Push Button Automatic

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treetrimmer12

treetrimmer12

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As random thoughts go, I have one. Has anyone installed a push button automatic from say a 64 Dart into a never A body? Would anyone else but me want to? If so, wonder what would be involved? Thought about putting the push buttons in a floor console. I told you it was a random thought but I really would like to see. Be the only car around with one.

Larry
 
You know I have thought that also,it wouldn't really be that hard,I got 64 Barracuda with a push button,had the tranny gone through last fall,had to go to the shop where it was done to help them figure it out,do you still have the cables and push buttons with tranny?If so I could see that working in a console,kinda had same idea,I put a console in my Barracuda out of a 77 Roadrunner aka Volare body,was thinking where the open hole was a good place to move push button,and its not real hard to adjust the cables either.I'd do it,it would be cool and different,and I really like different,that's how I got into Mopars ,it's not just a car ,it's a way of life.
 
you will also need a driveshaft from an early a that slides as the yoke is bolted to the tail of the trans so it will have no movement in suspension travel
 
Good point ,I almost forgot about the drive shaft.the random thought has got me really thinking about rerouting mine to the console,it would be really easy since I've got everything gutted out inside of my car,and as I thought about it I came up with some other ideas to do to it.I love when idea can open up so many possibilities .
 
The driveshaft/trunion bearing issue can be resolved by using the tail shaft from a 65 trans. You could also just use a 65 trans with a 64 valve body to maintain the PB drive. The 65 valve body has a slight different fulcrum in the shift linkage and doesn't work properly with the PB.

Floor mounted PB shifters were very common in the 60's drag racing scene in non-PB cars.
 
There are also a couple other things to think about. First off, I know that the snout of the torque converter from the earlier engines is a different size and the early 273 crank is sized to fit the smaller snout, but the later cranks are machined for the bigger button of the later size torque converters. I am not sure if a later style torque converter will fit the earlier 904's, but I believe that there is a difference in the input shaft that would only make this swap possible if both an early 273 AND the early 904 were used together. A more seasoned trans guy could surely clear up the input shaft differences, but I know the button is a different size.

Also, you could find a 65 trans and swap the tailshaft to accept the slipjoint, if one could be found. I actually did this swap using a 1965 smallblock 904 and taking the tailshaft from it and mating it to my 1964 bigblock 727 trans and installing it in my 64 Belvedere. Not all 65 transmissions have the slipjoint, but you may get lucky and find one!! Geof
 
Torque converter won't make much an issue if uses a 318,but if he uses 340 or 360 he have to get another torque converter, I have a 318 connected to mine,on the early motors it depended on if it was manual or automatic,on the early manual motors the end of crank was smaller,I do know that from a mistake I once made,the 340 and 360 use a different weights on the torque converter ,You learn a lot out of building something with parts you have just setting around and how come up with something to make it work. I was told just recently that most 904 tailshaft will interchange and that was from a tranny guy ,don't know how true that is.So what I've been told.
But I do know where abouts of a few those 65 904 trannys are,I did some searching when I got my tranny done and they ran into some problems,I tried to have me a plan B in effect if needed.Here in Ohio ,I've got a pretty big Mopar circle I work with.
 
wayfarer said:
The driveshaft/trunion bearing issue can be resolved by using the tail shaft from a 65 trans.
Click to expand...

Not for most engines. I don't know about B/RB V8s, but Torqueflites for 6-cylinders and A V8s in '65 had a tailshaft and housing identical to the '64: Ball and trunnion.
 
slantsixdan said:
Not for most engines. I don't know about B/RB V8s, but Torqueflites for 6-cylinders and A V8s in '65 had a tailshaft and housing identical to the '64: Ball and trunnion.
Click to expand...


I should have been more specific...1965 was the change-over year and parts swaps can be a little frustrating if you are chasing a dead end. The factory parts manual shows both styles of u-joint being used in '65 with an indication that the Dart/Valiant used the trunion.

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Who would have ever thought putting a push button shifter on an automatic transmission would be such a pain? I'm not technical enough. Sorry I brought the subject up.
 
A quick question I recently bought a 1965 Dodge Town Wagon and it appears to have had a push button transmission. It now has a newer tranny in it 727. I was wondering if you could use the push button assembly on a newer 727 tranny or even a 518.
I have a 392 Hemi to install in this build and I am probly going to use a 727 so it would be kinda cool.
 
There is/was a company(guy?) doing such a conversion but recently have read reports that he has some very unhappy customers due to lack of actually shipping merchandise...

You can get loads of detailed early trans info on the ForwardLook site and you will also find a link to the above.

Of course you know that a trans adapter is required for the EarlyHemi...you didn't specify which '392 Hemi' you have.

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