Alright guys so when it comes to transmissions and rear ends I am completely clueless. I have my built 347 going into my stock 72 comet, came with a 302 and a 3 speed. Now this car is going to have to go on some long cruises down the highway to get to car shows, but its also gonna have to stand its own at the drag strip. I wanna keep the rpms down on the highway but still have some get up and go. If you all can throw me some options with keeping in mind I wanna do the least amount of cutting welding and custom work possible. Im not throwing out the idea of a manual trans either. Any help is appreciated.
If I went in the direction ur contemplating; I wud go w/ AOD and 3.55 or 3.70 series gears. If I were going more highway I wud probably go w/ 3.55's. You also have to keep in mind the cost of fuel for those distant journeys.
Is an AOD a direct bolt in? Would I need a new driveshaft or have the current one altered? Where could I find an AOD transmission?
When I installed my AOD I had to have my driveshaft cut down an inch, but others have said they didn't have to do anything. Member 71Gold, makes a new transmission cross member for the swap.
their are several ways to go. all with their benefits and disadvantages. to get the drag strip performance and the low rpms on the freeway you definitely need an overdrive transmission. how much power should your 347 make? i personally like the t5. my car was a c4 and i was not happy with it. once i converted to a t5 it was great. i drove it 150 miles to the drag strip, made 3 runs then went to the gas station and had averaged 17mpg for that trip!!! you need to consider the strength of of the t5. a stock one can easily be broken from power shifting with a stock motor and a good clutch. i put g force gear sets in the t5s that will see a lot of power. the other trick is to use a cheap stock replacement clutch. that will soften the load on the trans so it doesnt get as hard on shifts. you will definitely want to change the rear gear ratio and put in a traction device of some type. what ratio you choose depends on your transmission choice and tire height. i would recommend using a lsd, instead of a spool or locker. if you plan on really getting into drag racing, i would switch to a 9" or 8.8 rear end. if your going to rarely goto the drag strip and never have slicks put on the 8" should be just fine for you.
So something like this? http://www.transdepot.net/product.asp?itemid=197&gclid=COfP186KrbUCFe1AMgodrjcAJg What options would I need to complete the swap, what do I all need in general, assuming i order the crossmember from 71gold, what would I need to swap it to the floor shifter instead of column? Sorry for all the questions, I literally know nothing when it comes to transmissions.
Should be making around 400 to the wheels estimate, also I am already in contact with Moser about having a 9 inch built for my car, the only hangup is I dont know the gears I want. =] After everything I have about $1100 left in my budget, for this build, for the tranny.
Nooby questions Gear/vendor unit direct bolt on. Cut drive shaft, Cost about $2800.00 A good aod with new converter, shifter cross member and driveshaft cost more and more work involved and not as good as C/4 in my opinion.
i personally dont like moser. you can get better for the same money from strange, or mark williams, or currie. at the 400hp level the 8" should be ok as long as you dont use a trans brake on an auto trans or have a really aggressive clutch on a stick shift. their is a member on this board that sells a 9" housing that will fit our cars. it uses the 5 lug axles and brakes from our cars. all you need is a third member. there is a guy on e-bay that sells 9" thirdmembers for around 800.00 with what ever gear ratio you want. thats a really hard price to beat. when converting to an aod you need a different crossmember, a shifter that will work with it. a torque converter that is optimized for your motor and car. a stock aod may not be able to stand up to your 400hp. you may want to have an aod built for your needs. it will be tough for you to get an overdrive transmission and a rear end built for under $1100. its not impossible but you will need to do it with mostly used parts and do all your own labor.
Moser said they can build the 9 for me for 1300, while Currie wanted 3 grand, but they did have some nice extras that would jack the price up. The 1100 budget is just for the trans, i have a 1500 budget for the rear end. If you think the 8 will hold maybe I will just keep the 8, I was not gonna use a trans brake. Where would I go or start looking to get a tranny built for me?
I gave $1100 for a full race AOD...OD lockout and trans brake...for my 347...8" rear...3:55 rear gear... Detroit locker... traction bars...275/60/15s.
my uncle has the ebay center in his 38 buick with a 8in rear and it holds up great. i think it was 895.00 from ebay but 2 years of drag racing and street driving and still holding strong and it also runs 12.40's so its not a slouch either.
now my Mav. has an $1100 full race 700R4 behind the LSX...8" rear...3:55 rear gear... Detroit locker... traction bars...255/60/15s.
Anyone know who the member is that sells the 9 inch housing for our cars? Who is the ebay person that sells the center section?