Sorry this is long winded but I always get a little heated up with this topic.
I've had a Keisler setup sitting in my garage for 7 years and it will probably never make it into my car. My biggest complaint with Shafi and Mark is they will BS you to sell stuff they don't actually have in stock. I ordered my kit at Carlisle in 2002 after spending 2 hours talking with both of them. I told them repeatedly, I wanted “Everything” upfront so I can complete this swap over a long weekend. I had also repeatedly expressed how I wanted everything before September because I was going to have to do this swap in the driveway since the house I lived in (at the time, I've since moved) didn’t have a garage. Was told the kit was complete and should be no problem and I would have everything in hand no later than 6 weeks. So I gave them my credit card and charged the $3500+ to it.
In mid September I call because I had not received anything yet. Was told by Mark there was a supply issue with one of their suppliers and something was back ordered. But, they were expecting in any time and I should get it in a few days. 2 weeks later, I get a clutch disc and pressure plate. A few days later another box with a few miscellaneous parts shows up (cross member and mounting hardware) then a few more days later the transmission arrives. Still, don’t have the bell housing, drive shaft and a few other items. I call again and speak with Mark. When I mention the bellhousing, he asked “when did you send yours in?” That’s when I learn, I have to send in my bellhousing to have it machined so their mounting plate will bolt up. First I hear of this! So I got into it with him because I told them I wanted everything upfront and was told I can do this over a long weekend. So after getting on his case, he transfers me to Shafi who insisted they told me I needed to send my bellhousing in. Funny how the two people who were with me at the time I ordered it, never heard it either. Anyhow, Shafi said he had some small block bellhousings there at the shop and he would send me one, just had to pay a core charge.
A few weeks later a second clutch and pressure plate show up. In the box is a receipt for another customer named Steven Durr. Oddly enough, before I had ordered the kit, I had researched it as much as I could on the Internet and one of the
webpages I found was that of Steven Durr who had put one in his 1970 Challenger. Figure the odds that several months later, I would have his replacement clutch shipped to me in error.
A few more days go by and still no bell housing, drive shaft or other missing items. Call again, was told it was going out next day. A few days later, get a box with a nasty looking bellhousing. I mean it literally looked like they walk out back to the dumpster and grabbed a bellhousing from the scrap pile next to it. I’ve thrown out better looking pieces than this. What little paint was on it was almost scratched completely off. They didn’t even clean the grease and cobwebs off it before machining it and mounting their plate on it. So I take it apart, take it down to a buddy who abrasive blasted and powdercoated it for me.
When I call about the driveshaft and other missing parts, that’s when I got the next surprise. They ask me for the measurement for the driveshaft. I hadn’t even looked at the directions yet, but apparently, they wanted me to install the transmission first and then call them with the measurement for the driveshaft before they’ll ship that out. So I jump on them again. “I was told I can complete this swap over a long weekend, how can that happen when I have to call you back with the drive shaft measurement and wait for you to have it made and shipped to me? I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to put one of your kits in an A-Body Barracuda, why don’t you know that measurement already? But they insisted they want the measurement first. So later that night I was venting on the Mopar Mailing List and a couple of guys who have already done the swap gave me their measurement. 48 3/16th they both felt the measurement was a hair short as they had about an inch and a half sticking out the back of the trans. Next day I call Mark and give him that measurement. A few weeks later I call again and he had no recollection of the previous call, so I give him the measurement again. And again a few weeks later.
By this time the weather had already turned and I was going to have to wait until spring to do the swap. Was also missing the optional A-Body shifter handle I ordered but that was no big deal though I had already paid for it. That finally showed up the following February, and was an issue in itself as they seriously buggered up the threads for the knob when it was chromed. I had to chase it with a die before I could get the knob on. I’ve given up on the driveshaft which never came despite multiple calls.
Overall, I’ve heard mixed reviews of the Kesiler kit itself, but pretty consistent complaints about their customer service. I won’t do business with them again.
Tranny issues have always been the problem of my car. The 4-Speed I have in it has always been difficult to shift (the reason I was looking at the Kesiler kit in the first place) A local shop that a lot of the local drag racers speak highly of, has had it apart 4 times. He’s replaced almost everything internal (sliders, syncros, forks, etc), the side cover, all the linkage and shifter and it still shifts hard. Especially when I’m romping on it hard, it doesn’t always want to drop into 2nd and it’s not a smooth shift. Driving around town it’s not too bad but when I’m really stomping on it, it’ll sometimes hang me out. I think every video I have of the car at the track, you can hear me miss 2nd gear. I keep meaning to drop it again and take it to Jamie. Hopefully he can figure out what’s wrong with the thing.
