Overdrive for our 79 Dodge

[ZR91]

Sent: 8/4/2007 12:41 AM

Well,

In our on going quest for better fuel economy, we have decided to install an overdrive automatic behind the 440 in our 1979 Dodge Minnie Winnie.

A friend of mine owns a transmission repair shop here in Calgary, and he found us an A514-4spd overdrive auto from a Dodge 1 ton diesel. He is going to rebuild it and upgrade it with stronger internals.

I also have to buy the adapter plate from Advance Adapters, and then have the drive shaft shortened and rebalanced to accommodate the longer transmission.

This will easily be the most expensive upgrade we have attempted to date.
However, we already get 12mpg in windy conditions, and have achieved 13.5 mpg consistently in good weather conditions, I wonder if we can get 15-16 mpg with the .75 overdrive....

I will take lots of pictures, in case anyone else wants to try this.

Regards,
Jay



From: firehart2
Sent: 8/4/2007 8:44 AM

Do you ever pull a big trailer or car behind your Minnie Winnie?



From: rvnsail77
Sent: 11/26/2007 2:08 AM


Let me know how things go.
I am considering the same thing fir a '77.
Overdrive and towing do not mix.
Tom.V

[jkilbert]

in doing research for my latest dose of insanity....rebuilding the 4L60E in my S-10 I came upon some info that could be helpful for our Winnies and wanting that elusive overdrive. Being the frugal king of guy and not wanting to shell out $1700 for a shop to rebuild it I have been pricing complete overhaul kits, pump rebuild kits, etc. I'm looking at roughly $400 in parts to make it a really stout unit, but while doing this i found that the late 1996 and newer 4L60E's have a removable bell housing, not cast into the case like most automatic trannies. I didn't think much of it until i was watching the gearhead shows on the weekend and they put one behind a 427 Ford v-8. So back to Google and I found a company that makes the bell housing to adapt to our Mopar big block. Pricing goes around $600. standalone TCU to control it is around $600. this option should give us a choice other than needing to go with an add-on overdrive unit.either way we would still need to have driveshaft work done, original tranny rebuilt, etc. But still another option for us.  Those with the small block motors can use the electronic 518 automatic since there is a kit to convert it to vacuum/pressure control.

[Wantawinnie]

In regard to using a small block A518, there are a couple other companies that make adaptors for use with mopar big blocks. One is JVX and this adaptor mounts to the big block and then allows the small block transmission to be mated.(I have one of these that will be going in one of my vehicles someday)

The second is a called an Ultrabell, this involves cutting off the front bellhousing on the small block transmission and then attaching the new bellhousing using existing front pump bolts that are already there. I have never done this but it is not supposed to be too difficult and the cut does not have to be perfect.

Whether the A518 is strong enough to take the abuse in stock form with the weight of our rigs is debateable.

[RedneckExpress]

Huh, it was my understanding that the A518  Hydraulic model was almost a direct bolt up to the 440 if its prior transmission was a 727 since the A518 was an overdrive version of the 727....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorqueFlite#A518

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/SwapInformation.htm

The 46RH was the hydraulic model version of the A518, the one in my pickup, and the 46RE was the first of the electronic models. 

The 46RE/RH were both found mated up to the Cummins Turbo Diesel engine starting around 89.

I've been planning to do the exact opposite, rather than mating a new transmission to an existing engine, i want to mate a '79 440 to my existing drive train. 

[chinook440]

Mopar Big blocks have a different bellhousing bolt pattern than smallblocks  and the overdrive 518 46/47re / rh were never made with the bigblock pattern.   

You,d have to go with an adapter or conversion bellhousing like  Wantawinnie mentioned above.

[ibdilbert01]

JVX makes an adapter plate to hook a 518 to a big block, but will cost you about $500 greenbacks.  Of course you could make one yourself.  Another option would be a JW Ultra Bell.   Kinda neat trick, you saw off your old bell, and the new JW Ultra Bell bolts to the pump bolts at about $300 greenbacks.   

[RedneckExpress]

Found a picture of that JVX adaptor plate.  Not really much to it, lot of holes drilled into a piece of plate steel, and three alignment pins.  Now, if I had a paper pattern of the bolt holes, I could simply torch one out of some steel :p.   I'm guessing the cost more comes from the fly wheel and steel crank wheel than the adaptor itself.



The way the 727 looks, makes you think you could almost drill new holes in the 518a to match up to the mounts on the 440.

[ibdilbert01]

727 Big Block version on the Left.   The 518 will have a bolt pattern like the one on the right.