybe a Tremec 5 speed, Maybe a 727, maybe a stick and a twisted rubber band. In any case I'm going to back off and forget about putting it on the road this year, turn it back into a winter project like I was going to in the first place. Yah, building these project cars is a lot of fun:angry7:
 
It's not all bad. Any A833 gearset will fit into your case. A 4.80" bearing retainer will replace your 5.125" one. If you do that you will have the equivalent of a "Hemi" 4 speed (with the exception of a 23 spline input) and you won't have to machine as much off the scattershield tranny bore. Plus you can choose the ratios you want. Being a '76 it should be a cast iron case, I know mine is and it was assembled on April 24, 1976. Food for thought.
 
It's not all bad. Any A833 gearset will fit into your case. A 4.80" bearing retainer will replace your 5.125" one. If you do that you will have the equivalent of a "Hemi" 4 speed (with the exception of a 23 spline input) and you won't have to machine as much off the scattershield tranny bore. Plus you can choose the ratios you want. Food for thought.

Ya but how much $$$$$. Is it better to do that or just find a non OD unit? Kev
 
Sorry, you said you wanted to get the car together so you could go racing. A budget never entered into the thought process. Parts availability did.
 
Sorry, you said you wanted to get the car together so you could go racing. A budget never entered into the thought process. Parts availability did.

Either way, with everything still left to do on the car in one week, adding a trans rebuild to the project with rush parts shipping and labour, makes the deadline unrealistic. I've already spent a small fortune on UPS overnight shipments from the states in the last 2 weeks, time to take a breath and consider other alternatives. Can't say I didn't try. Kev
 
I would have to say that you have done everything humanly possible and good on you. Welcome to the wonderful world of old cars when sometimes all you can do is :banghead: ](*,) But it's worth it when you can finally :burnout:
 
I would have to say that you have done everything humanly possible and good on you. Welcome to the wonderful world of old cars when sometimes all you can do is :banghead: ](*,) But it's worth it when you can finally :burnout:

Thanks grumpus, I know the car will turn out all the better for this glitch but I still can't help feeling disappointed that I've fffffff.....failed to meet my deadline. For anyone seeing this, I want to mention a thanks to Jamie Passion for his help today. For you guys in the Minnesota area I also spoke with a guy named Gary at 4 Wheel Parts and Service in Ham Lake MN. I was overnighting a forged 1350 slip joint and pinion yoke for the car from him and he also does a lot of 4spds there and owns 2 440 six pack challengers. When I mentioned the issues I was having with my trans, he took a lot of time with me on the phone and generously gave me a lot of tips and insight on the issue of u-joints/ driveshafts and 833 4spds. Kev
 
A body 833 aren't that uncommon, you should be able to find one pretty easily. Although, a TKO would be sweet, or a T56.
 
keep your head held up high you will find a trans in time it may not be at this time time is on your side
 
keep your head held up high you will find a trans in time it may not be at this time time is on your side

Thanks,I actually feel a little relieved now that I have some more time (all winter). I sometimes felt like I wasn't making the best decisions about the car because of the rush. Kev
 
I talked to Jamie at Passon Performance, he really knows his stuff. I gave him all the numbers off the tranny and he searched the computer bank in his brain and told me my trans SUCKED. It's a 1976 OD unit. Not much good for drag racing because of the gear ratios. I was about to put the scattershield on the CNC machining center and I'm glad I didn't yet, have to consider my options now. Maybe a Tremec 5 speed, Maybe a 727, maybe a stick and a twisted rubber band. In any case I'm going to back off and forget about putting it on the road this year, turn it back into a winter project like I was going to in the first place. Yah, building these project cars is a lot of fun:angry7:

OUCH! From your previous posts, I thought it was a 4-speed. Never even considered you have an OD with all the drag racing talk. Sorry to hear about the setback.
 
I don't know what engine you're running, but if it's a small block, you could just get a decent converter and bolt a 904 up to it.

My car weighs 3,600 pounds (with me in it), and makes 445 rwhp (470 torque) which translates to approx. 525 flywheel hp and runs about 118 in the quarter mile, and this 904 handles it like it was a 170 slant six.

A 727 wouldn't be necessary unless you're running a big block, or have over 600 hp (which you may well have; you never mentioned your engine.)

Mine is a Vortech blown 360 Magnum with 10 pounds of boost, and as I said, that 904 (built by Len Schneider, in California) easily handles the output of that motor; no complaints.

Just another thought... IF it's not a big block.
 
OUCH! From your previous posts, I thought it was a 4-speed. Never even considered you have an OD with all the drag racing talk. Sorry to hear about the setback.

Ya, I thought it was too. I bought the car off fleabay and didn't even know it came with a trans till I got to pick it up (SCORE!!!) came with everything behind the engine! He didn't know anything about the trans since it came with it when he bought it. I assumed since the car had so many go fast goodies that the trans would be a good one too (since I didn't know dick all about mopar 4spds). It looks rebuilt having been cleaned and painted and new seals but I never got around to taking it in and having it checked out at a local shop. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Kev
 
I don't know what engine you're running, but if it's a small block, you could just get a decent converter and bolt a 904 up to it.

My car weighs 3,600 pounds (with me in it), and makes 445 rwhp (470 torque) which translates to approx. 525 flywheel hp and runs about 118 in the quarter mile, and this 904 handles it like it was a 170 slant six.

A 727 wouldn't be necessary unless you're running a big block, or have over 600 hp (which you may well have; you never mentioned your engine.)

Mine is a Vortech blown 360 Magnum with 10 pounds of boost, and as I said, that 904 (built by Len Schneider, in California) easily handles the output of that motor; no complaints.

Just another thought... IF it's not a big block.

It is a 340 with some pretty good stuff in it and even though the car was originally an auto (D32 code HD 727 trans) I've been dreaming about slammin those gears ever since I bought this car. Thanks for the info, more food for thought! Sounds like that vortec works well on your 360, is that a blow through system? Kev
 
Yes, it's a blow thru setup I had to build myself because Vortech doesn't have a "kit" for this car ('72 Valiant 4-door) with a 360 Magnum.

It's basically a pretty much stock (different cam) Durango motor with a Chinese "Air Gap"-type intake, a Hughes cam, and TTI headers.

It ran 13.35 @ 102mph unblown.

When I put the blower on it, I also added the headers and different intake manifol; before the Vortech installation, it had early 340 exhaust manifolds and an M-P water heated (!) 4-bbl intake with a 3310 Holley (750 cfm). The carb for the blown setup is a 750 double pumper, modified for blow-thru by the Carb Shop, in Ontario, CA.

It was a thrash, but it picked it up about 1.6-seconds and 16 mph in the quarter. You can feel that...

Here are a couple of pics... (don't mind the wiring; I'm gonna attack that mess, soon...)

100_3266.jpg


100_3271.jpg
 
Bill, that looks cool, did you have to fab the mounts or did you buy them. What kind of compression are you running? Kev
 
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