American power train offers A body 6 speed manual
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Only thing I see there is that there doesn't appear to be the top half of the torsion bar crossmember, just the bottom half. Unless they aren't showing it. If you're planning on keeping the torsion bars then you'd still need the top half of the crossmember.
It also says "call for availability", while their other kits have prices listed. I would wager it's not available to the public just yet.
Still, a big jump forward for everyone considering the T56 swap. You can do it cheaper with a Viper clutch slave and wilwood m/c though, the set up the AP shows there is a $700 gig :shock:. With a Viper CSC and a wilwood 7/8" mc with adaptors for -4 AN hoses you're looking at $200.
Woods74
Broke Senior
This crossed my mind like a flock of seagulls as I glanced at the photo, but I just delivered the news without commentary...
I know You know, that You know that I know, we know. You know?
grimreaper
Cross Member
Unfortunately Passon can't get into production of the A855 due to parts availability/parts quality issues. He's got a backlog of nearly 500 units.
Woods74
Broke Senior
^Like I said, Crypt Keeper territory..
magnummopar
Well-Known Member
I will do a dealer inquiry on Monday and see what you have to spend to get a deal. What the price and availability is and what bell housing is available. Either 5 or 6 speed would interest me. Would like another option to NV3500 close ratio for our 74 Sport FI project.
gold66cuda
Well-Known Member
You'll look like this dude before that precious 'unit' graces your threshold.
Next week I will have had my Passon unit for 2 years and both my wife and my 2 girlfriends call me a hottie!:twisted:
Woods74
Broke Senior
How have you been on the list? Since your early twenties?
gold66cuda
Well-Known Member
That's a nice picture.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Wonder if the shifter pictures would interfere with the TB crossmember and they plan to ignore it and not replace it. Coil over conversion only??
Didn't they put one in a blue dart (with a coil over front end) in a magazine using this kit?
Not saying it can't be done without leaving out the upper crossmember, only that the configuration in the picture looks like it might make it an issue.
Oh, and in regards to a 6-speed being too much for the street, they sure put them in a lot of Challengers over the years and they don't seem to be "too much" in those applications.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Found the article. September '15 issue of Mopar Muscle, American Powertrain T56 kit, but not the one pictured here. Shifter was in a different location (all the way back), but it wouldn't have mattered as they removed the crossmember completely and put in an RMS front end.
But based on one of the pictures in the article, the kit pictured above leaves very little room for the upper crossmember with the shifter all the way forward. Maybe they could build a crossmember that has some bends to it similar to the transmission crossmember, but it seems to me that it would be easier to build one if the shifter was all the way back instead. Leads me to believe they don't plan to replace the upper crossmember.
But based on one of the pictures in the article, the kit pictured above leaves very little room for the upper crossmember with the shifter all the way forward. Maybe they could build a crossmember that has some bends to it similar to the transmission crossmember, but it seems to me that it would be easier to build one if the shifter was all the way back instead. Leads me to believe they don't plan to replace the upper crossmember.
No upper crossmember in the kit, they leave it out and the video on the Mopar Muscle facebook page says it's recommended for "coilover cars only".
Here's the video linkhttps://www.facebook.com/moparmusclemag/videos/10153935826647792/
The shifter location needs to be in the rearmost provision for it to clear an upper crossmember. There are several members that have converted their cars over to T56 transmissions that also fabricated their own upper crossmembers, but all of them used the rearmost shifter mount. It actually seems to be in a good spot for the A-bodies anyway, slightly behind the original shifter location, but centered.
Also, the AP crossmember has both bolt holes. All of the conversions I've seen so far removed enough of the torsion bar crossmember that only the outer set of mounts for the transmission mount remained. A bit curious about that. The also reference "very few tunnel mods" in the video, which seems completely wrong. All the conversions I've seen removed the tunnel completely. I wonder what the tailshaft angle is set at with their transmission mount?
DustBull's car with T56
72BBswingers car with T56:
Here's the video linkhttps://www.facebook.com/moparmusclemag/videos/10153935826647792/
The shifter location needs to be in the rearmost provision for it to clear an upper crossmember. There are several members that have converted their cars over to T56 transmissions that also fabricated their own upper crossmembers, but all of them used the rearmost shifter mount. It actually seems to be in a good spot for the A-bodies anyway, slightly behind the original shifter location, but centered.
Also, the AP crossmember has both bolt holes. All of the conversions I've seen so far removed enough of the torsion bar crossmember that only the outer set of mounts for the transmission mount remained. A bit curious about that. The also reference "very few tunnel mods" in the video, which seems completely wrong. All the conversions I've seen removed the tunnel completely. I wonder what the tailshaft angle is set at with their transmission mount?
