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Tremec bolt in 5 speed (true or false)

747mopar

747mopar

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I don't know if you guys are getting the little American Powertrain message scrolling on your screen stating "no cutting of the floor" regarding to the TKO setup or not but I think it's our place to warn any would be buyer. My personal experience says this is an outright lie unless they've come up with something new. When installing a Keisler TKO 600 kit (came with everything) in my 69 Charger I found that what they call fitting had the tail pointed down so severally that my shaker scoop would no longer fit and what used to be a tight fitting exhaust was hanging way low. Anybody who has installed one feal free to correct me.
 
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I agree, no way it would not require cutting, just look at the size difference in them
 
747mopar said:
I don't know if you guys are getting the little American Powertrain message scrolling on your screen stating "no cutting of the floor" regarding to the TKO setup or not but I think it's our place to warn any would be buyer. My personal experience says this is an outright lie unless they've come up with something new. When installing a Keisler TKO 600 kit (came with everything) in my 69 Charger I found that what they call fitting had the tail pointed down so severally that my shaker scoop would no longer fit and what used to be a tight fitting exhaust was hanging way low. Anybody who has installed one feal free to correct me.
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I agree!! Is that why my exhaust hangs so low and scrapes.Dammit!! 747 Did you add a spacer to your tranny to lift it up? I didn't even think of that I just made my TKO 600 fit and left it at that.I had to do other mods as well to get my tremec to work.I had to lengthen the hydraulic clutch rod(too Short).I had to cut the shifter down(too tall). And I had to modify the tunnel to get to fit(With a hammer).LOL
When I was doing my pinion angle the other day I was wondering if I should have shimmed the tranny up a little.
 
Keisler Tremec TKO was installed in 2008. Required approximately a 3x5 inch floor pan cut. TTI's tuck in with barely adequate clearance. The collector can make contact with gas station raised tank-fill bumps.
 
To answer the question on whether I raised my tranny the answer is yes and no. Once I realized the only way to get everything to fit properly was to cut the crossmember and floor I sold it, I figured if I'm gonna cut it it's going to be for the tranny I really wanted. Obviously going with a Tremec T56 6 speed (Viper) tranny meant there was no way around cutting but I made plenty of room so that it would sit properly. The complete install is in the engine & drivetrain section if you want to check it out (I think it's titled Viper T56 install).
 
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Yes - all the TKO transmission kits change the driveshaft angle severely without cutting the crossmember. The problem stems from the torsion bar crossmember hump - the only way to get the driveshaft level-er is the removal of the offending crossmember. I did with no issues then built up a link between the two - just higher into the passenger compartment.
 
I recall the Tremec came with a crossmember. It was stamped "India. It kinked on first romp. Had one fabricated for a Princely sum.
 
another option is dropping your entire drivetrain, modifying your engine mounts and gearbox crossmember, it will save cutting the floor up and also give better centre of gravity.
 
Dennis H said:
I recall the Tremec came with a crossmember. It was stamped "India. It kinked on first romp. Had one fabricated for a Princely sum.
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He's referring to the actual cross member that houses the torsion bar mounts not the tranny mount. One could easily install a TKO and not realize the changes if they don't know their car really well, the fan will move towards the top up the shroud, the exhaust will become lower, if you have any kind of ram air scoop it will no longer fit right and the pinion angle obviously changes.

Some seam to be perfectly fine with this setup but just beware the things I listed will change.

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rolling_Thunder said:
Yes - all the TKO transmission kits change the driveshaft angle severely without cutting the crossmember. The problem stems from the torsion bar crossmember hump - the only way to get the driveshaft level-er is the removal of the offending crossmember. I did with no issues then built up a link between the two - just higher into the passenger compartment.
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Exactly, I originally went with the TKO for it's ratios and that it was a bolt in deal and I knew the T56 would require major surgery. Once it didn't just bolt in it was a no brainer.

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Wookie316 said:
Here is my old thread for those who are thinking about a TKO in a 71-74 B Body or a 70-74 E Body.

