New build A833 18 spline with Gear Vendors OD.

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cpearce

cpearce

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Good evening,

I am now fully into the process of converting my 69 Swinger from a tired 23 spline to a brand new 18 spline transmission with Gear Vendors OD.

The new transmission was built utilizing a Passon Performance aluminum case, side cover and street slick shift kit. Gear changes will be managed by a new Hurst Street Super shifter.

At the same time as the transmission swap, I am removing the 30 lb flywheel and replacing with a 20lb lightweight steel unit, as well as turfing the McLeod RXT twin disc clutch in favor of a McLeod Borg Beck and Long pressure plate. By changing flywheel and clutch, I have reduced the flywheel/ clutch package weight a full 8lbs. The disc is from RAM, an organic disc with flat plate carrier having no marcel. Rear gearing is going from 3.23 to 3.91 as well.

Here are some photos of the project so far, as I progress I will update the post and add photos.

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Nice clean work! Any floor mods necessary for the GV unit?
 
Wow! You spent some money there.
I too am interested in this as I’m still trying to get my 4 speed to rev a tad lower on the highway. Nice work so far.
 
That looks like a nice setup. Can you share who's flywheel you are using? What's your thought process around the lighter unit, ie why? I'm going to a 4spd from a 727 and am considering the GV unit because I'd also like to go from 3.55 to 3.91 or 4.10 gears. Just not sure if I want to try a TKX yet.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Nice clean work! Any floor mods necessary for the GV unit?
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I will know shortly, will have mocked in place this week. I have learned through speaking with others, that a few well placed dents with an air hammer is the extent of it, along with slightly elongating the bolt holes on transmission cross member.
 
gzig5 said:
That looks like a nice setup. Can you share who's flywheel you are using? What's your thought process around the lighter unit, ie why? I'm going to a 4spd from a 727 and am considering the GV unit because I'd also like to go from 3.55 to 3.91 or 4.10 gears. Just not sure if I want to try a TKX yet.
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It is a RAM 1503LW flywheel. Lighter mass will allow the engine to spin up quicker.
 
Didn't get too far today, but I did get clutch and pressure plate installed.

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cpearce said:
Didn't get too far today, but I did get clutch and pressure plate installed.

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Where did you get that pressure plate? From what I know they don’t make them any more. Depending on spring pressure you may have to remove your over center spring.

Also, if and when you may want to upgrade, Black Magic clutches has the stuff to make that pressure plate adjustable.

He did mine.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
Where did you get that pressure plate? From what I know they don’t make them any more. Depending on spring pressure you may have to remove your over center spring.

Also, if and when you may want to upgrade, Black Magic clutches has the stuff to make that pressure plate adjustable.

He did mine.
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Good to know, the guy I bought this one from has another NOS one I may pick up and do just that for the future. Ultimately I think that is the way to go. You are correct, these are not made any more.
 
cpearce said:
Good to know, the guy I bought this one from has another NOS one I may pick up and do just that for the future. Ultimately I think that is the way to go. You are correct, these are not made any more.
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Yeah, if the price is right I’d snatch that other one up.

It is the only pressure plate I know of that you can actually make adjustable.

For me, that’s a huge deal. For a long time that was all you could buy.

Now for 2200 bucks or more you can buy a 10.5 in Long cover that is fully adjustable.

But that’s a lot of money.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
Yeah, if the price is right I’d snatch that other one up.

It is the only pressure plate I know of that you can actually make adjustable.

For me, that’s a huge deal. For a long time that was all you could buy.

Now for 2200 bucks or more you can buy a 10.5 in Long cover that is fully adjustable.

But that’s a lot of money.
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These ones are both scalloped 10.95", beggars can't be choosers. Lol.
 
cpearce said:
These ones are both scalloped 10.95", beggars can't be choosers. Lol.
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Yup, that’s what you get. Back when McLeod developed that plate every one was using 11 inch discs.

Can’t fit that on the 130 tooth flywheel so the scalloped the plate and used basically an 11 inch disc.

If I was handsome and wealthy I’d buy the 2200 dollar clutch. These work just fine so I’m saving my drachmas.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
Where did you get that pressure plate? From what I know they don’t make them any more. Depending on spring pressure you may have to remove your over center spring.

