Heavy Duty 4-Speed Performance Automatics?

[Carlwalski]

Hi Guys,


Does anyone know someone (reptable) who makes heavy duty 4-speed performance (street/strip) automatics? Really want the OD and performance shifts. It's a street car. Currently 660hp/632ft-lb (built to be very mild/stock) but can see myself in future upping the power considerably, not sure how much but I'm after a heavy duty auto to handle it and give me peace of mind. Won't touch the Gear Vendors junk, been there done that. Looked at places like TCI, JW, even the A518 but keep running around in circles. Keisler only make one rated to 650hp/t. Any help and input is appreciated.



Thanks,
Carl

[firefighter3931]

Carl, check out the SMR shortie overdrive transmission ; this guy builds high horsepower race tranny's so i'm sure he can whip something up for you. 

http://www.smrtrans.com/


Ron

[Carlwalski]

Thank you Ron, I found that about 20 minutes ago. It looks good however at the bottom I spotted that it's  GV unit on the end, not some custom design and I personally won't touch anything to do with GVs. I did look at their A518s, up to 1,200hp is plenty for my vehicle even in the future so something to research. I'll do a such on "SMR" but in the mean time, have you heard about these guys, any good, bad?

[mauve66]

i'm confused, again of course but thats another story...............

660hp/632TQ. mild and stock in the same sentence???  GV has the same 1200HP warranty, what happened to yours???

[Carlwalski]

i'm confused, again of course but thats another story...............

660hp/632TQ. mild and stock in the same sentence???  GV has the same 1200HP warranty, what happened to yours???

FHO 540 Hemi built a little below what it's capable of with stock insides. It was built to be a street brawler, low down torque without being too wild for street so I could use it to it's full potential and be a really stout bullet proof reliable engine. That was going to be behind a 5-Speed in an E-Body but things have changed. With an auto and B-Body I'm possibly going to up the power, around 850hp would be nice and very easy to achieve for little cash but I'll see how the car goes with it's current output first.

As for Gear Vendors, long story....here's a massive thread at cuda-challenger below. In short, the split shifting is a big gimmick, inconsistent and the worst mod I've ever done. Emailed the manager at GV (Rick) a few times. Took around 2 years all up back and fourth, 3 different electronic units and lots of my money doing their R&D. I believe the only people that had it were Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Rogan, back then anyhow. They sold a unit that hadn't been tested was the cause. The OD works "OK" but it's a lot of coin for just an OD. Mine was the latest "Autoshift" not the original GV unit. This is just my opinion on it but yeah, to some it up, it's a POS. Should have got a A518 but hindsight is a lovely thing.

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=23610.0

[mauve66]

i've been searching their site and can't find an "autoshift", did they pull it after your problems??  i've talked to lots of people that love their original GV unit, but have never heard of the "autoshift"

[Musicman]

  I've never heard anyone complain about a GV unit before... Then again, for everything there is always a first time.

I think if you talk to the folks at SMR as Ron suggested they may tell you that the 518 has a bit more parasitic power loss than the straight up 727 with a GV, but they do build HD 518's, so other than that they will probably set you up.

[firefighter3931]

I'm with Musicman  on this....first GV complaint i've heard. Most guys rave about this upgrade. 


Ron

[firefighter3931]

I'll do a such on "SMR" but in the mean time, have you heard about these guys, any good, bad?

SMR has an excellent reputation. A buddy of mine will be running one of his transmissions behind a procharged 540 Aluminum Hemi that should make in the 1000hp range. 


Ron

[John_Kunkel]

I'm with Musicman  on this....first GV complaint i've heard. Most guys rave about this upgrade.  :yesnod

I've heard lots of complaints about their electronics but not the unit itself. I guess a toggle switch is just too simple for some.

[Carlwalski]

I'm with Musicman  on this....first GV complaint i've heard. Most guys rave about this upgrade.  :yesnod

I've heard lots of complaints about their electronics but not the unit itself. I guess a toggle switch is just too simple for some.

Sarcasm..... 


GV themselves had no idea of what was causing our problem, not much we can do when the manufacture themselves can't help. Transmissions are one thing but their own unique computer module, that's something only they can fix. The reason I wanted the Autoshift unit is because the stock manual unit is a complete waste of time. No matter how much you practice and have the shifter down to a tee, there is that pause/delay in shifting, each and every time. You may get lucky once and a while but it's ugly as sin. So simple "toggle" switch or a special edition gold tab on the roof, fact of the matter is the system still sucks no matter how it's engaged. The whole manual GV OD engagement system lags, is sloppy and very inconsistent.

Check out the video of the test drive in the Nova on GVs website, that's Rick driving it and even he can't (and admitted) that you can't get rid of the searching/delay sound/shift - hence the reason they made the autoshift unit which kicks in and out of OD for you. You shift the shifter, it shifts out of OD automatically, hit the OD button, then shift, it kicks out again for you. OD works OK, but is still sloppy and that's a lot of money. Point is simple, I didn't get what I paid for and ending up paying a lot of cash to try and fix something I shouldn't have to doing GVs R&D and it's still not done. Never any money back from GVs for my troubles and time. I use it as an OD only and leave the "gear splitting" slop alone. Get a A518 and by pass all the "fancy" modules. I'd love to sit here and talk out of my arse about how "Awesome!!" and "FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!" it is like you see some corny guys (typical) just because I have one but, I can't.

[Carlwalski]

I'll do a such on "SMR" but in the mean time, have you heard about these guys, any good, bad?

SMR has an excellent reputation. A buddy of mine will be running one of his transmissions behind a procharged 540 Aluminum Hemi that should make in the 1000hp range. 


Ron

Thank you Ron. That sounds promising, same size engine as mine but more powerful (mines N/A). Nice to know.

[flyinlow]

The Keisler has a 3.06 first gear and a .69  od which is about as wide a spread as you can find . Thats the good part.

Will a 4l60 (small block Chevy) transmission hold up to modified BB Mopar? let us  know.

I have a 518 in My 446 Charger . Just put it in this winter. I like the torqueflight feel and simplicty. Also does not need a custom built controller that can go bad somewhere leaving me to limp home in second gear...maybe.

Power loss , due to the overdrive unit, should be negligable in the first three gears. In that mode the OD unit is straight thru direct drive. In OD the planatary gearset has to operate to give you a .69 overdrive ratio. There is some power loss. Most modern OD automatics do it this way. If I was going to take my Charger out on a Nascar track this transmission would not be the best choice. A transmission with a 1:1 top gear like Richmond would be a better choice. For general street/cruising use the 518 seams to fill the bill for me.

The 518 is heavier. I did not weigh it but would guess about 50lbs more.