brewersperformance?

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jjj1954

jjj1954

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Was planning on putting a 1999 5.2 with a 46re into my 74 Duster. But was given in church this morning an A833 from an A body that was used in an auto shop class. It has been rebuilt ever year and never installed for the last several years. Missing side plate, bell housing and sifter. Anyway looking at this company brewersperformance. Have any of you used them and what do you think of them?
 
I have dealt and talked to them on two different occasions. Both went really smooth. Bought a entire Hurst Comp shifter from them recently. Installed with no problems. I highly recommend Brewers. Tell you the truth there is not really a lot or any place that just deals with Mopar manual transmissions. I think there is one other place but not sure.
 
Just bought a bell housing from them.

I don't like that they don't do online check out or take PayPal, but on the other hand, they are good at what they do.

I am going to buy from them again. They have the good stuff
 
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Brewers are very knowledgeable and are good guys.
 
pozest said:
Brewers are very knowledgeable and are good guys.
Click to expand...
Yup. Bought a clutch assembly from them, could not get the pedal adjustment right. I called them up and they explained how it's designed and I was able to get the adjustment right. Good guys!
 
I deal with Wayne and Todd all the time, they are very knowledgeable and very helpful about all things 4 speed! Yes, they are a little old school, but you won't be disappointed!!!
 
I've dealt with Wayne as well and have bought parts from them in the past...do some due diligence and price check what you need with Jamie at Passon Performance as well. Passon Performance | Passon Performance | Get your SHIFT together!

I bought entire set up to swap my 3spd manual for a 4spd manual from Passon, because they were about $500 cheaper than Brewer. Because of location I was also able to save on shipping by picking it up. I realize you might not be able to do so with brewers or passon. Also, when I talked to Wayne, he was 2-3 month back log on 4spd trans. The $500 I saved was separate from the shipping.
Good Luck!
 
yes Wane and is guys are good. they know their stuff, been at it many decades now. backlog there for sure.

we all price shop for our stuff now days.. just good business.
 
jjj1954 said:
Was planning on putting a 1999 5.2 with a 46re into my 74 Duster. But was given in church this morning an A833 from an A body that was used in an auto shop class. It has been rebuilt ever year and never installed for the last several years. Missing side plate, bell housing and sifter. Anyway looking at this company brewersperformance. Have any of you used them and what do you think of them?
Click to expand...

This is great street-combo with the right cam,gears and stall. The 4 speed won't touch it.
The ratios are 2.74-1.54-1.00-.69od
IMO, a streeter, you should be concerned with 4 things;
1) the starter gear
2) The downshift at 32mph
3) Using all the engines power by topping out in second gear at 60 mph,
4) the cruise gear

With the 46re
1) You can run 4.10s for a starter gear of 4.10x2.74=11.23,and
2) 32 mph will be 4466 in first,2512 in second. So when it kicks down, brother hang on,and
3) Top of second will get you 60=4958 with 27s@5% slip,and
4) it it will cruise with 4.10 x .69 = 2.83; 65=2285(zero-slip) with 27"tires.
The 5.2 has plenty of giddy-up, and with a cam to peak at about 4800,the run to 60 will be a blast. 11.23 is almost too much starter gear and so, very little stall will be required, perhaps even the factory TC. This will make an excellent streeter. Wait, doesn't the factory cam peak close to that? Heck, I'd run that 5.2/46re totally stock with 4.10s and call it done.Or even 3.91s

Here is a Road Ratios comparison;
46re and 4.10s; ---11.23-------6.31-------4.10------2.83--
46re and 3.91s; ------10.71-------6.02-------3.91------2.70
A833 and 4.10s ;---10.91----7.83---5.70---4.10-------------
A833 and 3.55s ;--------9.44----6.78---4.93---3.55---------
A833 and 2.94s ;------------- 7.82----5.62---4.09---2.94 --
deep low&3.23;-----9.98---------6.17---4.49---3.23-----

As you can see, only the deep-low and 3.23s gets close to the 46re. With this combo, the 9.98 is enough first gear, and 3.23s aren't that bad to cruise with.And third gear is seldom-used, so it could be almost anything.
The deep-low is 3.09-1.91-1.39-1.00. It is the only 4-speed I would consider.
If you use the standard 2.66 low box, you will want at least 3.55s
 
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What I know about the 5.2 is it has been modified. The intake manifold has been changed (got rid of that ugly ill designed turtle shell) to 4 barrel, the throttle body is a 4 barrel, cam is not the factory cam, exhaust has been redone. Know the heads were ported and polished. We bought it as a wreck rebuilt the truck and now it going into the Duster.
 
AJ/FormS said:
This is great street-combo with the right cam,gears and stall. The 4 speed won't touch it.
The ratios are 2.74-1.54-1.00-.69od
IMO, a streeter, you should be concerned with 4 things;
1) the starter gear
2) The downshift at 32mph
3) Using all the engines power by topping out in second gear at 60 mph,
4) the cruise gear

With the 46re
1) You can run 4.10s for a starter gear of 4.10x2.74=11.23,and
2) 32 mph will be 4466 in first,2512 in second. So when it kicks down, brother hang on,and
3) Top of second will get you 60=4958 with 27s@5% slip,and
4) it it will cruise with 4.10 x .69 = 2.83; 65=2285(zero-slip) with 27"tires.
The 5.2 has plenty of giddy-up, and with a cam to peak at about 4800,the run to 60 will be a blast. 11.23 is almost too much starter gear and so, very little stall will be required, perhaps even the factory TC. This will make an excellent streeter. Wait, doesn't the factory cam peak close to that? Heck, I'd run that 5.2/46re totally stock with 4.10s and call it done.Or even 3.91s