DustBull's car with T56
72BBswingers car with T56:
Woods74
Broke Senior
Damn that thing is a beast!
ToddRon posted a link in that video a little further down:
"Todd Ronald Johnson If you want to keep your torsion bars, check out ToddRon Restorations on Facebook. Our design is much stronger than this, and includes the upper torsion bar frame support required to keep the car's structure and strength intact. Our design has been out for several years. Mopar Muscle did an article on it a couple of years back. Visit our page on Facebook. Thank you very much!!"
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=ToddRon Restorations
ToddRon posted a link in that video a little further down:
"Todd Ronald Johnson If you want to keep your torsion bars, check out ToddRon Restorations on Facebook. Our design is much stronger than this, and includes the upper torsion bar frame support required to keep the car's structure and strength intact. Our design has been out for several years. Mopar Muscle did an article on it a couple of years back. Visit our page on Facebook. Thank you very much!!"
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=ToddRon Restorations
His kit is awesome; it looks like a very high quality part. I've been looking at his crossmembers for 2 years now. The only reason why I choose not to use it is because I'm cheap.
He's a member here, Tjfly4pay. The crossmember he makes is beautiful, but last I heard he was selling them for $800.
Again, it's a beautiful piece. But that's a lot of money. I've gone back and forth a few times about buying it. I know I can weld one up myself that will be just as strong with $50 worth of materials. But it would also take a couple days. Then I think, "it would be really nice to just bolt in the crossmember and forget about it". And then I see that price tag and think I can weld something up myself. I dunno. If it were $500 I would have already bought one.
DionR
Well-Known Member
I'd bet they just have you drill new inner bolt holes, not that you are able to use the existing inner bolt holes. That's what I did when I was working on the crossmember in my Valiant for the R154 swap I never finished.
Can't tell from the pictures, just a guess.
goldduster318
Overzealous Car Modifier
Agreed. I think you could make that with some cardboard templates if you were willing to put the time in. Or make at least the top part out of square/rectangular tubing. I think I would also make a flange to be able to rosette weld the floor to it to get the chassis all tied back together.
magnummopar
Well-Known Member
OK, guys. As promised, I gave AP a call and we are not dealers! The 5 speed kits and transmissions are a week out, The 6 speed transmissions are 2-3 weeks out and kits in stock. They recomend non tortion bar aftermarket suspention for 6 speed due to t bar x member not being supportive enough but I feel that with clever people on here that I can be done with them. The transmissions run about $2400-$2500. The kits come as complete as you want, for AT cars; pedal, flywheel clutch, hydraulics, drive line etc close to $6K and a 4 speed to 5 speed w/o clutch or hydraulics but with flywheeel and driveshaft around $4600.
We can also sell some of the parts separately.
They also have several kits for the 5.7/6.2 hemi swap.
If anybodys interested or tired of waiting for Passion call the shop or pm me. I can offer at least a 5% discount to FABO guys, I know, its not much but will get better if I sell some. I will pass on savings when I get a better deal. Its a $15K buy in for me...
We can also sell some of the parts separately.
They also have several kits for the 5.7/6.2 hemi swap.
If anybodys interested or tired of waiting for Passion call the shop or pm me. I can offer at least a 5% discount to FABO guys, I know, its not much but will get better if I sell some. I will pass on savings when I get a better deal. Its a $15K buy in for me...
JoesEdge
Well-Known Member
Let's say you have a 3 or 4 speed car (i.e. I have the manual trans tunnel) and you want to with a 5 speed. Is it bolt in and will the shifter come out of the stock location giving it a stock appearance? What other modifications are there? That's where I'm unclear.
Thanks!
There's no "bolt in" for a 5 or 6 speed, unless you get your hands on a Passon 855. Otherwise the shifter will end up in a different spot, and the tunnel will need cutting. The TKO 5 speed conversion is less invasive than a T56 install, but you still need to cut the tunnel and clearance the upper crossmember (although it doesn't require a complete removal like for a 6 speed.)
This is from Wracks71's 5 speed conversion thread...http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=116056&highlight=TKO+swap
Tunnel mods
Upper crossmember notch
dano
Evil Handy Man
For us form the factory manual guys, a drop in is Passion for ~$4500 and an eternity to get one or the "someday after we make one to fit every Chevy known to man and see how well they sell befor we do the Mopar box" McLeod.
Otherwise it cut up your car.
magnummopar
Well-Known Member
They told me 5 speed comes out in stock location. I have not tried it yet. I will confirm any questions with them until I get one installed.
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