545RFE questions

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jsbrown

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Hi,

Currently installing a 5.7/545RFE combo in a '71 Scamp for my daughter. I've got the major tunnel mods done and the eng/trans is "in place" w/ alterk and temporary trans support so I can fab the rest of the trans tunnel and tranny mount. I wanted to sort out a few things before going any farther with the floor after having to hack out and move what I've built one time already :)

Has anyone modified a factory console shifter to run a cable and shift this trans? The travel of the factory shifter looks to match up with the travel of the trans shift lever. I was thinking about picking up one of the 3' hurst cables and seeing what I could build as I'd like to try to keep the stock look up top w/ the shifter/console, but I'd definitely be interested to hear if anyone else has gone down this path and how things worked out.

My trans didn't come with a dipstick and tube. Does the factory tube go in a good direction for an A body?

Thanks!
Jeff
 
I have not done it, but I've seen it done.

Check out this guys build thread.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=53074

Here's a link to the pages where he makes a new center console.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=53074&page=5

As you can see from his pics he used the shifter out of a donor car and built a center console around it.

If anyone knows 5.7Dart let him know that I hope he's doing well, he donated a kidney to his son and according to his post after the fact almost died. He kicked butt on the build and then simply stopped.

It's a great informative build full of insight.

Regards,

Joe Dokes
 
The factory dipstick tube is not great, but it can be bent fairly easily to work reasonably well. I didn't want to spend the money on a Lokar one.
 
Thanks! I'll track down a stock one then.

I found a good assortment of cables and ends at chassisshop.com, so I'll see what I can do on the factory shifter/console setup. Picked up a couple ends and a 42" cable. I rechecked things, and I'm seeing 2" of travel on the trans lever and on the factory shifter linkage connection point, so hopefully the gear spacings align reasonable w/ the shifter detents. If not, I can probably hack up the plate in the shifter to move the detents around, but I'd imagine if the travel matches, then it can't be too far off.
 
Currently working on this exact topic on my 73 turned 71' Duster. Using a NAG1 Cable with my 545RFE, had to modify the holding bracket and the manual valve lever that the cable attaches to on the trans itself. With the factory console and shifter...haven't figured out the console mounting and shifter yet, but the cable is in place and the proper length, seems like you said, the shifter is very close or the same throw as the factory unit for the 545RFE.

As for the Dipstick tube, if you are standing at the front of the engine, it travels up the left side close to the trans and up and over the passenger side valve cover. I had to make mods to the firewall to get it to fit nicely, I'll see if I can't snap some pictures later today of what it looks like, and what I've done.
 
IMAG1034.jpg

IMAG1033.jpg


The bulge is where the trans dipstick tube goes...
 
Dang! The fun isn't going to end anytime soon! LOL... Thank you for posting that pic! Looks like I better get a tube to sort out the clearances before dropping this back out of the car. :)
 
Finally finished my trans mount side project...
 

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The shifter cable install went well! Picked up a stock cable mount for the trans from the dealer and welded a washer in it to get the hole size right for the 42" cable I picked up. After getting the stock shifter mount reinstalled as low as possible over the new T-bar xmember loop, I made up a cable mount off of that, and the detents in the stock shifter align prefectly with the detents in the trans :) The console is taking on a little incline now (up about 1/2" at the forward "rear" mount in the pic), but it looks like thing are going to work out.

Now for the dipstick tube... I picked up a tube for a 2007 Commander thinking maybe a Jeep would hug the eng/trans tighter than a truck tube, but it definitely doesn't "fit". Has anyone tried a variety of tube from stock applications?
 

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Stacked360, I dame near fell off my chair when I saw the work you went to, to get that damn dipstick to fit. I am very hopeful that I can work something else out, as, I am painted and putting the car together. I saw something about bending the **** out of it and getting it to fit, do I even have a prayer of that working out for me?

Thxs, Tom
 
I left wiggle room for it as well, you might be able to bend it, but you're going to have to at least dimple in your firewall with some hammering to make it concave. My engine/trans is covered up right now(Primer everywhere) but I might be able to snap a pic of what it looks like on the trans and how it follows the back of the engine.
 
jsbrown said:
The shifter cable install went well! Picked up a stock cable mount for the trans from the dealer and welded a washer in it to get the hole size right for the 42" cable I picked up. After getting the stock shifter mount reinstalled as low as possible over the new T-bar xmember loop, I made up a cable mount off of that, and the detents in the stock shifter align prefectly with the detents in the trans :) The console is taking on a little incline now (up about 1/2" at the forward "rear" mount in the pic), but it looks like thing are going to work out.

Now for the dipstick tube... I picked up a tube for a 2007 Commander thinking maybe a Jeep would hug the eng/trans tighter than a truck tube, but it definitely doesn't "fit". Has anyone tried a variety of tube from stock applications?
Click to expand...

I spent a fair amount of time fiddling with the trans tube and couldn't get it where I was happy with it. I ended up buying a black Lokar and it worked out well. I modified the dipstick to use the stock yellow handle.
 
Sorry for bringing up and old thread, but it hits on a topic Ive been searching for a while on.

Ive been trying to find a dipstick for my 545rfe transmission as it did not come with one, so I decided to get the Lokar ones for the 45rfe since I was understanding them to be the same case, and take the same dipstick size into the port in the trans. I noticed that the factory dipstick must have been held in with a bolt. The Lokar one is just a press-in o-ring style. Is this sufficient? It goes in pretty easy....and the dipstick itself doesnt go ver far in...

To the guys that said they've used the Lokar one, are you using the one for the 45rfe on your 5-45rfe transmissions?

Thanks for any help, this has been driving me crazy for a while.
 
kjdavis said:
Sorry for bringing up and old thread, but it hits on a topic Ive been searching for a while on.

Ive been trying to find a dipstick for my 545rfe transmission as it did not come with one, so I decided to get the Lokar ones for the 45rfe since I was understanding them to be the same case, and take the same dipstick size into the port in the trans. I noticed that the factory dipstick must have been held in with a bolt. The Lokar one is just a press-in o-ring style. Is this sufficient? It goes in pretty easy....and the dipstick itself doesnt go ver far in...

To the guys that said they've used the Lokar one, are you using the one for the 45rfe on your 5-45rfe transmissions?

Thanks for any help, this has been driving me crazy for a while.
Click to expand...

The 45rfe and the 545rfe are exactly the same
 
I used the lokar, once you mount it to the firewall, it can't come out.
 
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