Here is a Road Ratios comparison;
46re and 4.10s; ---11.23-------6.31-------4.10------2.83--
46re and 3.91s; ------10.71-------6.02-------3.91------2.70
A833 and 4.10s ;---10.91----7.83---5.70---4.10-------------
A833 and 3.55s ;--------9.44----6.78---4.93---3.55---------
A833 and 2.94s ;------------- 7.82----5.62---4.09---2.94 --
deep low&3.23;-----9.98---------6.17---4.49---3.23-----

As you can see, only the deep-low and 3.23s gets close to the 46re. With this combo, the 9.98 is enough first gear, and 3.23s aren't that bad to cruise with.And third gear is seldom-used, so it could be almost anything.
The deep-low is 3.09-1.91-1.39-1.00. It is the only 4-speed I would consider.
If you use the standard 2.66 low box, you will want at least 3.55s
Click to expand...
I know this thread old, but what cam are you running with the 4spd?
 
Norm.P said:
I know this thread old, but what cam are you running with the 4spd?
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I have run three cams.
1) the 292/292/108 Mopar = 249/[email protected]
2) the 270/276/110 Hughes= 223/[email protected]
3) the 276/286/110 Hughes =230/[email protected]

The cylinder pressures for all three were maintained at close to 180 or more psi, by varying the gaskets, the deck-heights, and/or the rings; for use with the aluminum Edelbrock heads.

I ran the 223* cam briefly at nearly 200 psi, and this engine had enough balls to run the super-wide ratio A833od box, and spun brand new 275/50-15 BFG T/As, to past the speed limit, and broke them loose at 50/55 with no tricks.
>That iteration is still my all-time favorite combo. It had so much bottom end that I eventually gave some up by retarding the cam , to move the power-band a lil higher, and shifted it at up to 7200, with good results.
>I tried all kinds of things with this cam, including;
- every period four-speed that Mopar makes, and
- every rear gear from 2.76>3.91s, except 3.73s, and
- added GearVendor's overdrive, then tried almost everything from 4.10s>5.38s.
>What I discovered was that no matter what combination of gears that I tried, it always came back to;
1) having the gear in the right place from 30>60mph
2) a starter of no more than about 11/1
3) more than five gears was not required
4) this 223* cam, if I could meet it's needs for ignition timing, could make phenomenal fuel economy, the slower it idled down the hiway. In one test, it was geared the equivalent of having a 1.97 final-drive, 65=1590rpm.
In the end, I went back to the Commando box, Plus the GVod, often used as a Splitter; and either 3.23s or 3.55s. IMO the 3.55s combo is killer. and I usually split First and/or Second.
The Roadgears with the Commando/3.55s are;
10.97-8.56-6.82-5.32/-4.97-3.88-3.55-2.77, GV in red.
That 6.82 gear will get me 65mph@5500. From there I shift straight to 4th-over.
That 5.32 gear will get me; 83@5500/ 91@6000, and (with the 230* cam),
she goes 93@6100 in the Eighth-mile; having pulled the stick just once, and twice on the electric fast-as-lightning GV shift.(no ECM); this is FOUR ratios in the Eighth, with splits of .78-.80-.78 .............. the autos got nothing on me, lol.

Getting back to the A833overdrive box.
To get that magic 5.32ish ratio will require 4.10s, and so the Roadgears are;
12.67-9.88-6.85-5.34-4.10-3.29-2.36, GV in red again. and
65=1910rpm
I really liked this combo;
with 4.10s it has a great parade gear that allows 550rpm= ~3.5mph.
Because of the deep-low, I tried starting in First over; but the GV will not hold enough pressure thru a stoplight. But it will, usually, at a stop sign.
But I kept forgetting not to slam it into fourth, which instantly rips all the teeth off that tiny od gear. :( and when those teeth find their way into other gears, the end result is ugly.
So after the third trans, I abandoned it. Altho, after the last blow up, I cleaned the box out and ran it without the tiny od gear in it, losing the 2.36 ratio. Well. I left the gear in there but turned all the teeth off it. Then I switched to 3.55s, duh, and the Roadgears were;
10.97-8.56-5.93-4.62-3.55-2.77; again GV in red.... 6 gears, but lost the crawler gear. So I retuned, to idle in gear at 500, and got 3.66mph. Not bad. Except for one thing; the main box splits are pretty wide and splitting ALL-THE-TIME ........... gets old. I would have liked to try 3.73s for a better Second gear (6.22), but by this time, I was done with that box. Since that last switch in 2004, the Commando/GV/3.55s have stayed, except for a short stretch with 3.23s , and an even shorter stretch with 2.76s.
Also, the 230*cam went in in 2004, after the 223* cam dropped lobes. Cylinder pressure changed to a tic under 180psi.
Since that time, I have sold off everything bigger than the 3.55s except for one set of 4.88s.

Oh, BTW
Many guys complain about the modest .78 GVod ratio.
Well, typically, I shift at 2800 cuz that's when my 367 starts to growl real nice at Part Throttle; and I shift into overdrive after Third gear, and then a final shift into Fourth still in od. Here's how that looks on paper, with the Commando/3.55s
10.97(1st)-6.83(2nd)-4.97(3rd)-3.88(3od)-2.77(4od); GV in red again. The splits are .62-.73-.78-.71; as you can see, this is exactly like running 3.88s and a .71 overdrive.
From 2800, the rpm drops at each shift, are to;
1736-2044-2184-1988 (try pulling that with a lo-pressure iron-headed any-stock-stroke SBM)
enough said.
 
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