93toyota
Well-Known Member
Can a standard 833 be converted to a OD tranny( via swapping in OD gears in a standard 4 spd?
833 to 833OD
- Thread starter 93toyota
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'64 Cuda
Well-Known Member
It just so happens that I've been ivnolved in a lot of research & back and forth emails lately on this very subject with somebody who seems to know what he's talking about. The swap probably can't be easily made. The OD transmission case has a much larger opening in the front, apparently to fit the gears through. This requires a larger input bearing retainer (IBR) on the front of the transmission. The IBR is what indexes the trans to the bell housing. This means you need a transmission case & IBR from an OD trans, & a small block bell housing for an OD transmission (I don't think there is any bell housing to mate an OD trans to a big block, but it might be possible to have the stock bell housing machined to the larger diameter). It would be easier to find a complete OD trans & bell housing & use them to make the swap. But, I've been told that the stock OD trans can't handle high horspower, so I don't know how well it would hold up. They did use them in some pickups, though.
I checked with Passon performance a while back because I had read they have a new gearset that allows an overdrive ratio in an A 833. I don;t remember the OD ratio, but it was somewhere around 0.8 to one. The conversion kit is $1695. At that price you could probably afford to go through a few stock OD transmissions, as I don't think they're very popular so they should be cheaper than the non-OD trans. The Passon Gearset is (in their words) a "hemi" gearset, so It should be able to handle more power.
Sounds like you probably want the same thing that I do, the best of both worlds. Like everything else, it's probably going to be a compromise. :sad5:
:burnout:
I checked with Passon performance a while back because I had read they have a new gearset that allows an overdrive ratio in an A 833. I don;t remember the OD ratio, but it was somewhere around 0.8 to one. The conversion kit is $1695. At that price you could probably afford to go through a few stock OD transmissions, as I don't think they're very popular so they should be cheaper than the non-OD trans. The Passon Gearset is (in their words) a "hemi" gearset, so It should be able to handle more power.
Sounds like you probably want the same thing that I do, the best of both worlds. Like everything else, it's probably going to be a compromise. :sad5:
:burnout:
dgc333
Well-Known Member
If you can find the guts to do the swap you could do it providing the case you want to swap into has the large bearing. Both OD and non OD trannies came with the larger front bearing. It's the very early A833's that had the small front bearing. There were three sizes of front bearing reatainers used on A833 trannies. Again the early trannies had the smallest with the small bearing. If your bellhousing has the 4.8" hole then you can swap retainers so you can use the OD tranny with the bell housing you have.
But, why go through all the trouble? The A833OD trannies are quite common in late 70's and early 80's pick-ups & vans. I pulled my A833OD tranny from an 81 D100 pick-up at the local pick-n-pull. Cost $75 for everything, tranny, bellhousing, clutch and flywheel. You will need to fabricate a bracket to mount the shifter to that uses the rear mount and positions the shifter forward to the a-body position but an hour with a hacksaw, drill and a piece of 1/2" aluminum is all that's requuired. The drive shaft will need to be shortened but again that is a $50 plus new u-joints at the local drive shaft shop.
But, why go through all the trouble? The A833OD trannies are quite common in late 70's and early 80's pick-ups & vans. I pulled my A833OD tranny from an 81 D100 pick-up at the local pick-n-pull. Cost $75 for everything, tranny, bellhousing, clutch and flywheel. You will need to fabricate a bracket to mount the shifter to that uses the rear mount and positions the shifter forward to the a-body position but an hour with a hacksaw, drill and a piece of 1/2" aluminum is all that's requuired. The drive shaft will need to be shortened but again that is a $50 plus new u-joints at the local drive shaft shop.
93toyota
Well-Known Member
don't know what junkyard you go to, but here in idaho they try to take your first born
93toyota
Well-Known Member
what about swapping in gears from a 3spd?
halfaed
Well-Known Member
I am planning on swapping nonOD gears into a OD case cause it is aluminum!
Just have to watch out for the bearing size.
Just have to watch out for the bearing size.
Mark Nixon
Senior Moments Member
There are, in truth, 4 OVERDRIVE main cases, 2 of cast iron and 2 of aluminum, ALL are available in either the A/F configuration OR the truck/van configuration.
The there is the earlier, pre-'75 versions.
The guts will swap between either the 4 speed case or the overdrive case(s), whether it's the early, small input bearing variety or the later large input bearing variety.
The main difference is that the cluster is FLOATING (and requires a welch plug to seal the front end) on the later ('75-up) cases, rather than pressed in as on the early cases.
The other difference is the style of reverse ball detent, which is why there are 4 Overdrive cases.
The later case has the ball-spring detent in a small hole (@ 1/4") drilled into the sidecover mounting flange, the early(er) case (pre-'77) has the ball detent behind a plug on the driver's side rear of the case.
Yes, there are TWO styles of LATE cases, with regards to the reverse detents!!
There's more, LOTS more, but that's yet another book of it's own.
Mark.
The there is the earlier, pre-'75 versions.
The guts will swap between either the 4 speed case or the overdrive case(s), whether it's the early, small input bearing variety or the later large input bearing variety.
The main difference is that the cluster is FLOATING (and requires a welch plug to seal the front end) on the later ('75-up) cases, rather than pressed in as on the early cases.
The other difference is the style of reverse ball detent, which is why there are 4 Overdrive cases.
The later case has the ball-spring detent in a small hole (@ 1/4") drilled into the sidecover mounting flange, the early(er) case (pre-'77) has the ball detent behind a plug on the driver's side rear of the case.
Yes, there are TWO styles of LATE cases, with regards to the reverse detents!!
There's more, LOTS more, but that's yet another book of it's own.
Mark.
67Signet
Smoke and chaos stunt coordinator
Mark can a granny low trans be converted to O.D? and used in a a body....
included with a better ratio 1st gear( 66 truck trans )
included with a better ratio 1st gear( 66 truck trans )
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
It is very easy to make a standard small bearing 833 into an overdrive. You just use the small bearing and front bearing retainer from the 1:1 box. All gears and the main shaft need to swapped. Use the cluster pin from the 1:1 box. I did this with spare parts back in the early 90s and the guy who bought it put directly into his 68 318/4sp Barracuda and loved it.
Gear sets are not mix-n-match. You can't just change one gear ratio.
Gear sets are not mix-n-match. You can't just change one gear ratio.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
And, the reason to do this swap is to make it an easy swap into a car with a small hole bell housing.
chrisII
Well-Known Member
67Signet said:
all of the granny low trannys ive ever seen were about a foot tall! it doesnt seem to me like it would be practical.
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