Ultimate A-500

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Clelan

Clelan

Inferno Red Duster
FABO Gold Member
Joined
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Martensville Sask. Can.
So I bought an A-500 overdrive transmission for my Duster yesterday. When I rebuild it, what do I need to upgrade to make it happy behind a 400hp 360 in a 3300lb Duster. Currently has 3.23 gears but will likely switch to 3.91 or 4.10 after the OD goes in.

Cley
20171013_111302.jpg
 
I know some guys are running these successfully. This one came from a 91 or 92 1/2 ton pick up with a 318. I believe it is the same as my A-998 I am currently limping along except it has the overdrive added. I should be able to use the balanced flex plate I purchased for the A-998. I'll be controlling the OD and LU function from the pressure port on the passenger side as others have done, and I am comfortable with that part since I have an Electrical and controls background.

Just wondering if there are any recommendations regarding internal upgrades? What torque convertors are others using?

Cley
 
I can't help with any recommendations but am following along as I want to find a 91-93 or 4 500/518 with manual switching for the OD for when I transplant a V8 into my 47
 
I added the OD guts from a 518 in my 500 since they are beefier so far so good.
 
89on35s said:
I know some guys are running these successfully. This one came from a 91 or 92 1/2 ton pick up with a 318. I believe it is the same as my A-998 I am currently limping along except it has the overdrive added. I should be able to use the balanced flex plate I purchased for the A-998. I'll be controlling the OD and LU function from the pressure port on the passenger side as others have done, and I am comfortable with that part since I have an Electrical and controls background.

Just wondering if there are any recommendations regarding internal upgrades? What torque convertors are others using?

Cley
Click to expand...
If the unit is a lock-up the choice is limited, the highest stall units are 2800-3200 depending on whats pushing it,.....................
 
Also, see the second sticky down at the top of this forum......................................
 
That second sticky is about the installation. Not the internal mods to the transmission.

Cley
 
89on35s said:
I know some guys are running these successfully. This one came from a 91 or 92 1/2 ton pick up with a 318. I believe it is the same as my A-998 I am currently limping along except it has the overdrive added. I should be able to use the balanced flex plate I purchased for the A-998. I'll be controlling the OD and LU function from the pressure port on the passenger side as others have done, and I am comfortable with that part since I have an Electrical and controls background.

Just wondering if there are any recommendations regarding internal upgrades? What torque convertors are others using?

Cley
Click to expand...
Depending on the depth of your wallet, there are lots of internal upgrades you can do. However, I think that with you looking at the 400HP range I wouldn't get to excited about some of those items. If it was mine I would go with a total factory rebuild: friction plates (use the high energy frictions in the Hi/Rev, forward, and overdrive), complete steel kit, gasket and seal overhaul kit, both bands, bushing kit, both sprags ,and a filter. I'd also check the bearings in the OD section. Change the OD planetary if it has the old early design 22.5 degree tooth pitch. If so, change it to the later 15 degree pitch. The early ones were troublesome. Typically there is a kit available with all the parts required to make the change over. When taking the OD section apart, be awful careful. there is a big spring in that section that is under compression. I've heard about 800 pounds pressure. I'd check all the electronics and make sure that they are OK. For a shift kit the TransGo TFOD-HD2 is an excellent kit. Converter wise, call Paul at T.C.S. out in Langley B.C. 1-800-960-1177, give him all your engine/diff/tire information and he can come up with a converter best to suit you requirements. I believe that you can get a lockup style converter in the 4000+ stall range.
Have fun and do it right "ONCE"
 
transman said:
Depending on the depth of your wallet, there are lots of internal upgrades you can do. However, I think that with you looking at the 400HP range I wouldn't get to excited about some of those items. If it was mine I would go with a total factory rebuild: friction plates (use the high energy frictions in the Hi/Rev, forward, and overdrive), complete steel kit, gasket and seal overhaul kit, both bands, bushing kit, both sprags ,and a filter. I'd also check the bearings in the OD section. Change the OD planetary if it has the old early design 22.5 degree tooth pitch. If so, change it to the later 15 degree pitch. The early ones were troublesome. Typically there is a kit available with all the parts required to make the change over. When taking the OD section apart, be awful careful. there is a big spring in that section that is under compression. I've heard about 800 pounds pressure. I'd check all the electronics and make sure that they are OK. For a shift kit the TransGo TFOD-HD2 is an excellent kit. Converter wise, call Paul at T.C.S. out in Langley B.C. 1-800-960-1177, give him all your engine/diff/tire information and he can come up with a converter best to suit you requirements. I believe that you can get a lockup style converter in the 4000+ stall range.
Have fun and do it right "ONCE"
Click to expand...
I'd like to believe that on the converter, but a member on slantsix.org tried His heart out to get someone to make one at any price, & came up empty. He switched to a
GM trans w/an adapter......
 
