Tremec 5 speed swap into a '70 Charger

[Kern Dog]

That I do not know. I suspect that the handle is not stock for a '70 model below the boot. Above it, it looks the same. There is an adapter that connects to the stub on the transmission itself.

[375instroke]

From the How to do a 4 speed swap...with pictures! sticky, the stock shifter is unmistakable, and the E-Body, late B-Body one, which mounts at the back of the tailhousing, is a short, stubby handle, so does this make it a custom shifter?  SST and American Powertrain are rather vague in answering questions, and their websites don't show much.

[Kern Dog]

I think the 5 speed version actually is different. Look at how it lacks that bend at the bottom, essentially the offset that allows it to be mounted to the side of the transmission rather than the top.



 

[moparstuart]

with my viper six speed i just bought a 71-74 B body shifter handle  ,  got the six speed top insert , Carbon fiber grips and a Hurst shift tower off Ebay  .  They make a ton of dfferent long throw or short throw towers that mount up to stock shifter handles .  

[moparstuart]

 

[Kern Dog]

Looks good.   

[moparstuart]

i got the short throw close ratio , works great for me 

[igozumn]

Does the shifter handle say anything on it?  Is it a Silversport handle, or Hurst?

Silversport handle.  Plain.  No wording or logo on it.

[70B5Cuda]

KD,
I just bought (this week) an early version of your transmission, made by Keisler. A facebook friend mentioned 2 years ago that he wanted to go with a T56 Magnum, so I told him to let me know when he wanted to sell. I saw him post on Sunday that he had pulled the TKO to begin prepping for the T56, so I immediately messaged him. I ended up buying his TKO transmission, Lakewood SFI bell housing (Small block), shifter, transmission crossmember, and slave cylinder. It should arrive Monday. I'm excited to do the same swap and not have to cut up the tunnel/firewall for once!!!

[XH29N0G]

A few things.  Verify that it has the step cut out of the tail shaft (like where the chain is going on the picture Kern Dog posted in post #275.  If it is not there, you may want to consider having it added.  The TKO I had did not have the step and I asked the folks at SST if they would cut it and they were willing to do this. For me, it mattered to make sure the driveline angles were correct.

The other thing that makes a difference with these is the shifter (and the springs in it). Mine had one shifter and I ended up getting another one installed by SST.  It was better, but still not quite what I wanted, so I changed up the springs to stiffen it and center it a little differently.

I like the transmission, but I also know there are differences between the kits with the fit and the shifters and it is worth going into this with that information. 

[70B5Cuda]

Here is the one i bought. It doesn't have the step cutout. It was also from an ebody so the shifter will need reconfigured.

[Kern Dog]

The early versions of this Tremec had some problems with the 2-3 shift if I recall. There are remedies but just be aware that it may not shift like you'd expect.
The only gripe that I have is high rpm shifting. I have to let the revs come down sometimes before the next gear will engage.

[70B5Cuda]

Yeah. I've heard that they aren't the smoothest or good above 4500rpm. But for $1500 I'm willing to try it out.

[Kern Dog]

Mine is excellent under normal driving. It is also great even if I shift under 6000 rpms but above that, it acts as if the gate to 2nd gear is just blocked. The shifter won't move into the gate.

[XH29N0G]

A few thoughts. 

I was not able to get the driveline angles correct until I had the notch in the tailshaft (which SST was willing to do).  I also had to modify the tunnel a little in the front because.  it was hitting there.  I believe there is another way without the notch, and that is to cut and modify the crossmember that holds the torsion bars.  I had vibration until I had the driveline angles set up correctly. 

My 2-3 shift improved when the shifter was changed by SST.

I also had to learn to shift the 5 speed because my habit was to push the shifter right (4 speed) and with this one, that would pop it over to the gate between 3 and 5.  pushing the shifter straight up works and works well for me with stiffer centering springs. 

I would be interested to hear if there is other technology with the newer models that makes it so pushing it right and up from 2nd does not move it right of 3rd into the gate or into 5th.

[Kern Dog]

I didn't have much experience with Mopar 4 speeds so I just shifted by instinct. I often accidently went from 2nd to 5th with this one.

[Mike DC]

  
The 2nd-to-5th goof is easy enough to do with a lot of modern transmissions.  

I think at least part of the reason for the TKO's rep (on that issue), is because of musclecar guys coming from 1960s 4spds.  With the old ones you had to make a big deliberate right/left movement when changing between the columns.   Once manuals started having 5+ gears it became normal to have the columns more laterally bunched-up. 

[Derwud]

Here is the one i bought. It doesn't have the step cutout. It was also from an ebody so the shifter will need reconfigured.

Goin to be selling the same set-up soon..

[375instroke]

I lifted the car up so I could measure for the drive shaft. For years, everyone I have dealt with says to measure for the shaft with the car resting on it's own weight. I measured the distance with the tires hanging, then put the car on screw jacks with the car barely off of the lift pads...

The drive shaft was 58 9/16" at full droop. Care to guess the difference with the car on the jacks?

It was the SAME!
Crazy, huh? It didn't change but maybe 1/32 of an inch. SST was clear about measuring the "right way". Everyone is.
Maybe mine didn't change because I have less suspension travel? I have MP 440/Hemi springs and a rear sway bar. The bar does limit downward axle travel a bit but this was an interesting discovery.

I was overanalyzing this, too.  Driveshaft moves in a larger arc than the differential, it angles downward from the transmission, and the diff mounts to the leafs below the front spring eye, but I guess it's Chrysler engineers designing everything close enough to make things perfect in the end.  My measurements:

Suspension height	Trans to Diff length
-2"	58-1/4"
-1"	58-1/4"
0"	58-1/4"
+1"	58-1/4"
+2"	58-1/4"
+3"	58-1/4"
+4"	58-1/16"

[Kern Dog]

I was surprised too.

[Kern Dog]

Everything is still doing well.
I had the engine out last Summer for a rebuild and while it was all apart, I had to re-verify the bellhousing runout.
That is the part of the 727 to 5 speed swap that I had the hardest time doing.

[Kern Dog]

BUMP for those dudes wanting to read up on this swap.
STILL loving it and currently I am helping a friend install a TKX in a 69 Coronet.