A833 NP A body trans ID help & intro.
I’d like to find one of those 2.66 - 1 gear transmissions.
Hey,Rob; I'm somewhat familiar with your engine combo as I have one almost identical to it; so I offer this. My second combo,with the Hughes
223/230/110 cam, as for gears, was able to pull anything,even down to 2.76s; but was happiest with a starter gear between 9 and 10 to 1; which made it, 2.66x3.55; Once moving, it didn't much care.
But with the 10/1 starter, it was a stinking tractor. With a rebalanced OEM 340 flywheel, she was a more or less dump it and go deal, with just a lil blip of the throttle. I only used the 3.55s because they trapped 65=5500 in second gear; and they were a lil snappier at 30 mph in second gear. Downshifting there, into first, put me at just around peak torque, and instant tirespin.
So when that cam dropped lobes, I gave up some bottom-end with the next bigger cam; a
230/237/110. Immediately I felt the bottom-end torque loss; which I solved with the Commando box (3.09-1.92-1.40-1.00). I was able to run 3.23s with this, but she liked the 3.55s better. And I still liked the 65=5500 gearing, which was actually 7000/7200, cuz it still wouldn't hook.....lol, cuz I'm not set up for straight-lining.
So I retimed the cam from in at 106, to 108. But that made very little difference.
I liked that 223cam a lot, and have fond memories of it. The 230cam, for bottom end,took a bit of work,(Commando low 3.09x3.55s=10.97) to be as the 223cam had been (with the standard low2.66x3.55=9.44).
The 230cam lost fuel-economy,but the top end is a lot stronger than I expected,all-in-all a good trade.
And no matter what, this combo is way more fun than the first cam had been, which was the Mopar 292/292/108. By seat of the pants reckoning, this Hughes 230 feels as strong or stronger on the top than the 292. But with the 292 I could definitely feel the hit when peak was approaching; it hit like a small 2-stroke dirt bike. That 292 did not like the 2.66x3.55s off the line, taking quite a bit of revs to move out normally. Once moving it was ok, but the power up top,didn't seem to want to fall off, so when moving out,I would mostly run it to 6800....or more; which with 3.55s and second gear was over 80 mph. So all-in-all not a very good street combo. I took that 292cam out before the end of the first summer, and I no longer miss it.
BTW, with each cam, I readjusted the Scr to keep the pressure around 180psi with the alloy heads. And the Q has always run between a max of .039 with the 223 to a min of ~.028 with the 292, and is currently at .034 with the 230.
As I recall, you are running a similar sized cam in the 22x's, so .... just want to say, that I really like the Commando box.