A833OD inspection results... thoughts?

[RustyRatRod]

Holy crap. I didn't think I was ever gonna get scrolled past post #21. Geez.

 

[moparmat2000]

Its great isnt it? I would love to have a close ratio 4 speed, or better yet a passon overdrive trans. The reality is the close ratio 4 speeds dont just show up everywhere out here. This is truck country, not muscle car country in west Texas. I got lucky to find an F body A833 that was in decent shape. I am venturing that may be the same case with the OP since he lives in Alaska. Hot roddy stuff probably isnt very popular up there either therefore its pretty rare and unusual to find one, so you run whatcha can find.

I am glad the gear combo i am going to run, and the O/D box will wake up a mild 318. I want to build a 408 stroker. I got the block, rods and heads to do it, however doing a bolt on/rattlecan rebuild on my 318 which actually ran decent and didnt smoke will allow me to put that stroker money elsewhere in my build to get it further along. At least the gears and trans ratios will wake up that 318, and i can have a bit of fun with it while i build up a stroker, and save for a "non hooker" transmission.

 

[Chained_360]

When does your summer actually start/finish up there?

Winter usually starts around now. It snowed last week, but the first snow never sticks. Usually by Halloween winter has set in, and the snow is usually off the ground by the end of April.

 

[Chained_360]

I am venturing that may be the same case with the OP since he lives in Alaska. Hot roddy stuff probably isnt very popular up there either therefore its pretty rare and unusual to find one, so you run whatcha can find.

It can be difficult up here sometimes, but there's enough to get by. I've actually been really surprised with how much Mopar stuff is up here, although a lot of it is found in yards and hangars that you can only find by knowing someone. There's actually a guy in town selling a complete 4-speed setup out of a dart, but I didn't think I would have been able to afford it. He also had two aluminum overdrive units in his shop. The transmission I bought was about 150 miles south in Soldotna, bought if from a man named Harry for $250. Thankfully the hot rodding community up here is amazing and people have helped me out in so many ways, I've made some great connections through local car clubs and shows. But it can definitely be tough finding parts, especially for Mopar. The worst of it is paying shipping when you can't find what you need.

 

[moparmat2000]

I think i payed $200 for mine, and $35 for the bell.

 

[moparmat2000]

Remember 2 of the side cover bolts have special shanks on them making them a locating pin/bolt at the same time.

 

[Chained_360]

Remember 2 of the side cover bolts have special shanks on them making them a locating pin/bolt at the same time.

Yeah, I noticed that when taking it apart. I have to say I really, really like how this transmission was designed and put together. So far in my experience with cars, I haven't seen a prettier hunk of metal . Everything looks like its made out of really high quality metal and was machined very nicely, especially the gears themselves. I can't wait to actually take this sucker apart and get a closer look at everything.

 

[moparmat2000]

I was looking through american powertrain warehouse catalog. They have an overhaul kit for 1970 - 1980 A833 that specifies a 90mm input and output shaft bearing. My 4 speed is a 1977 volare/aspen box. Without pulling it and measuring the bearing diameter. Did they use 2 different bearings in the O/D boxes, or were all of those 90mm bearings? I dont want to pull the gearbox from the car yet since its installed as part of a mockup, and i would need to put it back in. Maybe that sounds like me being lazy, but i barely have time these days to mess with this project, and am just collecting up parts for when i will have time.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Winter usually starts around now. It snowed last week, but the first snow never sticks. Usually by Halloween winter has set in, and the snow is usually off the ground by the end of April.

Well that sounds the same as here. Sounds like you get a decent summer season then.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Y

I was looking through american powertrain warehouse catalog. They have an overhaul kit for 1970 - 1980 A833 that specifies a 90mm input and output shaft bearing. My 4 speed is a 1977 volare/aspen box. Without pulling it and measuring the bearing diameter. Did they use 2 different bearings in the O/D boxes, or were all of those 90mm bearings? I dont want to pull the gearbox from the car yet since its installed as part of a mockup, and i would need to put it back in. Maybe that sounds like me being lazy, but i barely have time these days to mess with this project, and am just collecting up parts for when i will have time.

Yes there are a couple of different rear bearings, and I don't recall any of their sizes. 90mm is 3.543 inches and sounds odd to me.
The OD box comes with three different Mopar mainshafts; 2 short ones and one long one. The shorties came in the F-bodies. The slantys got the small diameter output and I think everything else got the bigger ones.
I'm not sure about the small shaft ones, but I am sure that the large shaft boxes take a special width rear bearing.
The front bearings take a special width outer snapring, don't use the one that comes on the new one, the retainer will not seat and then it will leak.
I think the small bearings were 307s and the large ones were 308s; but not just any old 308s. They were a special width as noted.
OK nope, 3.54 is the 308. The 307 is 80mm or 3.14 .

The large shafts take 727 sized yokes while the small shafts take the 904 sized yokes. So you can figure out which bearing to order by which yoke slides into the back.

 

[moparmat2000]

Well my 904 yoke slides in so smaller bearing? Short output shaft, from F body 904 yoke. I guess it was a slanty F body box? So i guess i am probably going to have to pull this sucker and measure the bearings

 

[AJ/FormS]

Well my 904 yoke slides in so smaller bearing? Short output shaft, from F body 904 yoke. I guess it was a slanty F body box? So i guess i am probably going to have to pull this sucker and measure the bearings

I Have no idea about the reliability of the small-shaft behind a 360.

