Help 400 Turbo Trans Issues In 65 Skylark!

Discussion in 'The "Juice Box"' started by nailheadpowered, Jan 11, 2008.

  1. a 65 and a 67 floorpan are identical so a th400 as long as it's a shortshaft will fit a 65 providing the correct trans mount is used.. as far as the shifter goes i can't help there.
     
  2. nailheadpowered

    nailheadpowered Well-Known Member

    well as sad as it is i put my 2spd back in until i can get with someone who has actually done the swap and or someone who can tell me exactly what i need to do to make it happen or if i can find a 4spd bellhousing and brackets etc. then i would love to make it a 4spd LOL. so until i can get a difinitive answer on what im to expect its back to the 2 spd : (.

    ps the car is a floor shift car.
     
  3. GS Spoken Here

    GS Spoken Here Well-Known Member

    nailheadpowered I have been following this post. I will be doing this swap in the future on a 65 GS. Did not know that the T400 would have a problem with the 65/6 floor shift linkage arm. What has been said here makes sense why they moved/changed the 67 to a different shifter/location. I have a parts 66 and 67 with floor shift floor pans but in the winter in NE can not get to them. I was thinking, could you convet the linkage to cable? You can buy the parts you need for the trans and the cable and you would have to fab the upper cable mount and attachment end. You could use a 68/72 shifter to get the correct location of the attachment. I see Shift Works makes a conversion for 68/72 4 speed OD for Buick and some conversions for 442 and other early A bodies. Just some thoughts. Thanks Bill.
     
  4. nailheadpowered

    nailheadpowered Well-Known Member

    someone else mentioned the cable deal also, which i would be fine with as long as i can retain the stock original look inside the car and plus i don't want to attempt it until i can get better info on the exact swap etc.
    Let me know how yours comes out etc. mike.
     
  5. GS Spoken Here

    GS Spoken Here Well-Known Member

    Mike I am on old guy and very slow with my project or I have to many of them. This will not get done for a year or two, so if you get yours figured out let me know, thanks Bill.
     
  6. nailheadpowered

    nailheadpowered Well-Known Member

    yea im bummed to put the 2spd back in but now i want to try and find a complete 4spd setup, i figure if its gonna be hard might as well go for it all LOL.:beers2:
     
  7. tom65special

    tom65special Well-Known Member

    Just throwing this out there, would a TH 350 work. For some reason I thought the case for the 350 was smaller than the 400.
     
  8. the th350 would be perfect except for the fact that they don't come with a nailhead bolt pattern
     
  9. the_figmint

    the_figmint Member

    Advanced adapters or the aftermarket might have an adpter plate for 350 swap or the linkage 400?
     
  10. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    If you do use the 67 shifter you will need to cut a different hole in your floor. I just put new floor pans in my 64 skylark and cut the floor for the 67 shifter and bolted everything up. I had to move the cross member back about 3 inches and reweld the mounts since its a convertible. The Yellow 67 GS400 I bought that was listed on this board ended up having a 2 speed shifter in it. I bought the 67 3 speed shifter (Bob passed on Thanks!:TU: ) from a board member and will be putting it in this summer. I have not looked under the car to see how it works but it shifts hard. I toss around the thought of making it a 4 speed car too.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2008
  11. GS Spoken Here

    GS Spoken Here Well-Known Member

    Ed, so you do not know what shifter the yellow 67 has, the 65/6 or the 67 style with a 2 speed? On the trans crossmember mounts so you cut them off the frame and moved the mount back 3 inches? In looking at my options on the 65 I did not want to cut the floor pan and or re-locate the crossmember mounts, so was looking at to fab a bolt on extension to the crossmember. Thanks Bill
     
  12. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    I know its not a 67 shifter and 96% sure its a 65/66 shifter. The indicator plate is a 2 speed. I looked under there once and the 67 has the flat metal rod holder that sticks straight down through the floor and its not there on this one. You can use either a 67 3 or 2 speed shifter for the 400.
     
  13. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    Bill I guess you could bolt metal to the other bracket but I dont know how strong that would be. How would you support the extension toward the rear? You could maybe tack weld the new bracket behind the current one?
     
  14. GranSportWagon

    GranSportWagon Silver Level contributor

    Turns out I have two three speed shifters, one complete with additional linksage rod to transmission, 1 with just the shifter, and 2 two speed shifters. I don't have shift knobs for all units.
    MIke
     
  15. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    Mike, I am sure there is no difference in the 67 2 and 3 speed shifters. Can you post pictures or email me a close up of the area that locks the shifter into R,D,N,2,1. I have pulled a shifter out or a GS but somebody told me it was a 2 speed.
    Thanks
     
  16. cacmanjr

    cacmanjr Well-Known Member


    Mike I have a shifter out of a 67 but do not know if it is 2 or 3 speed. Can you post a pic of the 3 speed unit? Are you interested in selling either of the 3 speed shifters? Thanks!
     
  17. GranSportWagon

    GranSportWagon Silver Level contributor

    I will get some pictures to you later today.
    Email me direct.
    Thanks
    Mike
     
  18. GranSportWagon

    GranSportWagon Silver Level contributor

    If I can figure out how to post a picture compraring the two shifters I will.
    But I think the major difference and it is not much, is in the travel of shift arm. I know on my 66 GS I have a SP400 with the 2 speed shifter. I get plenty of travel to park, but Dr. to 2nd is not quit right and then low or 1st is fine. No matter how you adjust the linkage, it never seems to be right.
    I didn't figure out the photo upload, so email me direct and I will send you the picture.
    Mike
    bigirish2@comcast.net
     
  19. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    Mike sent me great pictures. I you can see the difference.

    Mike is that a cassette case in the background? Now thats old school!
     

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    Last edited: Jan 27, 2008
  20. Topless64-455

    Topless64-455 Well-Known Member

    one more
     

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