Lucy; 1968 Coronet 440

[Nxcoupe]

Would love to hear your issues. My research really did not turn up any known quirks but the guy that rebuilt my NV4500 handles TKO's also on the rebuild. He stated that there were some upgrades that he includes that make it a better platform. I assume the TKX is that change. Do to covid and all the delays I really searched for other overdrive B Body options and could not come up with anything viable. The Tremec magnum 6 speed gets you there, but it is major surgery to make it fit including torsion bar mounts and box frames.
For the record I got the narrow ratio which gives a 2.78 first gear, .68 OD and running a 3.55 sure grip in the rear. On paper, this looks like a great street driver.

There is nothing you can retrofit a TKO with that will make it like a TKX. They are two completely different transmissions. The 'fix' people were doing was using a carbon fiber lined brass blocker ring into the synchro assembly which would let it shift better and at higher rpm's. They did this by gluing carbon fiber friction material onto a modified brass blocker ring. Yes, it is as hoakie as it sounds, but it worked. First round of them, the glue was being dissolved by the trans fluid, second round has not been affected that way. The TKX uses a completely different platform. It uses blocker rings that are 3 pieces, an outer hub, inner hub and then a dual carbon fiber blocker ring that has friction material on both sides, so it acts like two blocker rings in one. This is how the T56 is made.
I've been a Tremec retailer for years, and have built hundreds of these. In my 20 plus years of selling and rebuilding them, I am the most excited about this new TKx transmission. I think it will be the answer a lot of folks have been looking for. It's smaller externally than a TKO too. I want to try one asap. Sorry for the rant. I like to share what I know hoping it will help someone somehow maybe.

 

[furious70]

Mine the shifter buzzes constantly even though I bought the 'improved' shifter tower for $500 more dollars in 2017. Old tower was sloppy junk.
It shifts like a dump truck. You cannot shift with any enthusiasm at all.
Early Keisler kit circa 2009.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Mine the shifter buzzes constantly even though I bought the 'improved' shifter tower for $500 more dollars in 2017. Old tower was sloppy junk.
It shifts like a dump truck. You cannot shift with any enthusiasm at all.
Early Keisler kit circa 2009.

You can have it rebuilt and have the carbon fiber blocker rings put in. Vibration can be a lot of things.

 

[furious70]

You can have it rebuilt and have the carbon fiber blocker rings put in. Vibration can be a lot of things.

Tkx gets good press, I've figured I'm going to be further ahead to sell what I have outright to someone who wants the overdrive but doesn't need to be as sporty with it as me. But now you've got me thinking

 

[BMosely]

In prime. Block it tomorrow and hopefully it will be Q1 next week.
Rubber sits well. I will need to lift the tent skirt and get a side shot in the daylight.

 

[BMosely]

Side shot.

 

[BMosely]

Some test fits on the grill.

 

[BMosely]

The mail man showed up. (1) TKX on the deck.
Catching all kinds of pressure from my son now. Got to hold to the plan and paint now before this weather window closes.

 

[GrabberOrange69]

The mail man showed up. (1) TKX on the deck.
Catching all kinds of pressure from my son now. Got to hold to the plan and paint now before this weather window closes.

View attachment 1178656 View attachment 1178657

Do they make the TKX in mopar configured input shaft length/bolt pattern?

 

[BMosely]

Do they make the TKX in mopar configured input shaft length/bolt pattern?

The TKX for Mopar's follows the Ford pattern. 26 spline input which means a new clutch and matching bellhousing sized to your block. Also, a TKX specific input bearing that would replace the factory Mopar piece. The bellhousing must also be indexed for proper alignment.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Do they make the TKX in mopar configured input shaft length/bolt pattern?

Short answer, no. It's a ford unit that requires a special bellhousing, clutch and pilot bearing.

 

[BMosely]

Full day of blocking and final touch up followed by a 6 hour spray out today. She is blue, my shoes are blue and my hands are blue but it’s over.

 

[furious70]

Buggers are probably blue too! Ours always were even though we thought we were wearing decent protection equipment.

 

[BMosely]

I will give myself a solid B as we untaped today. Lots of lessons learned to carry forward. Now the real work begins to wet sand, cut, buff and polish.

Never ends.

 

[Nxcoupe]

I will give myself a solid B as we untaped today. Lots of lessons learned to carry forward. Now the real work begins to wet sand, cut, buff and polish.

Never ends.

View attachment 1181634

Looks great from my couch. Congrats. What were some of the lessons learned?

 

[BMosely]

I will come back around and put this list together.

Looks great from my couch. Congrats. What were some of the lessons learned?

 

[BMosely]

One TKX in the saddle. Not going to lie on this one. It sucked. It would fall in to the last 1/2” and then no way. I actually gave up last Saturday due to frustration and before a broke something and came back to it on Sunday. I needed to get something as a win so I wet cut all of the paint; 1000, 1500, 2000 and then test spotted rubbing compound to see if I took it far enough.
Back to the tranny, it says in no way to pull down that last 1/2” with the bolts or risk breaking the ears off. I waited 10 months on this transmission, in no way will I risk losing it. Directions then say to engage the clutch and let it self align again and it will go. That sounds great except the clutch is on the transmission that I am trying to install.
So, sneak the TKX up to that 1/2”, secure it, fish clutch hose thru and connect and then bleed clutch, which takes time. Run the TKX bolts in finger tight and engage clutch. It never sat down for me, but just slowly inched in. 6 hour tranny install. You win some and then you lose some.
The good news is I would say other than the shifter hole, no big tunnel mods are required. I had already cut mine based on the TKO template. There is one knot on the top driver side case that will need the tunnel beat open to clear. Because of the shifter location for the B’s, it is the main shifter dogs. I am final placing the hump shifter cut out hole sized to the shifter base, no the shifter tower. All that means is a larger final hole so that the shifter tower can be removed from the top and not drop the tranny. The trade off is now the interior trim ring doesn’t have a base to screw off to. I will form a second hump hole and cap the previous one but only screw this down so it can be removed. Long winded, but hopefully helps the next guy.

 

[BMosely]

I bought LEDs and brackets to upgrade the front end, but bucket mods and additional thought will be required to make those happen so I punted back to 5001, 5006 for now. I need this thing driving.
Note for the group, the light buckets are specific and labeled by side and hi,low pocket.
Also, at tranny install, my drag link on the steering was backwards so it touched the oil pan. I little rework and it’s good to go. Why do everything once when twice the fun can be had?

 

[BMosely]

I wasn’t sure when my son wanted color match on the bumpers but it seems to work. I know it is not everyone’s cup of tea. The good news is the bumpers were very tired and needed rechrome or replacement. This kept the originals in play.

 

[BMosely]

Original plan was to install tranny, measure for driveshaft and spot shifter hole then pull it back out and weld the hump from below. With the pain of install, no way I am pulling this thing out unless mandatory. So I am attacking the hump from above. (2) lids going in. First to secure and waterproof the hump and second for a flat spot to at h the shifter boot ring.
I took the original cut out and welded tabs all around so it would now just drop in and cover. I seam sealed, bonded, and screwed it tight. I then seam sealed all of it. The second is plate sent from SST as a flat and you have to bend it. The crack in a picnic table makes a great metal brake for longer pieces. Again second hump is screwed only so that I can remove and chase the shifter from the top if needed.