Tremec TKX 5-Speed Conversion
- Thread starter CoronetDarter
- Start date
Thanks Hawk
The car is roadworthy, but far from done. The list is almost as long as the TKX swap itself, but nothing that requires a lift so I packed up my tools and drove the Coronet home.
The bullet list, in no particular order:
• Back-up lights. This one is weird. With the trans in reverse and the key in 'run', the backup lights illuminate. Once the key is turned to 'Start', the lights go out and stay off when the key returns to 'run'.
• The idle is too high. Removing the Lokar kickdown cable loosened the tension on the throttle cable. Greg gave me some throttle return springs to try, plus the cable needs tightening.
• Attach speedo cable to speedometer.
• This was an intermittent issue before, now it seems permanent. The tach, voltmeter (converted from OEM ammeter), and turn signals don't work. The gas and temp gauge do. The IP has a digital voltage limiter installed.
• Reinstall the fresh air vent box under the dash
• Tidy up the under dash wiring
• Remove the auto trans shift lever from the steering column
• Reinstall carpeting and door sills
• Secure the shifter boot
• Remove PRNDL and shift lever knob from steering column. This is a bigger project, one that I'll tackle later in the winter after the 500 mile break-in period.
It took two and half months of weekends to swap the trannys. Large parts of three days were spent measuring the BH runout. Now knowing what I know, it could be done in a fraction of the time.
Last edited:
I drove the Dart to Greg's to load up some of the tools and give him a chance to drive it back to my house. The experience of driving the Coronet with a manual is exhilarating. The pistol grip is ergonomically perfect.
The auto with 3000 stall was a compromise between street/strip, the clutch eliminates the compromise. Accelerating from a stop, the tires want to chirp every time. I have to almost feather the clutch and gas to take off smoothly. Love it!
The TKX shifter has very short throws, and a distinctive gate-like pattern. It's a mechanical feel rowing through the gears. Its not a complaint, just a feel I have to get used to.
The clutch pedal sits a little high compared to the brake pedal; I may it adjust it down a bit while I'm under the dash attending to the other bullet list items.
Maria drove the car into the garage and acclimated to the shifter immediately. She let me that know that she has no problems sharing the driving duties with me. She's a keeper!
The auto with 3000 stall was a compromise between street/strip, the clutch eliminates the compromise. Accelerating from a stop, the tires want to chirp every time. I have to almost feather the clutch and gas to take off smoothly. Love it!
The TKX shifter has very short throws, and a distinctive gate-like pattern. It's a mechanical feel rowing through the gears. Its not a complaint, just a feel I have to get used to.
The clutch pedal sits a little high compared to the brake pedal; I may it adjust it down a bit while I'm under the dash attending to the other bullet list items.
Maria drove the car into the garage and acclimated to the shifter immediately. She let me that know that she has no problems sharing the driving duties with me. She's a keeper!
I drove the Dart to Greg's to fill up the trunk, and give him the opportunity to follow me back home. Not many people have driven the Dart; Hawk and Dwayne are two members that I can think of. Greg has owned lots of A bodies so I was wanting his opinions on the Dart in general, and the 17+ years old Tremec in particular.
Greg's shop had its own Mopar car show
The Coronet is officially in the 3 pedal club. Thanks for the T shirt Greg!
Greg's shop had its own Mopar car show
The Coronet is officially in the 3 pedal club. Thanks for the T shirt Greg!
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
Yeah, we are not twinsies despite similar hair color and shirts....
I did drive both cars yesterday and loved both of them. I have owned something like 25 or more A body cars ranging from a 65 Barracuda to a 76 Dart Sport. His '68 Dart was by far the most solid. It has NO rattles and feels like a well sorted car, it was clearly the best of them all. Firm feel manual steering, a first gen Tremec 5 speed from the former Kiesler organization, tight manual disc /drums and .920 torsion bars. The clutch and shifter felt a little easier to shift than the newer Tremec, maybe having some miles on it loosened some of the tension? Regardless, driving a good handling, manual steering car on a curvy back country road is something new for me. The car felt great and held the road well.
Now the Coronet....
I have to admit that I'm biased for the B body platform. I can't fully explain why but there is something about them that just feels more "right" for me. I've only owned three B bodies, one being a 68 Satellite parts car that I never drove on the open road. This year though, I was blessed with having two nice ones grace my shop for some upgrades. Dwayne's 68 Sport Satellite:
And Rich's 69 Coronet:
Rich was cool enough to let me drive the car with the 727 and even after the Tremec swap yesterday.
I was glad to do it.
