You'll be happier with a .8something 5th because of your TA 290 94H cam. Personally I like 6 speeds so I could drive in traffic with an .82 5th and also purr at lower rpm on empty interstates at 80-90 mph in 6th. (But Johnny Law doesn't like that)
Figure what RPM you want to run at what speed in top gear and fill in the blanks to solve what rear gear ratio and/or overdrive reduction you want. I've got a spreadsheet I created to plug in the numbers to play around with. You can download it from my One Drive if you want to play around with it. https://1drv.ms/x/s!ArrA9ZJ8SJPR3T0tncV3dqW0VBaD?e=VQpw0n
Yes. The shifter stub has two holes. It has a "ball" end on the bottom that inserts into a shifter housing, that sits on top of the shifter deck. You can get the stub them in different offsets to allow some latitude in handle/boot placement. I had to get one with about 1.5 inch offset to the driver side to properly place my shifter handle (Hurst ). (TKO 500, but the TKX uses similar shifter housing and stub)
If I don’t have to hack up my floor and I’m able to use my original shift handle and knob then I think I’m sold on one over my m21
In the '64, the TKO 500 required cutting the tunnel and raising it, It does create an issue with the carpet, and I had to call and request the carpet not be trimmed (as is typically done), and to leave the edges for me to cut, and it fit. The first I ordered did not fit, and like a complete maroon (spelled, like most people with classic cars) I launched into cutting and putting in the dimmer switch escutcheon and shifter hole, solder iron all the bolt holes and then realized that I was short on the sill plates once I set the seats in place and it pulled the carpet down tight. The TKX is supposed to fit with no mods, and same price. I missed it by a year. But I am very happy with how it drives. Being able to cruise the highway at 80-85 at 2400-2800 RPM is much better than 70 at 3200 RPM and dang near getting run over by everything faster than a box turtle. (Oh and them MPGs!)
Perfect. I really am eyeing that TKX. I have the body and frame seperated now. and this is the time to do anything that needs to be done. Im really hoping you are right about the TKX fitting without cutting. I think a 5 speed behind a healthy 482 would be a wild ride on the back roads, freeway or track.
Would be nice if Tremec mad cross section drawings along the axis of the case at all the high points. Then folks could create templates from the tunnel at the same points. (measure from rear of block as installed) and then layout the corresponding Tremec lines and see if there is any intersect/overlap revealing interference. I will tell you, it is difficult to lay under a car, balancing a transmission on a jack stand, holding a flashlight in your mouth, trying to measure, lay cut lines and swear like a sailor while crap is falling in your eyes. Not that I had any problems... (posting for a friend)
Your friend and I seem to have traveled similar roads before... I echo the cross section drawing completely. The thing I'm curious about is driveshaft length. I found this table of case length, but not too sure case length is an indicator of input to output shaft length?
I did not want to buy a drive shaft four times, so I did the right thing and waited until I got the floor cut, then stuffed the transmission in without any clutch guts, set mount and crossmember, loaded the suspension and measured with the yoke set to correct plunge, and had the guy that did the first three drive shafts, make this one to fit correctly...
If your engine doesn’t move then I’d think it would be? At least it just needs to be shortened from a Muncie to the tkx. Much cheaper than having a new tube made.
Of course. If spec’ing out a new driveshaft and having one built is your plan. My question was how different the tkx length affects stock drive shaft length. Unsure if solely related to case length or not. I think it’d be too, but wasn’t sure if anybody had more insight/experience. Sounds logical to me, anyways.
It was sort of tongue in cheek. I replaced the 300 V8, ST300 and 2.78 with a nailhead, T-10 and a Strange 3.54. That required shortening the original shaft. (#1) The rear was just not enough gear for highway, and I wanted to be able to drive interstate/highway as I am a bit remote. So, I bought a Gear Vendors, stuck it behind the BW T-10 Wide ratio and needed a shorter drive shaft I decided to have one built rather than cutting the OEM again. It was the two part, rubber isolated style, and I figured I would just have a better unit made. (#2) The Gear Vendors unit was a lot of fun with the ability to "button" up/down and split shift, while driving in town traffic, and for passing or lane change and such. Well, I did a split shift down into third and *I think* it tried to pop out of third about the time the GV kicked into gear (while the transmission was partially unloaded as I was easing off the throttle at the same time), and it broke the third cluster. I shifted to fourth (GV in "direct") and was realized I had "direct/final", so I slowed and skipped third and tried second. and second was fine, then I pulled into a gas station. (During the entire time, it was running like an engine with a broken rod, sort of a "timed" skip cadence, that I figured was broken gears making revolutions and the two gears "matching" every few revolutions, then "offset" between the matching. (Like an old hit and miss engine). Decided to buy a Richmond Super T-10, but it was a 3 month lead on getting one, so I decided the same cost to buy the Tremec and it was available "now". And that was drive shaft #3. (Cheaper the mailing #2, paying for mod and shipping back). Then I put a BBB and TH400 in my '68 and, yep, needed another drive shaft. So, I've been thoroughly shafted.
I am close to ordering a TKX for my '69. When I call them to iron out the details, I will ask about how the swap from a Muncie will affect driveshaft length. (My car currently has its original, unaltered drive shaft) I will report back what they tell me.
Wouldn’t it be nice if they could put together a bolt in package that actually bolts right in no fab required. Regardless fab or no fab it’s a win. Definitely first on the list of what’s next.
Keisler offered a package like that on TKOs they sold. The kit contained everything you needed for a no-mod installation into your car, if your car was one of the ones they made such kits for. I almost ordered one. Then Keisler kinda went away.
Hi Mike. Yes, the pics look like you can have the shifter come out of the tunnel/hump to the left of center, like our GS's have with a Muncie and Hurst. So if that's true, we should be able to use our existing, stock hole. Which would be nice, especially for guys who care about being able to return their car to stock. My car is a Frankenstein in some areas so it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if I had to add a patch that relocates the hole, but it's more work and I already have plenty of other jobs to do on my car. We'll see what the company rep says when I call him.
