93 Dakota automatic

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RedFish

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Roaming a parts yard Saturday morn and found a 1993 Dakota with V6 and automatic. Someone had taken the instrument panel out. The familiar mechanical speedometer cable got my attention.
What trans would this be ? A-500 ?
Suit my 67 stock 273 w/ 2 brl. ?
 
It should be the A500 as I think the A518's only came on a v8. It'll bolt right up to your 273 but it won't fit into an A body without surgery to the crossmember. Maybe even have to open up the trans. tunnel. Another thing to consider is your 273 may use the small torque converter pilot hole (1.55" if I remember right). I don't remember exactly when they went to the big one (1.81"), Either 67 or 68.

BTW: to confirm the trans. look in the glove box. I had a 93 Dak and it had a paper similar to a build sheet glued to the glove box door and it told what engine, trans, and rearend it had.
 
fishy68 said:
It should be the A500 as I think the A518's only came on a v8. It'll bolt right up to your 273 but it won't fit into an A body without surgery to the crossmember. Maybe even have to open up the trans. tunnel. Another thing to consider is your 273 may use the small torque converter pilot hole (1.55" if I remember right). I don't remember exactly when they went to the big one (1.81"), Either 67 or 68.

BTW: to confirm the trans. look in the glove box. I had a 93 Dak and it had a paper similar to a build sheet glued to the glove box door and it told what engine, trans, and rearend it had.
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Thanks for all the info. The tunnel surgery and rear mount mod would be worth the effort in my opinion to gain overdrive if I can make it work
I'm very temped to go back and get it. Do those use a similar flex plate ? I should get everything from the crank bolts to the rear U joint ?
 
Overdrive sure is nice so if your up to the work to modify things go for it. Only thing to keep in mind is the torque converter register (the button that slips into the crank). I did some checking and it sure looks like your 273 is the small converter register (if it's the original crankshaft) so you'll spend a bundle getting a converter built to mate your engine to the trans. I don't remember when they switched to a different flexplate but I know they did somewhere along the Magnum run. They did away with the weight on the torque converter and used a weighted flexplate. You'll just have to pull it apart and see what it is. If I'm not mistaken your 904 yoke will slip right in the A500 so you don't really need the driveshaft. Just need to get yours cut down and rebalanced.
 
fishy68 said:
Overdrive sure is nice so if your up to the work to modify things go for it. Only thing to keep in mind is the torque converter register (the button that slips into the crank). I did some checking and it sure looks like your 273 is the small converter register (if it's the original crankshaft) so you'll spend a bundle getting a converter built to mate your engine to the trans. I don't remember when they switched to a different flexplate but I know they did somewhere along the Magnum run. They did away with the weight on the torque converter and used a weighted flexplate. You'll just have to pull it apart and see what it is. If I'm not mistaken your 904 yoke will slip right in the A500 so you don't really need the driveshaft. Just need to get yours cut down and rebalanced.
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You'll also have some electrical issues to deal with as the LU ( Lockup ) and OD ( Overdrive ) are controlled by electronics.
Take everything attached to that unit mounts ,crossmember,cables,wiring,linkage you'll find you'll need much more than just the trans alone.
 
68-GTS said:
You'll also have some electrical issues to deal with as the LU ( Lockup ) and OD ( Overdrive ) are controlled by electronics.
Take everything attached to that unit mounts ,crossmember,cables,wiring,linkage you'll find you'll need much more than just the trans alone.
Click to expand...

Correct. The computer does control the OD and lockup but there is a much simpler way to do it vs. trying to use the Dakota computer. Namely a kit to activate the OD and lockup. Several places sell them and they are easy to install and cost less than $100. Wouldn't hurt to grab the wiring though so you have the plugs as I'm not sure if the kit comes with the plugs.
 
Fishy is right.
try to get all the wiring connectors with the trans. The kit I used had 3 electrical switches. Only the one that connected to engine vacuum had its own connecter.
 
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