The difference is amazing. The 727 was a well sorted setup with a proper KD setup that engaged the gears at the right time and a high stall converter that actually didn't slip like Bambi on ice from a start. For someone that prefers automatics, his setup was probably just like you'd want it.
But, REAL men use THREE pedals!
Out on the road, The Coronet felt almost the same when rowing through the gears as my Charger. The clutch pedal felt the same, the shift gates in the transmission felt the same....no whines, no grinding and as usual, the 2-3 upshift has that quirk where you have to simply shift UP from 2nd to reach 3rd. If you instinctively shift up and to the right as you do with any 4 speed, you reach 5th. The gates are that tight with these Tremecs.
His Dart does the same thing.
I was able to take off without squealing the tires, probably only because I am used to how my car responds and this felt almost identical. It is interesting....His B body and mine look different on the outsides but are basically the same under the skin so they feel quite similar when on the road. This car will RIP if you dip deeper into the throttle but I wasn't going to do burnouts unless I was given the green light. I didn't do any hard launches in my fresh swap either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this build/swap. It gave me something to do at a time of year when my motivation starts to wane. Rich thanked me numerous times but I felt fortunate to have someone that trusted me enough to leave his car within my custody. A few other friends of mine have lost interest in cars and that was a disappointment for me. I'm happy to know guys that share this interest with the same passion that I have.
I did drive both cars yesterday and loved both of them. I have owned something like 25 or more A body cars ranging from a 65 Barracuda to a 76 Dart Sport. His '68 Dart was by far the most solid. It has NO rattles and feels like a well sorted car, it was clearly the best of them all. Firm feel manual steering, a first gen Tremec 5 speed from the former Kiesler organization, tight manual disc /drums and .920 torsion bars. The clutch and shifter felt a little easier to shift than the newer Tremec, maybe having some miles on it loosened some of the tension? Regardless, driving a good handling, manual steering car on a curvy back country road is something new for me. The car felt great and held the road well.
Now the Coronet....
I have to admit that I'm biased for the B body platform. I can't fully explain why but there is something about them that just feels more "right" for me. I've only owned three B bodies, one being a 68 Satellite parts car that I never drove on the open road. This year though, I was blessed with having two nice ones grace my shop for some upgrades. Dwayne's 68 Sport Satellite:
And Rich's 69 Coronet:
Rich was cool enough to let me drive the car with the 727 and even after the Tremec swap yesterday.
I was glad to do it.
The difference is amazing. The 727 was a well sorted setup with a proper KD setup that engaged the gears at the right time and a high stall converter that actually didn't slip like Bambi on ice from a start. For someone that prefers automatics, his setup was probably just like you'd want it.
But, REAL men use THREE pedals!
Out on the road, The Coronet felt almost the same when rowing through the gears as my Charger. The clutch pedal felt the same, the shift gates in the transmission felt the same....no whines, no grinding and as usual, the 2-3 upshift has that quirk where you have to simply shift UP from 2nd to reach 3rd. If you instinctively shift up and to the right as you do with any 4 speed, you reach 5th. The gates are that tight with these Tremecs.
His Dart does the same thing.
I was able to take off without squealing the tires, probably only because I am used to how my car responds and this felt almost identical. It is interesting....His B body and mine look different on the outsides but are basically the same under the skin so they feel quite similar when on the road. This car will RIP if you dip deeper into the throttle but I wasn't going to do burnouts unless I was given the green light. I didn't do any hard launches in my fresh swap either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this build/swap. It gave me something to do at a time of year when my motivation starts to wane. Rich thanked me numerous times but I felt fortunate to have someone that trusted me enough to leave his car within my custody. A few other friends of mine have lost interest in cars and that was a disappointment for me. I'm happy to know guys that share this interest with the same passion that I have.
Last edited:
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
Feel free to post any questions here or even send me a PM.
I enjoyed the journey.
I'm wondering how hard I need to lean on Dwayne to get him to make the plunge....
I enjoyed the journey.
I'm wondering how hard I need to lean on Dwayne to get him to make the plunge....
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
One question that both Rich and I have:
When I soldered the backup light pigtail, (supplied by SST) I matched the colors of the wires. It wasn't hard....the SST pigtail was black and violet, so were the wires to the factory wiring.
The sensor on the transmission had just two threaded posts so even if I had it backwards, flipping the terminal plug end 180 degrees should work.
Oddly, the lights come on with the key in the ON/RUN position if the engine isn't running. Once the engine starts and runs, the lights don't come on. Rich may try reversing the plug to see if it makes the difference.
When I soldered the backup light pigtail, (supplied by SST) I matched the colors of the wires. It wasn't hard....the SST pigtail was black and violet, so were the wires to the factory wiring.