The A500 has ratios of 2.74-1.54-1.00-.69 od. The splits are .56-.65-.69
This is a nice progression, but they are very wide, causing the rpm drops, when at WOT, at the shift to be quite far. It also means that the trans wants the engine to carry the Rs quite far past the rpm of peak power, to drop in at a similar power level.
A 400hp 360 is about a 230@.050 cam and hi-flo heads.(Or a 240cam with stockish heads).For fast times,the 230* will want to be shifted at 6500 or so on the 1-2; On the 2-3 it will be about 200/300 lower.
That means your 3.91s will run out at about 46mph , and then on the shift, the Rs will drop to 3600. It's a good thing you have a 360, (and I hope you have lots of compression) to pull the Duster up out of that hole.Second will take you to 80.
If you wanna be fast, you are kindof wasting a lot of gear here, cuz the speed limit is probably not that hi, where you live.But the cruize rpm will be about 2180, so that's just right for a 230* equipped 360 .
To trap well at 60mph, the gear of choice might be 4.56s. These will get you 60=5500 which is about right on for that engine. These would cruise at 65=2540(zero-slip).
At 35mph in second, the 3.91s will be at 2750, while the 4.56s will be doing 3200,unless of course you have a higher stall TC. That extra 450 rpm will make the D really jump.
Personally, I woulda gone with better heads,the next smaller fast-rate cam,the 3.91s and a 3200TC. Maybe you did too,lol.
 
Thanks for the info. Maybe I should clarify exactly where I am in all of this. My running/driving 74 Duster has an 360 with stock bottom end, presumably stock 1.88 valved heads, an unknown cam (not stock for sure), Edelbrock Performer 318/360 intake (used it cause it will allow the AC compressor to bolt in no problem) and a 670 Street avenger carb. I currently have an A-998 Trans that I need to fix some things on when I have time (Bad leak from shifter shaft, shift overlap on 1/2 shift, but I have another thread on that) and a 3.23 geared 8 1/4" SG rear end. I currently run 245/60-15 rear tires but intend to go to 275/60-15s.

I just picked up the A-500 on Friday, so the plan is to live with the A-998 until the snow flies, then get the A-500 in there over winter. I asked what needed to be done to make it live happily behind a 400 hp 360 because that is where I intend to get to with this car, not where I am now. For rear end gearing, I will be installing the 8 3/4 I have soon too, so the rear gear is not yet defined. I have a 3.23 open 489 case for it but won’t use that as is, it will get different gears and a SG (somewhere between 3.91 to 4.56 with the consideration that this will be a cruiser, not a drag car)

I appreciate the comments, both regarding the transmission and the total package as that will come in handy soon too. I am not sure if I will do the transmission rebuild myself (Never done one) but the suggestion to Have fun and do it right "ONCE" really makes sense to me. I’ll definitely check out TCS for the torque convertor since it will save me cross border shipping hassles.

Any other info is greatly appreciated too. @transman any suggestion as to where to buy the rebuild parts if I do tackle this myself?

Cley
 
89on35s said:
Thanks for the info. Maybe I should clarify exactly where I am in all of this. My running/driving 74 Duster has an 360 with stock bottom end, presumably stock 1.88 valved heads, an unknown cam (not stock for sure), Edelbrock Performer 318/360 intake (used it cause it will allow the AC compressor to bolt in no problem) and a 670 Street avenger carb. I currently have an A-998 Trans that I need to fix some things on when I have time (Bad leak from shifter shaft, shift overlap on 1/2 shift, but I have another thread on that) and a 3.23 geared 8 1/4" SG rear end. I currently run 245/60-15 rear tires but intend to go to 275/60-15s.

I just picked up the A-500 on Friday, so the plan is to live with the A-998 until the snow flies, then get the A-500 in there over winter. I asked what needed to be done to make it live happily behind a 400 hp 360 because that is where I intend to get to with this car, not where I am now. For rear end gearing, I will be installing the 8 3/4 I have soon too, so the rear gear is not yet defined. I have a 3.23 open 489 case for it but won’t use that as is, it will get different gears and a SG (somewhere between 3.91 to 4.56 with the consideration that this will be a cruiser, not a drag car)

I appreciate the comments, both regarding the transmission and the total package as that will come in handy soon too. I am not sure if I will do the transmission rebuild myself (Never done one) but the suggestion to Have fun and do it right "ONCE" really makes sense to me. I’ll definitely check out TCS for the torque convertor since it will save me cross border shipping hassles.