It's not only a tunnel mod but a terrible shifter design.
My TKO 600 is no longer in my car. Didn't want to hack my tunnel on top of this issue.

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopar...4-B-Body-Tremec-TKO-600-conversion-BE-ADVISED!!!
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That shifter is just crazy! The shifter on mine wasn't an issue at all (top loaded) other than the sluggish shifts which might have freed up after more miles. What was the reasoning for that shifter setup instead of the top load?
 
So that's why the fan went through the radiator and smashed the shroud when I laid rubber in reverse! Who knew.
 
747mopar said:
That shifter is just crazy! The shifter on mine wasn't an issue at all (top loaded) other than the sluggish shifts which might have freed up after more miles. What was the reasoning for that shifter setup instead of the top load?
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To fit the stock shifter location.
 
All Mopar A, B and E bodies require cutting to install a Tremec TKO no matter how much case modification it receives. I've seen some E body installations that didn't require cutting but they're not common.

Jeff
 
If you trim the torsion bar cross member, will that give you enough room for the TKO 5 spd?
 
Derwud said:
If you trim the torsion bar cross member, will that give you enough room for the TKO 5 spd?
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I'm not sure how much you'd have to cut but it shouldn't take allot, moving the top of the cross member up is all that is needed. Mine didn't have the 4 speed hump and needed a bit of clearance mostly to the driver side of the tunnel where the hump would have been as well but not anywhere close to the amount of cutting the T56 needed. Just be prepared to modify the tunnel (not dramatically) and raise the cross member to get your angles right. You can also compensate by changing your pinion angle as well if you don't get it quite high enough, basically point the pinion up the same amount of degrees the tranny is pointed down and that will get you close from there it's just dialing it in for the amount of spring windup.
 
You still have to cut because the shifter comes up through the center of the tunnel rather than offset through the shifter hump. The shifter hump gets sealed off as part of the conversion ('62-'70).

Automatic cars do not require the hump for this reason when converting to 5 speed TKO. The shifter location still works perfectly with a console.

Cutting of the torsion bar crossmember is not necessary unless you wish to push the trans higher into the tunnel as others have described. We machine the TKO case to allow clearance for the torsion bar crossmember.
 

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747mopar said:
I'm not sure how much you'd have to cut but it shouldn't take allot, moving the top of the cross member up is all that is needed. Mine didn't have the 4 speed hump and needed a bit of clearance mostly to the driver side of the tunnel where the hump would have been as well but not anywhere close to the amount of cutting the T56 needed. Just be prepared to modify the tunnel (not dramatically) and raise the cross member to get your angles right. You can also compensate by changing your pinion angle as well if you don't get it quite high enough, basically point the pinion up the same amount of degrees the tranny is pointed down and that will get you close from there it's just dialing it in for the amount of spring windup.
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Perfect, thanks..

Overdrives said:
You still have to cut because the shifter comes up through the center of the tunnel rather than offset through the shifter hump. The shifter hump gets sealed off as part of the conversion ('62-'70).

Automatic cars do not require the hump for this reason when converting to 5 speed TKO. The shifter location still works perfectly with a console.

Cutting of the torsion bar crossmember is not necessary unless you wish to push the trans higher into the tunnel as others have described. We machine the TKO case to allow clearance for the torsion bar crossmember.
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I want the car low, so low hanging headers and oil pan, not good..

Thanks for the replies guys...
 
Distantly related, the TKO 5 3550 is a wet mess after the road trip. Leaks everywhere. Gonna replace the rear seal with a Duralast 7300S from Autozone. What fluid weight and capacity?
 
We put an American Powertrain TKO500 5 speed in our GTX and after nearly a year of a cyclic vibration ( a 1.5 - 2 sec period) @ 2000RPM, we cut the floor out and raised the rear of the trans about 2" to balance the drive line angle. Tried shimming the rear end, but no luck there.

Now, no vibration, no header (TTI) drag and decent running. We cruise at 70 @ 2000RPM in reasonable comfort...

Jeff
 
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