Gear vendors overdrive or American Powertrain (or equivalent) 5 spd swap

[Jimijross]

Not sure which way to go on this. My 74 charger has a 340 with 727 and 4:10 rear. Cruising rpm is well over 3k. Looking at going with a gear vendors overdrive setup or might pull the auto and go with 5 spd kit. Anyone have experience with either of these?

 

[HYRDGOON]

Opinions on the Gear Vendors are always mixed and always extreme one way or the other (ppl either love them or hate them) There's a few different swaps going on tight now if you poke your head around the "engines. transmissions" section.

Also if he hasn't sold it yet I know Conv67bdere has a TKO 5 speed he will be selling as he got a deal on a 6060

P.S. I had never heard of Delaware Ontario until now... Near London I just learned!

 

[Bananna Bee]

I have experience with both and multiple gear vendor units. GV makes a great product, the only complaint I have experienced and heard about is the abrupt shift into overdrive, it can be harsh almost like a bang. Manual 5 speeds are great, just more changes....ie pedals, hump in flood and possible steering column change.

Good luck

 

[mopar 3 B]

Why not just install am A518 and forget the expensive stuff.

 

[satman72]

Why not just install am A518 and forget the expensive stuff.

That's what I'm thinking as well. My son bought one with a 5.2 Magnum attatched to the front, and a drive shaft attatched to the rear for 250 bucks.

 

[Dennis H]

Got a TKO 5. Love it on freeway. To do again I would research Gear Vendors as you are. It 's the highway that counts. 3:54 Dana. Tremec 5. 2150 rpm's at 72 mph. Perfect. GV sounds like a lot less hassle install.

 

[747mopar]

Take your time researching the TKO 5 speeds, I had one for 15 minutes and now am installing a Viper T56. I've heard allot of people praise the 5 speeds so it makes me wonder if my problem might have gotten fixed but it shifted like a truck (no speed shifting). Even with the mods that supposedly make them bolt in they still put the tail shaft downward so I'd really ask about that because for one to fit my 69 right the cross member would have had to been modified. I've also thought about the Gear Vendors but never tried one, keep us informed if you go that direction.

 

[rgp266]

Had some discussion with a friend that had a GV OD unit behind a built big block in a Dart. Rear gear was a 3.91. He said that his up shifts were not harsh at all in either automatic mode or in manual mode. His opinion was that the shift harshness would be directly proportionate to what the shift harshness of the transmission was. Not sure how that would apply but that is his opinion.
My question would be does the GV unit require bashing or cutting on the Transmission Tunnel or the floor pans of a narrow body car?

Bob

 

[bbcharger71]

Since you have a smallblock, why not get a 518 or a 46RE? Your keeping it mopar but bringing it into the modern age.

 

[Dako]

Since you have a smallblock, why not get a 518 or a 46RE? Your keeping it mopar but bringing it into the modern age.

Doesn't going to the 518 or A518 (heavier pickup trans) require cutting out the floor (trans hump) and cutting, then bracing (building a new center) torsion bar support? I'm guessing his choices of Gear Vendor overdrive or a 5 speed is to avoid modification to the floor and sub-framing.

 

[rrTor-Red]

Been thinking of an OD unit for my car as well. Yes, GV is on the radar. My car is a 71 with a stroked 400 with 585 HP and 610 torque (not original engine). Not sure what to do that, on a tranny, to make it better for street use without the RPM's going skyward. Advice? Don't mean to hijack the OP thread.

 

[Jimijross]

Thanks for all the replies. Its a tough decision. I don't want to give up the 4:10s due to the weight of the car but still have a hard time dishing out 7k for a 5 spd conversion or roughly 3500 for a GV OD.

 

[dickdale]

What choice did you make?

 

[Hemirunner]

I have a GV OD and love it.

 

[Jimijross]

What choice did you make?

I purchased the gear vendors OD. Super easy install and works really well. No bashing of the tunnel only a little "tweaking" of the X pipe.
Worth the money.

 

[747mopar]

That's great to hear, down the road I'd like to build my wife a car.... this may be a good route for her.