Any other info is greatly appreciated too. @transman any suggestion as to where to buy the rebuild parts if I do tackle this myself?

Cley
Click to expand...
T.C.S. has everything you'll need. You can see what's available by looking on their website. www.tcsproducts.com
 
89on35s said:
Thanks for the info. Maybe I should clarify exactly where I am in all of this. My running/driving 74 Duster has an 360 with stock bottom end, presumably stock 1.88 valved heads, an unknown cam (not stock for sure), Edelbrock Performer 318/360 intake (used it cause it will allow the AC compressor to bolt in no problem) and a 670 Street avenger carb. I currently have an A-998 Trans that I need to fix some things on when I have time (Bad leak from shifter shaft, shift overlap on 1/2 shift, but I have another thread on that) and a 3.23 geared 8 1/4" SG rear end. I currently run 245/60-15 rear tires but intend to go to 275/60-15s.

I just picked up the A-500 on Friday, so the plan is to live with the A-998 until the snow flies, then get the A-500 in there over winter. I asked what needed to be done to make it live happily behind a 400 hp 360 because that is where I intend to get to with this car, not where I am now. For rear end gearing, I will be installing the 8 3/4 I have soon too, so the rear gear is not yet defined. I have a 3.23 open 489 case for it but won’t use that as is, it will get different gears and a SG (somewhere between 3.91 to 4.56 with the consideration that this will be a cruiser, not a drag car)

I appreciate the comments, both regarding the transmission and the total package as that will come in handy soon too. I am not sure if I will do the transmission rebuild myself (Never done one) but the suggestion to Have fun and do it right "ONCE" really makes sense to me. I’ll definitely check out TCS for the torque convertor since it will save me cross border shipping hassles.

Any other info is greatly appreciated too. @transman any suggestion as to where to buy the rebuild parts if I do tackle this myself?

Cley
Click to expand...

I didn't do anything to mine but make sure the fluid and pan contents looked good and put a TF2 kit in it and it's been fine for quite awhile now.
Got to remember these transmissions came out of vehicles that weigh 1,000 or more pounds than our cars do.
BTW, you'll probably want to trim off a bunch of those brackets and other un needed protrusions.
I even took the TP and shift linkage brackets off since I planned on a cable anyway.
Might as well get a new longer speedo cable while you wait to put it in.:D (80 inch is good)
(The 904 speedo gear housing works fine, but you'll probably need a bigger gear) for it to be anywhere close to reading the right speed.
OH!, and the fittings and lines to change over to 3/8 cooler lines.
 
?? I ain't no expert LOL, but can't you change the pump components and front shaft and eliminate the lockup "if you want to"?
 
I also found myself an A500 recently and am in the same boat as the OP.
A500 Overdrive transmission

I will also install a TransGO TFOD-HD2 kit, but also want to do a total rebuild as I was told 2nd gear is gone in my transmission.
I'm still struggling a bit with what exactly comes with the rebuild-kits. Looking mainly at the kits and parts at TransmissionCenter, but it's not really clear what will get delivered.
 
If it's an RE and you replace the solenoids with relay coils (or maybe just resistors) the computer believes everything is "AOK" I have a couple of junk relays hooked to the PCM wires that used to go to the OD and lockup solenoids on the "White Whale III" the 01 2500. Solenoids are now hooked to toggle switches.

If it's the older RH, not an issue
 
A shift kit and converter of your choice. Done.
 
67Dart273 said:
If it's an RE and you replace the solenoids with relay coils (or maybe just resistors) the computer believes everything is "AOK" I have a couple of junk relays hooked to the PCM wires that used to go to the OD and lockup solenoids on the "White Whale III" the 01 2500. Solenoids are now hooked to toggle switches.

If it's the older RH, not an issue
Click to expand...

1991-92 would be an RH.
They replaced it with the RE after 1995.
Also you can tell if it's an RH by the 3 terminal connector on the drivers side toward the rear of the case.
RE have 5 terminals if I'm not mistaken.
 
67Dart273 said:
Not if it's an RE. You can put an all manual valve in an RE, I bought a transgo kit which I haven't played with yet.

But yeh...........
Click to expand...

I was takin for granted it was an RH.
 
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