The sensor on the transmission had just two threaded posts so even if I had it backwards, flipping the terminal plug end 180 degrees should work.
Oddly, the lights come on with the key in the ON/RUN position if the engine isn't running. Once the engine starts and runs, the lights don't come on. Rich may try reversing the plug to see if it makes the difference.
1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
There should have been three wires on the transmission NSS plug... The center wire is the neutral signal for the starter... The two outside wires are for the reverse lights... Polarity doesn't matter.... If you use the Neutral wire on the signal side of the back up lights the lights might come on when starting the car....
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
There was a brown wire along with the violet and black. The brown wire went to the starter relay. I pulled that from the harness and made a ground so the car doesn't have to be in "Park or neutral" to start.
It is sort of hard to see but that threaded stud at the top of the black painted brake support firewall plate is the anchor for the brown/ground wire.
Lower left is the rectangle shaped terminal end of the original brown wire that went from here to the neutral safety switch. I thought I wired this car the same as mine.
I don't remember if the wires were all 3 in a row or in a cluster. Regardless, the easy test is to flip the terminal plug on the sensor and see if that fixes it. If not, more detective work will be needed. Electrical matters? I'm hit and miss on this stuff.
It is sort of hard to see but that threaded stud at the top of the black painted brake support firewall plate is the anchor for the brown/ground wire.
Lower left is the rectangle shaped terminal end of the original brown wire that went from here to the neutral safety switch. I thought I wired this car the same as mine.
I don't remember if the wires were all 3 in a row or in a cluster. Regardless, the easy test is to flip the terminal plug on the sensor and see if that fixes it. If not, more detective work will be needed. Electrical matters? I'm hit and miss on this stuff.
1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
The neutral signal wire should be brown.... Black & Violet should be the correct wires....
Violet is the lights, black is the power... Your problem is probably on the power side...
Violet is the lights, black is the power... Your problem is probably on the power side...
Something in the Start circuit overrides the reverse light circuit, even when the key returns back to Run. Reversing the wires is the first step.
He can test drive the Coronet next time he's in town. That'll be the clincher.
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
When I'm trying to learn and smarter guys are trying to help, I sometimes am slow to grasp the meaning of their explanation. I am sorry if I appear ignorant, it sure isn't intentional!
"Problem on the power side"....meaning the way I soldered the wires is correct but the problem may be at the other end of the wires at the bulkhead or even further?
PS....I never verified that the backup lights worked before Rich started the swap. Who knows...it may have been like this with the automatic.
Last edited:
1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
So after studying the schematic there's conflicting info... End of the day I would look for 12V on both wires at the trans plug. Then jumper the black and purple and see if the back up lights come on & stay on... If so it's the switch on the trans that is bad...
1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
I suspect the problem might have been there all along, the soldered wires are correct....
By look for 12V on both wires, my point is one should have 12V the other is the wire to the lights...
If neither has 12V the lights won't work...
The lights working till you start it is weird and confusing..
By look for 12V on both wires, my point is one should have 12V the other is the wire to the lights...
If neither has 12V the lights won't work...
The lights working till you start it is weird and confusing..
I don't want to derail this thread, but it's funny how different every car drives - they truly all have a unique "character".
I had the pleasure of Rich tossing me the keys to his Dart in June of last year. I had driven there in my 73 Road Runner with a low compression 340 stroker engine. His Dart is a high winding small block that makes power when you rev it. I was careful driving it at first, but finally put my foot in it a little bit - it goes when you get the RPM up! The dart is a fun car that looks cool as hell too!
My 73 Road Runner had the weight of a big B body, but the stroker 340 made power with low end grunt. Definitely a different feel than Rich's Dart for sure.
Neither is "better", just different. And I had a blast driving both!
- Local time
- 2:04 PM
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2012
- Messages
- 39,634
- Reaction score
- 146,034
- Location
- Granite Bay CA
I'd bet you a Big Mac that Rich wouldn't mind...he is pretty easygoing from what I have seen.
I prefer a stick shift car for sure. My daily driver from 88-2002 was the factory 4 speed 67 impala handed down to me by my dad, followed by a 2000 Honda Civic that I drove hard for 14 years and recently a few other stick Hondas over the last 10 years. I’ve always had a manual trans car. They are way more engaging and fun to drive. Whether I convert this car or get another that’s already manual equipped is undecided. I’m leaning towards a manual A-body, preferably a post car.
- Local time
- 4:04 PM
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 67,534
- Reaction score
- 249,248
- Location
- Maskachusetts
You should eat some better food than a Bic Mac. Most here are long done with that fast food crap.
Last edited:
Similar threads
