4 speed conversion - early 170

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67hippie

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1960-62 Plymouth Valiant/Lancer: has anybody got any information on a bolt on Mopar 4 speed transmission behind one of these? I'd like to do a project around this but I don't want to do it backed by a three speed..

Spirit
 
It depends on which year Valiant or Lancer you have. Forget changing a '60-61. There are too many different details to overcome to make the project worth the improvement. A '62 should accept most of the parts out of any '63-76 A-Body, with a little extra bodywork to the tunnel. Be aware that some minor but critical parts are welded into the donor car. Are you up for that?

Really, a four-speed is totally unnecessary in a light A-Body. Try one somewhere. You will soon get tired of all the extra shifting. If you want more 0-60 performance, find a 7 1/4 axle with 3.26 gears. These were common under wagons with stick shifts. (Note: Save your 2.92 axle for spare parts. You will need them eventually.)
 
Tom Condran said:
Really, a four-speed is totally unnecessary in a light A-Body. Try one somewhere. You will soon get tired of all the extra shifting. If you want more 0-60 performance, find a 7 1/4 axle with 3.26 gears. These were common under wagons with stick shifts. (Note: Save your 2.92 axle for spare parts. You will need them eventually.)
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It depends. I am gathering parts tochange from a 3 speed to a A833od in my 64 Valiant. I hate the non syncro 1st gear 3 speed that is in the car now. So, since I plan on a trans swap any way, going with the OD to try and break 30 mpg.
 
Charrlie_S said:
It depends. I am gathering parts tochange from a 3 speed to a A833od in my 64 Valiant. I hate the non syncro 1st gear 3 speed that is in the car now. So, since I plan on a trans swap any way, going with the OD to try and break 30 mpg.
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First I want to thank Tom Condran for writing that book! It's a great reference and I used it to set my 68. Bout time you showed up here!

Second, My long term plans are to swap a 4 speed O/D into my 64 vert (presently 3 on the tree) so keep us posted Charrlie. I won't say it will be daily driver but hopefully will get driven a lot and better mileage would be great.
 
I have a 4spd OD in my '64 dart 170. It was originally a 3spd on the column. All you need is a 4spd OD bell, fork, trans, and a driveshaft. The inspection covers off the stock 3spd bell work in the OD bell.

For a driveshaft I found one out of a '72 Dart Custom slant auto, and it fit perfect with the 8.25" rear end I'm running. Either way, it's not a big deal to get a driveshaft cut to fit.

I used the stock rear trans mount and crossmember.

Oh, and you'll have to modify the clutch linkage a bit, as the OD fork is longer than the stocker.

As far a driving a 170 4spd OD goes, it does get 25+mpg, but it's not all that fun. The gear spacing doesn't inspire any kind of spirited driving. The stock 170ci just doesn't have enough torque to be comfortable in 4th under 2000rpm. And that's with a 3.55 rear gear and a 24" tall tire.

I'd say the OD is worth it if you don't care about accelerating any faster than the scooter in the other lane. The economy is brilliant and I do love being able to hop on the interstate and cruise at 75mph. If accelerating at a reasonable pace is important to you, I'd recommend either running a steeper rear gear than mine, adding a few power mods, or just going with a 225 for all that extra torque.

I'm considering slapping a turbo on mine to solve the problem.
 
My 64 Valiant is in the 26-28 mpg range, with the 3 sp. The engine has been "tweeked" for more torque. It is a honest 9.5 - 1 CR, and has a mild cam.
 
Charrlie_S said:
It depends. I am gathering parts tochange from a 3 speed to a A833od in my 64 Valiant. I hate the non syncro 1st gear 3 speed that is in the car now. So, since I plan on a trans swap any way, going with the OD to try and break 30 mpg.
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Uh, you do know that Ma also made an all syncro 3 speed for those?
 
vntned said:
What cam are you running and how'd you get the cr to 9.5:1?
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Cut the deck, and milled the head. Cam is the Mopar performance P4120243
Be warned, at 9.5 cr Ign curve is tricky, and requires 89 octane at this time. I am trying to get it to run on 87 octane.
 
Here is my 2 cents worth. Started with 62 and 65 valiants and 3 speeds. Those cars started my love for a bodies. Picked up a 64 barracuda with a 3.09 first gear 4 speed. All the difference in the world. Same engine in all three cars, but 4 speed car was much faster. I would change to a regular gear set 4 speed in a minute. That barracuda went 15 flat with a 2 barrel carb and I knew I had something to work with.
 
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