From #38

I guess i will have to find out lol. I will run this behind a stock to mild 318, so it should be ok.

Yeah I think so. Especially with skinny street tires and something bigger than 2.76s lol.

 

[moparmat2000]

I guess i will have to find out lol. I will run this behind a stock to mild 318, so it should be ok. Maybe i will be able to get the funds up for my 408 and an A855 from Passon performance some day.

Am i right to assume thats what it was from? Slant sux F body.

 

[AJ/FormS]

So far as I'm aware; yes slanty F
I have a couple of those as spare gearsets.
The larger M/S swaps right in.....................with it's matching extension house that carries the bigger bearing.

 

[autoxcuda]

So far as I'm aware; yes slanty F
I have a couple of those as spare gearsets.
The larger M/S swaps right in.....................with it's matching extension house that carries the bigger bearing.

Can you bore out a small diameter extension housing to large??

 

[sccachallenger]

I've enjoyed reading this!
Three questions come to mind.
1 Can you swap all OD parts in a non OD iron case, with the correct cluster pin and dodge the wallowing hole problem?
2 I saw one in an early '80s Ram250 318, a few years ago in a junk yard. I was surprised to see it in a 3/4 ton truck!
Popular wisdom says this box isn't known for strength, anyone know if this was a factory option?
3 I've heard you can machine the large input shaft seal retainer down to a smaller size to fit the more common bell housing size, has anyone seen this done?

 

[AJ/FormS]

I've enjoyed reading this!
Three questions come to mind.
1 Can you swap all OD parts in a non OD iron case, with the correct cluster pin and dodge the wallowing hole problem?
2 I saw one in an early '80s Ram250 318, a few years ago in a junk yard. I was surprised to see it in a 3/4 ton truck!
Popular wisdom says this box isn't known for strength, anyone know if this was a factory option?
3 I've heard you can machine the large input shaft seal retainer down to a smaller size to fit the more common bell housing size, has anyone seen this done?

1)no, the OD cluster gear will not fit into the non-od case. One would have to grind it heavily,down in the bottom to accept the od driver. Plus the standard case is the heavy cast-iron. I tried this, but was too lazy to commit to the grinding; it looked like I would have to take a lot of metal outta there.
2) unknown by me
3)Adapter retainers are available, just not from the 5.125/308 bearing to the 4.35/307 bearing. You can make a ring tho to put either of the smaller retainers into the 5.125 big-hole bellhouse.Since I already had the big-hole bell indicated to my engine, this is what I did, to install the standard A-body box.
The rings are also available now,aftermarket.
IIRC you can lathe off the 5.125 retainer to fit the 4.80 bell, but IIRC the 4.80 bell is a BB only bell. Some guys have bored out the small retainer bell to accept the larger retainers.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Can you bore out a small diameter extension housing to large??

You could try but it's a multiple step operation, and I don't think there would be enough support when you got done.You're talking about 90mm less 80mm divide by two, equals cutting out 5mm or .1968 of metal, which is a tic over 3/16. No, I don't think there would be enough metal to retain the snapring when done. I'm going from memory, so guessing.

 

[sccachallenger]

3)Adapter retainers are available, just not from the 5.125/308 bearing to the 4.35/307 bearing. You can make a ring tho to put either of the smaller retainers into the 5.125 big-hole bellhouse.Since I already had the big-hole bell indicated to my engine, this is what I did, to install the standard A-body box.
The rings are also available now,aftermarket.
IIRC you can lathe off the 5.125 retainer to fit the 4.80 bell, but IIRC the 4.80 bell is a BB only bell. Some guys have bored out the small retainer bell to accept the larger retainers.[/QUOTE]
I guess that's what I was thinking, I believe the old aftermarket bell housings had the 4.80 hole and came with the ring to fit the smaller hole.
If you've got an old blow proof housing you can run the OD on an LA engine with just a retainer swap.
So the OD retainer and the 4.80 retainer have the same bolt pattern, this is good news!
Thanks for your input!

 

[AJ/FormS]

Keep in mind and just to try and make it clearer;
there are 3 of the 4.80" retainers;
1 for the 18 spline BB trans with the 308/4.16" b.c., and
2 for the 23 spliners; 1 for the 307/3.70" bc, and 1 for the 308/4.16"bc
phew

and the od trans has the 308/4.16"bc with the 5.125 od
and the SBM trans has the 307/3.70"bc with a 4.35 od
and the BB 18 spl trans has the 308/4.16/4.80od retainer.

IDK about a BB 23 spliner, but I imagine it's also a 308/4.16/4.80
I think the 383 trans was same as SBM,but I don't know that.

 

[sccachallenger]

Keep in mind and just to try and make it clearer;
there are 3 of the 4.80" retainers;
1 for the 18 spline BB trans with the 308/4.16" b.c., and
2 for the 23 spliners; 1 for the 307/3.70" bc, and 1 for the 308/4.16"bc
phew

and the od trans has the 308/4.16"bc with the 5.125 od
and the SBM trans has the 307/3.70"bc with a 4.35 od
and the BB 18 spl trans has the 308/4.16/4.80od retainer.

IDK about a BB 23 spliner, but I imagine it's also a 308/4.16/4.80
I think the 383 trans was same as SBM,but I don't know that.

Thanks! and x2 on the phew!