before i go tearing everything apart i was wondering if anyone knows whether or not the tail shafts from a 66 3spd manual and one from a 72 3spd are interchangeable. for some reason i thought they were but now im not so sure.

Do the transmissions look alike? You have an A903 in your Valiant most likely. Can you post a picture of the newer transmission?

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Joshua

the newer one is an a230

Oops. Sorry.

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Joshua

lol. i was afraid of that. that sucks. really wanted a floor shift. would you happen to know if any of the internals are interchangeable? the 230 is shot. when i opened it up looked like it had been sitting in water for a while. its locked up now. i started spraying it with pb blaster to see if i could get it freed up. most of it looks like it will clean up pretty well but first gear looks like it has had it. i would hate to throw money at something that is only slightly better then what i have.

So now your looking for another A230? I still have the one removed from my Demon. The same trans where the shifter came from.

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I won't own another 3-speed-manual anything. The ratios are so far apart it's maddening to try driving quickly. The 3-speed and steering are why I sold my '67 Valiant and with only 45k miles on the car they worked as well as could be expected. I had about $4500 into the car and only $1k was the original purchase price. The rest went into engine, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. All that money and effort and my $500 '97 Neon would run away from the Valiant.

If you're set on using a 3-speed use the A230. With the turbo torque the A903 is likely to turn it's guts into oily gearburger and if by some miracle it doesn't you still have a non-synchro first gear and slow synchros on 2nd and 3rd. With the clutch trouble people are having I'd build an automatic.

Almost forgot about the interchange question. The fill plug and some bolts are about all that interchanges. Oh, the speedometer gear too. The A903 and A230 are both 3-speeds used in Chrysler cars and so interface to the engine and driveline similarly, but that's about it.

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Joshua

I have all the gears out of a scrapped 230 so get me a parts list & "tooth counts" if you want to rebuild the rusty 230 you have.
DD

Oh...
Here is another "trick" I have used in the past... to get a floor shifter on a 903 / 745 3-speed.
DD

i might be. depends on the price. do you come out east at all?

im not a big fan of the gearing either but i figured it wouldnt be as bad with some more power.

im in the same boat. ill go 4 speed before i get rid of the car though. i got my valiant for $350 about 10 years ago. got probably $3500 in suspension, rear, floors, brakes and a bunch of other stuff i cant think of atm. it has come a long way from the pile of rust i picked up. i know automatics are more reliable for what i want to do but i love driving stick shift cars. thats the whole reason for getting my car.

i kinda figured that. yea i know the trans in there now wont last long but i was hoping it might last a while until i could get the money and find a 4 speed. im still trying to get my head around how aluminum turns into gold over the years.

not yet. im going to explore my options. i may do something like you have shown in the pictures.

i really appreciate the replies guys. i think im just gonna take it all in and continue my search for a 4 speed.

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

Where are you located? Are you looking for a OD or Non- overdrive

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

im in southern nj. about 20 min from the Delaware memorial bridge. ill take what i can get. would prefer the regular non od though.