manual to auto swap what will work?

[JoseyWales]

I am thinking about keeping my slant six until it dies and then swapping to a V-8, although I have all the parts to do the swap. I just cant bring myself to pull the old six becuase it runs so well, but I want to swap my 3 speed manual to an auto in my 65 Dart. Will I have to find a 65 model automatic or will a later model work? I would like a non push button tranny is this possible with the location of the starter on my 65? A neighbor has a auto tranny for a slant six out of a 77 Volare would it work?
Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

[jcab]

It won't be a direct swap, as the size of the hole in the torque converter changed sizes in the late sixties. (don't remember if it went bigger or smaller) You can use a bushing to take up the slack assuming it went bigger. Someone can give you the exact details, but this is just letting you konw that it wouldn't be a direct swap.

This of course assumes that your engine is from 65 as well.

 

[66dartgt]

I assume you want to swap the auto trans from the volare into the 65 with the slant six ?

The pilot hole in the old motor's crank is likely to be too small to fit the hub on the later torque converter. You will need a torque converter with a smaller hub. Mopar changed the size of these sometime in the mid to late 60's on small v8 and six applications.

Then you need to consider how you are going to shift the trans. Is your manual set up floor or column shifted ?

If its on the floor I'd put a cable ratchet shifter in and mount it on the floor.

If your car is column shifted then you need to decide if you want to convert to floor or retain column shifting.

If column then I would try and locate a 66 A body shifter set up column brackets linkages - the works. You also need the kickdown set up from the donor car.

The 66's used a conventional column shift, 65's used the pushbutton.

If your car is column shifted and you want to make it floor shifted then you need a plain column that is correct for your steering box (manual or power) and either a cable shifter or the original style floor shift from a 66 a body with the console and brackets etc, again you need everything from the donor car for this swap.

If it were me, I'd wait until you are ready to swap the v8 in, and in the meantime collect all the parts you want for the auto conversion using the correct parts, based on your preferences, and do it all at once, less pain... My.02.

 

[64dartwagon]

I believe that even though the 66 was column shifted it still used the cable system of the 63-65, just actuated by a column instead of the buttons. And like 66Gt said I would also only do what would be used later for the V8. No use in spending money and time to only take it out again. Unless you'd like to just send me the money.

 

[JoseyWales]

Thanks for the replies. I might just go ahead and swap in the v8 and be done.I already have a new ratchet shifter and a column out of a floor shifted car that I can use. If I am going to spend money, might as well spend it wisely. Also if I went with the slant and auto, when I changed to the v8 and auto I would probably have to have the driveline altered. YUP! i will just put in the v8 and be done.

 

[66dartgt]

Not wanting to contradict anyone, but an A body 66 model year is not cable shifted in stock form whether it be column or floor shifted in stock form. I know this for certain, my 66 dart is not. I know my buddies 65 880 (c Body) is column shifted and uses cables.....I believe the 66 and up models are linkage shifted and all cable shifting was done away with that year.

 

[64dartwagon]

65 was the final year, but sometimes weird things happen. The only reason I say this is because iv'e come across a 66 dart that was cable shifted. But I think it was a late 65 made up of left over parts. Considering when the motor was pulled it had casting #'s for Dec 64. Originally owned by his grandparents. Same kinda thing happened with a ferd I had. 77 car with 71 pistons, from the factory.