727 swap to A518/46RH... need converter

[Paul G]

A guy locally has an A518/46RH for sale. He says came out of a 93 Ram 2wd. The link, http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pts/2415970835.html . He says the O.D. Sol pak looks newer?? It is a 3 pin plug. Knows nothing else. Wants $150 for it, no converter. I am using a 10" Street Fighter right now in my 727. It is a nuetral converter with a balanced flex plate.

Do they make lock up converters comparable to my 10"? WIll my flex plate swap over?

[Paul G]

I went and picked up the trans today. Got a trans shop in town that is going to go through it for me and install it in the car. I plan on doing the pressure switch and vacuum switch control for the OD and lock up. Still need a converter. 

[flyinlow]

Hughes makes Lock up converters with higher stall speeds for the 518. I think TCI makes one for it to. You can run a higher stall speed if you want and then lock it up and not have to listen to it slip.  I never run mine hard in lock up. Not sure if the converter clutch is made for BB torque. Don't forget to upgrade to 3/8 cooler lines so the OD unit gets enough lube oil.

[flyinlow]

Try Performance Automatic and SMR also.

[randy73]

What are you doing for the rear crossmember?

I am doing the same thing for my 73, get a torpedo level, it will make leveling the tranny much easier.

[Paul G]

What are you doing for the rear crossmember?

I am doing the same thing for my 73, get a torpedo level, it will make leveling the tranny much easier.

The plan is to modify the original tranny mount to accept the A518.

[Paul G]

Lockup converters are not cheap! I am looking for a 2500 stahl converter nuetral balanced. I am told it will work well with my warmed up 360 for now, and work well with a 6.1 sometime in the future if I go that route. Dynamic was the cheapest on sale special for $400. Most others are $450 to $500. I am leaning toward a Hughes torque converter. Two reasons, they are here in Phoenix, and my trans builder likes them. Any one used a Hughes converter before?

[flyinlow]

Cheap and Overdrive transmission parts don't seam to go together. I used the stock converter (11 inch 5.9L converter with the weights removed)  with a steel crank 446 it seams to stall around 2600-2800 rpm. Hard to tell with street tires. I think I will go with Hughes when I upgrade the internals on the second 518 I have.

[randy73]

Also, you will need a 518 yoke, splines are different. Lockup's should not be to hard, unless you were looking for a high stall one.
Check out my thread, one person should where you can trim off some og the upper tranny, so you do not have to beat out the tunnel.

Do you have a console or column shifter?

[Paul G]

I have a column shifter. The driveshaft has to be shortened 3 1/2" from what I have read. We will deal with the yoke as well.

Took the A518 to the tranny shop today. The owner put it up on the bench and stripped it down for me. That was way cool watching a pro strip it down. Very good thing I did not try to just put it in like it was. First thing he said was someone has been in here recently. Lock rings were in the wrong places, I think he said a spring was missing among several other things he pointed out. I need new sprags, clutches, bands, bearings, an overhaul kit and shift kit. He said it was basically a good core. Not too terrible. We'll see what the price comes too tomorrow when he calls me with total for the rebuild. Anyone care to speculate? 

[randy73]

I have been searching, but I can't remember were I saw something about column shifter linkage. Sorry, but I remember something about column shifters needing to do something special, never thought much about it, because I have a console.

[Paul G]

If I remember correctly column shifters bolt right up, floor shifters may have a clearence issue. I think?

[flyinlow]

Buddy just took his 2001 518 (RE46) to a Trans Shop he deals with for repair/overhaul. He pulled/installed it. $950 with a rebuilt converter. This is a stock trans for a Pick up truck. It had 165K on it and the problematic cooler lines, so the OD was gone.

I used a cable shifter. Stock torqueflight floor shifter will not fit with a 518.

My 727 yoke worked.

[Paul G]

Still waiting for the shop to get mine rebuilt. He (John the shop owner) knows it is going in a 72 garage queen, he is not in any hurry I guess. This guy is super busy! He is always answering the phone or directing his guys.

He has a 71/72 Plymouth B body on his lift right now. It is a pro built show car some guy picked up at Barret Jackson Scottsdale over the winter. Pro built and it aint right, go figure. Fuel injection tuning trouble, linkage trouble, etc. He is ironing it out for the guy. Going to take a while lol. I have seen the car in a mag before. I might try to get a shot of it next time I am over there. Oh, it has an A518 in it. Big block with an ultra bell. Who ever built the tranny mount did a nice job. I told him I want mine modified the same way. 

[Paul G]

Any one use PATC Performance Automotive and Transmission Center? Talked to them today about their conversion kit for the A518 to get the OD and TC to work automatically. The pressure switches are no problem, the vacuum switch is the problem. He said he has tried many and they all either fail, don't work right, or just don't work with low vacuum motors. He said with non stock engine builds, or low vacuum motors like mine, under 16" vacuum, that the vacuum switch wont maintain it's position and the TC will be cycling in and out all the time. I don't want that. He has their deluxe kit, $325 that uses an electric switch and relay mounted on the intake that is operated off the throttle lever. Looks like it will work, only thing is it is but ugly sitting there next to my shiny bits.

PATC web page with their 518 conversion kits.
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/SwapInformation.htm

PATC link to Youtube instructions for the deluxe kit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DItdQJE16g&feature=youtube_gdata

BTW, I get irritated when electrical items are referred to as electronic. There is a difference. 

[Paul G]

Just found out that B&M makes a trans kickdown switch kit, #20297, for a TH400 swap. And guess what..... it's the same switch PATC is using in their $325 kit. Only it does not have the butt ugly bracket and relay. Got to make my own bracket, and I can mount a relay on the fire wall or even hide it some where. That takes the $325 kit down to under $150.