Also, if and when you may want to upgrade, Black Magic clutches has the stuff to make that pressure plate adjustable.

He did mine.
Click to expand...
After your suggestion of converting these to an adjustable clutch, I contacted the fellow with the second NOS plate, he agreed to trade me for my used RXT, which I no longer have a use for. I will look into having one converted. Thanks for the suggestion. What was the cost to convert yours Tim?
 
cpearce said:
After your suggestion of converting these to an adjustable clutch, I contacted the fellow with the second NOS plate, he agreed to trade me for my used RXT, which I no longer have a use for. I will look into having one converted. Thanks for the suggestion. What was the cost to convert yours Tim?
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I don’t remember but it wasn’t all that much. It was in 2014 though now that I think about it.

Also Cale, the guy who owns Black Magic clutches has different levers for those covers.

So he fixed me up with a set of his levers while it was there being converted to adjustable.

Now I can’t remember why I changed them out. Cale will know why. Or his wife Tinzy.

She is just as good with clutches and clutch tuning as Cale is.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
I don’t remember but it wasn’t all that much. It was in 2014 though now that I think about it.

Also Cale, the guy who owns Black Magic clutches has different levers for those covers.

So he fixed me up with a set of his levers while it was there being converted to adjustable.

Now I can’t remember why I changed them out. Cale will know why. Or his wife Tinzy.

She is just as good with clutches and clutch tuning as Cale is.
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Cale's ex-wife Tinzy Smith A.K.A clutch girl works for an Elite Motorsports pro stock team and does all their clutch work. I'm pretty sure she was the one who did all the actual work at Black Magic Clutches.
 


For you guys that want to know what the right clutch can do for you, watch this video of Finnegan's Blasphemi 55. He went from the wrong triple disc to the wright single disc clutch.
 
Install on hold, waiting for an aluminum flywheel to arrive, also swapped 3.91 gears for 4.10. Might as well make full use of the OD feature of GV, lol.
 
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just wanted to share....

to maintain the 1.5 degree downward engine / transmission angle, you might want to add a 12-1/2" section aft ot the transmission crossmember for the GV to reside. Some do, some don't.

an option to consider.....to engage / disengage the GV, a simple toggle on the front of the drivers side seat bracket in lieu of the supplied GV semi truck switch. This one was installed around 2010, so GV might have come up with something more hot rodder with their switch that normally mounts on the shifter.

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cpearce said:
Good evening,

I am now fully into the process of converting my 69 Swinger from a tired 23 spline to a brand new 18 spline transmission with Gear Vendors OD.

The new transmission was built utilizing a Passon Performance aluminum case, side cover and street slick shift kit. Gear changes will be managed by a new Hurst Street Super shifter.

At the same time as the transmission swap, I am removing the 30 lb flywheel and replacing with a 20lb lightweight steel unit, as well as turfing the McLeod RXT twin disc clutch in favor of a McLeod Borg Beck and Long pressure plate. By changing flywheel and clutch, I have reduced the flywheel/ clutch package weight a full 8lbs. The disc is from RAM, an organic disc with flat plate carrier having no marcel. Rear gearing is going from 3.23 to 3.91 as well.

Here are some photos of the project so far, as I progress I will update the post and add photos.

View attachment 1716301360View attachment 1716301352View attachment 1716301354View attachment 1716301356View attachment 1716301357View attachment 1716301358View attachment 1716301359View attachment 1716301361

View attachment 1716301353

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I might have missed it, but why was a b/e transmission used for the GV instead of an A body trans? Nice work by the way!
 
446acuda.2 said:
I might have missed it, but why was a b/e transmission used for the GV instead of an A body trans? Nice work by the way!
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Gear Vendors requires an E/B body main shaft, therefore their specific adapter. GV does not make a shorter A body specific adapter unfortunately.
 
446acuda.2 said:
I might have missed it, but why was a b/e transmission used for the GV instead of an A body trans? Nice work by the way!
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It's hard enough to fit the unit into the stock tunnel, further back with the long adapter; it would be impossible without tunnel mods, to install it off a short tail.
 
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