a-500 or a-518?

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KramerSwinger70

KramerSwinger70

70 Dart Swinger360
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ive read that the a-500 is essentially an OD 904 and the a-518 a OD 727. i was originally going with a 904 on my dart which would be mated to a 360. so would the a-500 be best or the a-518?
 
518 is a little stronger being based on the 727 but the 904/500 guts are lighter so it frees up a little HP. If you are not going for big HP numbers I see no problem with the 500. Whichever you choose be prepared for some floor massaging to clear the OD unit and to modify the torsion bar crossmember.
 
yeah ive had the discussion haha i think by the time ill be ready to go from the 904 to an overdrive transmission, ill be fine with the tweaks. how much hp do you think the 500 can take?
 
the myth about a 904 being weak it just that a myth,,go too mega squirt and look at there challenger drag pak car,,6.1 hemi well over 500 hp if my memory is correct closer to 1000 hp,,its all on how the trans is built,,, for a street car 904 will get the job done,,,just finding a A500 may be hard,,,if you find 2 let me know please,,
 
Consider Torque converter selection. A518's were available in non-lockup or lockup versions. A500's were all lockups. There are shops that will build you a high performance lockup 904 converter, but expect to pay for it, it will be custom. A non-lockup A518 can use any 727 converter.

You will have to modify the rear crossmember and mount regardless of your choice. The overdrive unit i the same with either transmission.
 
what IS a torque converter...like for a street car with maybe 350hp ABSOLUTE MAX, what kinda would be best. i dont know the difference between lock up and non-lock up. will a 518 connect to my stock driveshaft?(i understand i will shorten it)
 
The A-500 can be made to withstand 500 HP using all factory parts and the addition of a good reprogramming kit such as one from Transgo. Compared to the A-518, the A-500 is much smaller and lighter and will result in a faster more efficient car. The A-500s come with either a four or five disc direct drum and a 3 or 4 disc forward drum from the factory. Plenty enough to hole the power level you're lookin at. Performance converters are readily available for lockup applications as well.
 
How much cross member modification is necessary to install an A-500??
 
"Arch" in rear crossmember has to be made wider by 3-4 inches and rear mount fabricated. A Google search should turn up pics of the swap.

Modification is the same for A500 or A518, as they use the same rear (overdrive) section.
 
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