4 speed/ 3 spd OD

[Brambles]

I posted a while back about a tranny that I bought at a wrecker, Some guys on here dated coded it for Oct 1970, that was probably installed in 1971 model year car. The guys at the autowrecker yanked it from a 1975 Duster so they thought it was a 3 spd OD, but someone over the years must have swapped it.

So I was reading about 833 history on the Passion Performance website and they say that the 833 OD was acutally manufactured from the early 1970's to 1986. This had me thinking, because I thought that I read that the OD started lift in 1975.

I checked the Brewers website and they say that the 833 OD started life in 1975 just like I thought.

Whos right, I want to know if my tranny is indeed a 4 speed or a 3 spd OD, since it was date coded for Oct 1970 I was thinking it must be a 4 speed for sure. But now the stuff on the Passion Performance website has me thinking that I might have to dig deeper???

Can anyone shed some light on this???

 

['64 Cuda]

When you say 3 speed OD I'm assuming you are talking about an 833 OD trans. If you still have the linkage arms where the shift rods attach to the trans, a regular 4 speed will have all three arms pointing in a generally upwards direction. That is, with the linkage rod hole to the top. An 833 OD trans will have the most forward of the three arms pointing down. Do this visual check first. If the linkage arms have been removed from the trans, you'll have to bolt a set on & then go to the next paragraph here, which will probably be more confusing than helpful. :tard:

Another way, if you have a driveshaft yoke or a driveshaft, is to insert it into the back of the trans. Make sure all of the linkage arms are in neutral, then shift the most forward of the arms to fourth gear. Do this by rotating the arm so that the linkage hole moves toward the front of the trans. Then turn the input shaft. This is easier if you have an old clutch disc to put on the shaft to turn it with. If the linkage arm is installed correctly, and the trans is an OD trans, the driveshaft yoke will turn faster than the input shaft. The difference will fairly be obvious. If the linkage arm is installed upside down (for an OD trans, this would be with the hole to the top) and it is an OD trans, the driveshaft yoke will turn at the same speed as the input shaft. Clear as mud, huh? #-o :dontknow: :sad5: :sad2: Hope this helps, but I've probably got you more confused than ever.

:burnout:

 

[340mopar]

The 833OD started in 1975 so Brewers is correct. As a general 1975 833OD's were cast iron and starting with 1976 they were aluminum.

Also you hear a lot of people call them 3speed overdrives (my dad's one of them). It is a true 4 speed because all of the speeds are gears. If the trans had a planetary overdrive unit on the back then yes it would be a 3 speed overdrive but it doesn't, all forward speeds are gears and it just happens that the 4th gear is over driven. Know one calls all of the late model manuals that have OD 5th or 6th gears overdrives so why should the 833OD be any different. The 4th gear on an 833OD is actually 3rd gear on the non OD 833.

If you have trouble trying to figure out what trans you have '64 cuda's way just take off the side cover starting from the input side of the trans if the second gear back (the gear after the input shaft gear) is smaller diameter than any of the other gears on the main shaft it is an OD trans.

Chuck

 

[gremlin]

The OD trans also has a 5.100 dia front bearing retainer.