HAS ANYONE INSTALL PASSION 833 OVERDRIVE KIT ?

[daytonalo]

Just curious if anyone has ever installed their kit , and if so do they like it .


Larry

[Rolling_Thunder]

I have installed one...    honestly it isnt all the rage in my opinion...    I have run stock aluminum case OD transmissions and they work just as well for 1/10th the cost...         I have also installed Tremec transmissions and GV units...    i think the GV unit is a good way to go.

[Tilar]

Here might be another option. I might consider going this route with mine. I wonder what all the A518 came in?

[FJMG]

    Someone once told me that the 727 was used in heavier trucks long ago which had numerically higher first gear ratios. You could then use taller (numerically lower) rear end gears and achieve similar effects as an overdrive.

[Troy]

Here might be another option. I might consider going this route with mine. I wonder what all the A518 came in?

Trucks. Pretty much from the early 90s through somewhere around 2002(?). They are relatively easy to find. I've been researching that swap for a long time but you have to realize that the A518 only comes with a small block bellhousing/bolt pattern so that's a big negative to a lot of people. As that link states, the early ones are much simpler to hook up. hotrod98 did a complete swap of a truck 5.9 Magnum and A518 into his wife's 72 Cuda. It's also the newer one but he kept the computer and all so it's not a big deal. More info:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,37663.0.html

As for the Passon trans, I have been researching manual transmission options for several years now (geez, has it been that long?) and it's hard to go wrong with any of them. I have been told by several people that the 833OD will be fine behind a 440 in a "cruiser" or pro-touring type of car. Jamie Passon even built one for the Hammer show car a few years back and I talked to him about that choice since he already had the 18 spline version. The weak links in the 833OD are 4th gear and the input shaft so if you're going to actually get traction on a hard launch you'll likely break something. Passon's 18 spline OD solves both problems as far as I know AND it looks stock from the outside. You can buy just the gear set and stick it in an original case as well. If you're worried about a budget then the 833OD makes the most sense because you can destroy several of them before you approach the price of the Passon transmission - but then you have to do all that labor swapping them out. Chryco has been using the 833OD for a long time in race cars but he treats them like a 3-speed on the track (never shift to 4th under those loads). The 833OD also has a lower final drive ratio so highway RPMs will be a bit lower.

Troy

[daytonalo]

I'm only concerned with the gear spread of their OD gear set , not interested in dumping the clutch at 7000 rpm!!! Want to cruise @ 75 without my Hemi tongue hanging out !!!

[Troy]

Then bolt in an 833OD and be done with it - just don't cry about it if/when you blow it up after powershifting...

Seriously, for a car that will never see the track or get abused on a regular basis (like mine) it should be fine. A Gear Vendors unit is probably the best overall solution but then you have to deal with the price. Just be sure to avoid getting a truck transmission with the "granny" first gear.

Troy

[daytonalo]

I'm on the fence with Tremic , figured since I have everything now , I would save money with a passion kit vs buying a Tremic set up . And yes I know the Tremic is far superior !!  Speed shift with A833 A Muncie yes not a clunky 833!!!

[Troy]

Who said the Tremec was superior? It all depends on what you're doing with it, your budget, and your desire to "look stock" or not. Some people also get all bent out of shape if it's not a true Mopar part but that really has nothing to do with which is better.

Troy

[Mike DC]

 
Yeah, the Passon overdrive changeover thing is more about stronger parts than anything.   The total gear spread isn't a whole lot different from a stock 833-OD from 1st to 4th, although the Passon deal arguably gives a better ratio set in between the top & bottom.



I like the Passon setup from what I know so far.  Their newer deal has some great gear ratios/spacing in general and it really is an improvement on the old setup in terms of mechanical issues.  And I personally just like 4 gears with an external shifter rather than 5 or 6 gears and an internal-rail shifter. 

The factory 833 OD setups were decent for the vehicle & era they came from, but they just weren't up there with the older A-833's legendary durability.  Hook up a hot 440 with some sticky tires and you really are liable to break a factory OD. 

 

[Tilar]

Here might be another option. I might consider going this route with mine. I wonder what all the A518 came in?

Trucks. Pretty much from the early 90s through somewhere around 2002(?). They are relatively easy to find. I've been researching that swap for a long time but you have to realize that the A518 only comes with a small block bellhousing/bolt pattern so that's a big negative to a lot of people. As that link states, the early ones are much simpler to hook up.

Troy

I just got off the phone with the people at www.transmissioncenter.net, and they have an adapter that will hook the A518 to a 440, and he claims that the A518 is plenty strong to handle the increased HP and Torque or the big block. The adapter runs $639.

[Charger-Bodie]

I'm on the fence with Tremic , figured since I have everything now , I would save money with a passion kit vs buying a Tremic set up . And yes I know the Tremic is far superior !!  Speed shift with A833 A Muncie yes not a clunky 833!!!

the a833 is far tougher than any muncie piece of crap!! stupid "rock crushers"

[Troy]

Here might be another option. I might consider going this route with mine. I wonder what all the A518 came in?

Trucks. Pretty much from the early 90s through somewhere around 2002(?). They are relatively easy to find. I've been researching that swap for a long time but you have to realize that the A518 only comes with a small block bellhousing/bolt pattern so that's a big negative to a lot of people. As that link states, the early ones are much simpler to hook up.

Troy

I just got off the phone with the people at www.transmissioncenter.net, and they have an adapter that will hook the A518 to a 440, and he claims that the A518 is plenty strong to handle the increased HP and Torque or the big block. The adapter runs $639.

Have you seen it? I'm going to go waaaaaaaaay out on a limb here and say they are about something like a JW Ultra Bell - although you can get those for around $300. The reason I skipped past that is because A. it's still an automatic (and the question was about a 4-speed) and B. it's not exactly a "bolt on" adapter (you have to cut your transmission in half). This thread has some great info if you want to use the A518 behind a big block with the Ultra Bell.

EDIT: never mind, I just looked it up and it *is* a bolt on adapter that looks very nice. I don't believe they had this when I was looking before and the only other option was the JW part. The adapter is near the bottom of this page but... it's still an automatic though.



Troy

[Tilar]

Man I am so torn between running an automatic or a 4sp that I don't know what I want. My car is originally a 318 with a 3sp on the column, so I have the clutch pedal and all to run a standard, but I started buying up items, including an automatic power brake pedal plus items for an automatic on the console... When I bought the car it had a 400 with an automatic, and it did not run. I managed to get it running but it had a bad timing chain in it, plus I have never liked the 400 

[Mike DC]

 
I still think the Chevy 4L60E swap sounds like the best plan for the BB motors.  At least from a mechanical point of view. 

The basic tranny can be built to take a beating, it has a very low 1st ratio, very tall OD ratio, lockup converter, and it clears the stock Mopar tunnel & crossmember without a lot of goofy maneuverings.   No other OD-automatic option has all that stuff. 



No comment on whether Keisler is actually doing a decent job with the kit or not. 

   

[NMike]

i've got a 618 trans from a cummins waiting for my charger. going to cut off the bellhousing and installed an Ultra Bell