Sinner
Active Member
Hey guys I have a quick question, so can a 1970 3 speed manual transmission, that was married to a 340, marry up to a 68 273?
1970 3 speed on a 68 273?
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Sinner
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The car I have is a 67 barracuda
It should work with the right shifter. I went the other way with a 340 Duster and it was a direct swap as I remember. Check length and output splines to rule out the obvious. Make sure your bell housing has the bolt pattern for the 3 speed.
Sinner
Active Member
What do you mean by right shifter?
Typically a Hurst 3 speed shifter.
Im putting 73 Dart 3 spd on floor in 65 dart /6 conversion 3spd column. As long as retainer bearing matches bell housing should be good.
Thanks D
Thanks D
Sinner
Active Member
Thank you guys. So I have bell housing that went to a 273. Are they interchangeable?
I believe so. However after 70 the bell housings, I believe there are three different retainer bearing sizes. But most pertained to 4 spd, and 4spd w/ overdrive. Others can chime in but being a 3spd I think your good.
D.
D.
First thing you better do is make sure the 273 is drilled for a pilot bushing. The rest is easy.
Russ.
Russ.
Early bell housings usually had either the 3 speed bolt pattern or the 4 speed bolt pattern. Get the casting number of the bell housing. later bell housings had both bolt patterns. All bearing retaining bores were small from the factory on A bodies except for the 75 up O/D 4 speeds, that used the large 5 and 1/8 ID bore.
Some of the early bell housings are sized for the 9 1/2" clutch, a setup you may want to steer away from!
Especially since you have a 67 up A body. It is more involved in a 66 down A body.
Sinner
Active Member
Sinner
Active Member
Sinner
Active Member
I wish you'd take a picture of the whole trans, but I'm thinking I'm looking at an 833 Chrysler 4 speed.
Russ.
Russ.
Looks like a O/D out of a PU truck. Aluminum main case?
Sinner
Active Member
I've been building stick tranmissions for around 50 years. I still don't know any numbers, I just look, and count teeth. These old transmissions, odds are, aren't original inside anymore anyway.
What I'm looking at is probably a B body, 23 spline 4 speed, and judging by the other picture of the extention housing, it's all cast iron. Just a good old fashion Plymouth or Dodge B body hot rod. The only thing that throws a big question mark to me is the late side cover bolted on it. The trans doesn't have the B body reverse spring and detent on the main case, it's in the side of the case and into the side cover. I don't know what year MOPAR changed. Pulling the side cover to expose the gear set inside would settle exactly what it is.
It's a good trans, but a pain in the *** to get to fit in an A body. You might not like doing the modifications to get it to fit, but it is do-able. There is about a half dozen ratio possibilities it could be if it's a straight 4 speed.
Russ.
What I'm looking at is probably a B body, 23 spline 4 speed, and judging by the other picture of the extention housing, it's all cast iron. Just a good old fashion Plymouth or Dodge B body hot rod. The only thing that throws a big question mark to me is the late side cover bolted on it. The trans doesn't have the B body reverse spring and detent on the main case, it's in the side of the case and into the side cover. I don't know what year MOPAR changed. Pulling the side cover to expose the gear set inside would settle exactly what it is.
It's a good trans, but a pain in the *** to get to fit in an A body. You might not like doing the modifications to get it to fit, but it is do-able. There is about a half dozen ratio possibilities it could be if it's a straight 4 speed.
Russ.
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Sinner
Active Member
Late Over Drive 4 speed. Aluminum main housing, looks good but it will be a bear to get it in an "A" body.
Yep, it's got the steel forks, the better syncro rings and beefier dogs, but besides being an overdrive, like I said before, it didn't come in an A body and it's a ***** to make it fit an A body.
Now, under that spring that's sticking up on the bottom where the side cover goes on, there is a ball bearing, about 3/8 inch. Don't loose it. That's your detent for reverse.
Russ.
Now, under that spring that's sticking up on the bottom where the side cover goes on, there is a ball bearing, about 3/8 inch. Don't loose it. That's your detent for reverse.
Russ.
Drill and tap the tailshaft bosses. I make adapters to install an A body shifter on that transmission.
Okay I,have a question before I do anything to it since I have 70 4 speed tranny so I current have short main shaft and short style exention housing I plan to do the swap since cant find A body 4 speed tranny to put in 72 318 3 speed so I,am doing swap as 340 4 speed clone on this car .
You should start your own thread to make it easier for you. Your question is "Can you use a 70 A body 4 speed to swap for the 3 speed trans in your A body?" Or " Can you swap the A body extension housing and A body main shaft to convert a B or E body 4 speed to an A body 4 speed?" The answer to both is yes, but check the lengths and output spline size before you get too far.
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