Has anyone dealt with http://brewersperformance.com/ and specifically with their 4 speed conversion kit? I just emailed them with what I was looking for and waiting for a detailed quote, expecting a pretty large number, hopefully there is some wiggle on that though.

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1968 Plymouth Barracuda [Daily Driver]
1972 Dodge Dart Swinger [Lent out as Daily Driver to a friend]
2010 Challenger R/T 6 Speed

They are a good company to work with, I get all my linkage stuff from them and they are spot on...I would not see any wiggle room on a conversion kit that included everything and the parts are already reconditioned from the get go...You could probably drop 1/2 of the price if you were to just order the tranny/shifter/shiftrods, then troll around for the Z-bar,linkage,pedal set, etc, and collect the parts over time. You can drop the price even more if you just went with a complete setup with the late A-833OD transmission instead of the regular 4 speed...

-D.Idiot

Someone is now selling a replacement Tremec 6 speed that replaces the 833 without modification. Stock shifter and everything. You will see it in the latest Mopar Performance. I think this is what I would do if I were keeping the stick shift.

Sam

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Unfortunately right now I have an automatic so I need everything for the swap.

I got the numbers back and they were pretty large. I think for now I'll just keep the auto 3 speed.

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1968 Plymouth Barracuda [Daily Driver]
1972 Dodge Dart Swinger [Lent out as Daily Driver to a friend]
2010 Challenger R/T 6 Speed

Ryan Covalt has all my stick shift stuff now. I think some of it is redundant. You might pm him and see what he might sell.

Sam

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Brewers are good. I bought a box of NOS Carter BBD carb kits from him.

I have several OD833 bells $50+ shipping with the fork.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

I love my A-904, but I'm intrigued with the idea of a 4 speed slant. I've driven three on the tree slants, but never a 4 speed.

Does anyone have any observations on 4 speed slants, like how well it performs, the "feel" of it, that sort of thing. What I mean is, I've driven big block mopar 4 speeds, and there's so much power its kinda silly (yet thrilling). A slant has less torque, but still is a respectable chuck of iron. If one is running a street machine, say in the neighborhood of 200ish HP, does the four speed have more "umph" over the A-904? I realize it depends on the gears etc., so let's say a 3.23:1 or 3:55: 1 rearend, do you get more low end power in first and second gear than the A-904?

Just curious. Thinking about when I'm retired someday and have lots of time on my hands....dreaming of an A-body with a lowered suspension, 4 speed, a rally car...maybe even an S-type cuda...seems like that would have a perfect balance of power and weight.

bg

I grew up driving these cars only in a manual, I've never had good luck with an automatic in a mopar (I guess I demand too much out of the powertrain)...LOL...With a 4 speed, "YOU" are in control...you determine the shift points, you can downshift, you do not need a lockup convertor as the assembly is locked (one of the reasons they get slightly better mileage than the stock automatic, you aren't losing power to slippage/heat), also you get to sneer at the automatic guys since if your battery dies, you can roll the car in neutral pop the clutch in 1st gear and be back on your way to the auto parts store for that alternator or new battery...if you have a peppy build and good rear gears and the suspension is firm you will have no problem having fun around town...
I use the A-833OD and a set of drag gears and get a good mix of mileage and power...that will all change since I can't keep a clutch under it at the drag strip so I will be working toward power and reliability over mileage on that setup (bigger clutch).

2 cents and I'll still be a salad stirrer until they cut my legs off...(then I'll probably go to hand actuated hydro clutching)...



-D.Idiot

Since a slant is not an RPM engine in most cases, avoid close ratio boxes. That is my opinion. The great thing about a stock slant is the very flat torque curve. If you put a big cam in it, then close ratio makes more sense.

The big complaint about the OD 833 is the large drop off between 1st and second gears. I would think the perfect combo for a slant would be a standard 833 with a Gear Vendor Overdrive. Expensive, but the best of both worlds. Of course if you are spending that much money, there is the Tremec 6 speed replacement for the 833, which might be better yet. I have only read about these at this point.

Sam

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Actually the close ratio is a better choice because it negates the large rpm drop noted in your statement below, the drop on the standard A-833 is only a couple hundred rpm vs. 1000-1200 (noting 1-2 shift only), this keeps the engine in an easy to manage power band and doesn't tax the stock clutch as bad when trying to get the rpms back up after a quick shift...the only real limit is that the rear axle ratio is limited to the 'street' ratios (2.94/3.23) to get best mileage and balance of power...the slant will handle 3000 rpm on a highway cruise just fine (the cars factory equipped with 3.23 and 3.55 gears head in this direction quickly depending on tire size), but it is not the best (power on a stock slant six 1 barrel drops off rapidly not long after the 3000 rpm mark), and it really annoys the ears using an aftermarket exhaust setup after 2000 rpm.
I have checked the 6 speed setup and Keisler is just replacing the T-5 in their 5 speed kit with a T-56, but the kit is only available for the B/E body per their tech support (probably due to the physical size and length of the box itself)...these can be had in junkyards out of late corvettes and camaros and are $$$ used (about 50% of the cost of a new one)...There is one box that has a good set of ratios, but the 6th OD gear is not as kind (.63 is kind of deep unless you have a lot of torque to maintain the multiplication at the lower rpm at standard highway speeds...but with the 2.66 1st gear a set of 4.11-4.56 in the rear might overcome it and the engine build supports a good torque band in the 2000-2300 range assuming a set of 205/70/14 tires with the above listed gears...but the shifts in 1-4 will be very 'short').

Onlookers: Don't get totally put off by the OD box, if on a budget, this is a good box to work with for the cost and is a bolt in without problems/working out linkage (and a good way to have fun gears without the loss of gas mileage).

2 cents and some calculation...

-D.Idiot

Or get an 18 spline purpose built puck and get on the waiting list for a Passon 5 speed.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

Great input on the floor shift options, thanks one and all. I know who to call when/if I get that far...

...it's refreshing to hear that there are still a number of options available, so many things are becoming rare these days...

bg

My understanding is that this 6 speed I am talking about is NOT Keisler, but Tremec. And I am told it is a direct bolt in replacement using the stock Mopar shifter and 4 speed hump. You are right about what Keisler offers, but this is not what Keisler offers. I am just repeating the words of a very knowledgeable local Mopar guy here. I will go back to him and find out more.

DI, I suspect what you are calling close ratio is not as close as what I have had experience with. My problem with the close ratio 4 speeds I had in my GM cars was the high 1st gear ratio. I never liked it. 1st hear was so tall it always bogged of the line unless you had a 4:11 rear in it. The 833 OD was just the opposite. First gear was fine off the line, but there was a huge drop off when shifting to 2nd. Something between those two would be ideal. Maybe that describes the Mopar standard 833 4 speed.

Sam

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Keisler gets their tranny's from Tremec, Tremec's current productions are like the T-5 and don't use an external shifter, the Magnum would make a good basis especially since the XL since they include the SFI rated bellhousing, but these are only ford/chevy at the moment, and will probably be LA block only for mopar, but the desired 1st gear set ends with a .5 overdrive which is not desireable for us. I doubt they will produce for an A-body since the money is for the B/E crowds. Do find out more, as Tremec's KB does not have a hint of this...There is lots of good arguements on the T-56 install on the Big Block Dart page and some fun comments on two other mopar sites...typically, a quicktime bellhousing and cutting the tunnel and adjoining areas are needed.

The Passon 5 speed is plug and play with an 18 spline disc (no slant six here without a custom disc...or use a truck bellhousing and the big block clutch...), but the price is enough to go buy a really nice garaged Feather Duster....

-D.Idiot