1966 Bel Air trans swap

[Shelty]

hey guys, I am the new proud owner of a 1966 Bel air station wagon.

the car has been languishing in my garage while I try to find a day off of work. its a factory V8 car, which has a SBC under the hood (havnt honestly checked to see if its a 283 or a 327 yet) which is connected to a powerglide.

my plans for this car is to have a nice driver, so I want to replace the powerglide with an overdrive transmission. Im not going to race the car I just plan on using it to go about town and grocery/parts runs. maybe also run the powertour one day.

right now the car has no guts whatsoever. once its at 60-65 thats about it acceleration wise.

looking to swap in a 700R4. I have been told to look for a later 700r4 because they are stronger. what do I need aside from the transmission to make this work in my car? I want to retain the column shift.

so far the parts I think I need are

Trans
TCI controller for the over drive
torque converter (what would be a good converter for everyday use? or will I be fine with the stock one)
new linkage
shorten the driveshaft, where do I measure from to make sure the shaft is long enough?

am I missing anything?

also, how much more involved would a 4L60E be? I read those are electronically controlled?

any help would be great. Im not new to modifying cars, but this is my first chevy and the first automatic Ive had in probably 6 years.

thanks
-Bill

[squirrel]

the overedrive in a 700R4 is controlled by hydraulics. You need a TV cable, to connect the carb throttle linkage to the transmission, and it needs to be correct or the trans will not last long. You also need to control the lockup of the converter, there are different ways to do this, easiest is probably to buy a kit with the correct pressure switch and wiring.

The trans crossmember needs to move back a ways, I dont know if the stock stuff will work, I think it will. Take a look.

http://www.maliburacing.com/tranny_id/auto/tranny_dimensions.jpg

The E needs a computer to run it. But it does not need a TV cable. Do you like wiring? or mechanical things? its' up to you.

With a stock small engine, the stock converter should be ok.

You need to get the trans installed, then put the driveshaft yoke in the trans till it bottoms, pull it out 3/4" and measure center to center on the U joint holes in the yokes to determine how long the driveshaft needs to be.

[Scott Liggett]

You can reuse the stock trans cross member. The brackets for it are welded to the inside of the frame rails. Cut them off and weld them back on where needed.

[RustyRodder]

Shelt-

Go with the 700R4. In order to use the 4L60E, youll need something like this: http://www.sho-mespeed.com/index.php...ry_pathway-861

Exactly.

all 85 and newer 700s have the 31 spline shaft, and with a 327 in front of it youll be fine. Same goes for stock convertor.

As Jim said, youll need the relocate the trans cross-member, and get the drive shaft shortened. Also something with the column shift.

Here, watch this-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPN6bok5nkI

Dont do the mounts like that.

or if you want to go real easy, buy this-

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/catalog/catalog_inc/viewitem.php?ITEMID=139

[Shelty]

mechanical is probably the easiest way to go, is setting the TV cable hard? Ive not fiddled with automatics at all so this is sort of unknown territory for me


thanks for the advice guys. especially on how to measure the driveshaft, ive never done that.

I know we have discussed this many times Alex. I will probably run that trans mount for ease of install. I know Lokar and another company that makes the column shift kit for GM cars. i dont think its perfect but its nearly there. I know the pointer will be off, but I dont care about that.

I have found a rebuilt 700 for about 400 bucks, sure Ican talk him down. probably easier then finding one that needs a rebuild

[anotheridiot]

You need to get the trans installed, then put the driveshaft yoke in the trans till it bottoms, pull it out 3/4" and measure center to center on the U joint holes in the yokes to determine how long the driveshaft needs to be.

That seems kinda long to me, especially if the car is up in the air and the suspension is hanging. I dont know the rule, I just usually measure from the back of the tailstock to the differential and let the driveshaft shop decide how long they want to make it. There is usually 3-4 inches of spline in a yoke so I always thought closer to halfway was the safest.

[squirrel]

oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you need the rear end sitting at ride height.

3/4" gives you enough room to get the driveshaft out. Usually allows enough to prevent the driveshaft bottoming on bumps.

You can talk to your driveshaft shop first, and get their recommendation. I like the yoke to be in the trans as far as practical...seems to keep things more stable

[68scott385]

mechanical is probably the easiest way to go, is setting the TV cable hard?

http://www.tvmadeez.com/article/index.php

This is a three part article, read it all, understand it, do it, and your transmission will live a long life.

[Shelty]

cool thanks guys. I will let you all know when the swap commences. still looking for a transmission that isnt a billion dollars.

oh and Im waiting for it to not be 3 degrees out.

[SpiderGearsMan]

We run a fairbanks check valve kit for tcc....no wiring ...in the merc and nomad

[74NovaMan]

We run a fairbanks check valve kit for tcc....no wiring ...in the merc and nomad

Do you have any other info on this?

[Shelty]

Do you have any other info on this?

I know right? im interested in this. I sourced 2 transmissions near me. but Ive got to worry about fixing the carb first.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

I'd use a 2004r for many reasons.. over and above the you are not going to be racing it..

1)fits where a th350 or powerglide did without crossmember fab work iirc you can use your p/g mount
2) don't have to shorten driveshaft unless your p/g has a long tail shaft. then you'll be having yours reworked no matter what trans you use
3) better gear splits
you'll still need the correct t.v. cable brackets and carb linkage as it use the t.v cable also.. you'll have to wire up the converter lock up clutch on either one.. it's basic..

if you go 7004r they come with either a speedo cable connection or a electronic speedo pulse set up.. that won't work with your factory speedo.. http://www.maliburacing.com/auto_tranny_id.htm

[68scott385]

700r4 cross member to fit your car

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/catalog/catalog_inc/viewitem.php?ITEMID=121

Be advised the cooler inlet & outlet at the transmission are opposite of this picture for the 200-4r while all other GM RWD automatic transmissions have this setup.

[Shelty]

I'd use a 2004r for many reasons.. over and above the you are not going to be racing it..

.

if you go 7004r they come with either a speedo cable connection or a electronic speedo pulse set up.. that won't work with your factory speedo.. http://www.maliburacing.com/auto_tranny_id.htm

is there a way to convert it or a conversion kit to make it work with the factory gauge?

Ive been looking at the 700r4 mostly because they seem easier to find and since its such a heavy car I wanted something a bit sturdier