What do I need to buy for my 727 swap?

[Nidhögg]

Hey, as you may know from previous posts, I´m currently working on a 1968 Dart GT. The car had a 273 engine with a 904 tranny, but when my dads 1967 Valiant engine broke, he took the engine and tranny from the Dart.
Now, I´m gonna install a 340 and a 727 from a 1971 Barracuda.

The Dart has a console shifter and the Valiant has a column shifter. When they transfered the engine and tranny, I guess they used the original parts on the Valiant which had a 273 Commando and also a 904 tranny, so I guess it was an easy swap.
The problem is, I cant find the parts needed to get everything working in the Dart.
And also the 727 is missing a whole lot of parts. I dont know what parts I need to buy, and what parts are the same for both column and console shift so I can keep.

So, I´ll attach some pics so you know what I am working with:

This is what I have in the Dart, the shaft from the console and the speedometer cable:


This is how the original 904 looks like, with kickdown and shift linkage to the steering column (turned 180º):


Closeup and turned the right way:


This is how the 727 looks like. No linkage, no oil lines, not even a speedometer gear:


If I understand everything correctly, I need these parts, the swivel assembly, transmission control lever, lower rod, and gearshift control torque bracket:

I have found the Gearshift Control Torque Bracket at Mancini Racing. But I cant find the other parts (rod, swivel and control lever). Looking at the drawing and the closeup, it seems that the parts are the same, and the swivel assembly has a nut to allow adjusting the lenght of the lower rod.
Can I use these parts from the 904 with column shifting, on the 727 with console shift?


I tried mounting the speedometer housing, gear etc from the 904 on the 727, and it seems to fit. Do they interchange between the trannys?


Can I use the kickdown linkage from the 1968 273/904 on the 1971 340/727 with a Street Demon carb? Pictures:








So, to sum it up, heres what I want to know:
Can I use the linkage from the 904 column shift on the 727 console shift?
Can I use the 904 speedometer gear on the 727?
Can I use the kickdown linkage? Or do I have to bite the bullet and get a Mancini Racing Kickdown Cable Kit?
Can I use the oil dipstick tube from the 904 on the 727?
If I understand correctly, the 1968 tranmission used a single post neutral safety switch, and 69 and forward used three-post. Do I need to get a three-post switch and just hook up one of the cables to the car, to get it to work?

Thanks for reading this far, and if someone have any advice, I would really appreciate it

 

[gregpurcell]

Can I use the linkage from the 904 column shift on the 727 console shift?
Not easily, but you could pr0bably use most of the floor shift parts from the 71. Most A/B/E console shift cars used similiar pieces so they are not terribly hard to find. I suppose if you are very good with torches and welders, the column shift rod from the Z bar to the trans shift lever could be modified to work with a floor shift but it would require fabrication.

Can I use the 904 speedometer gear on the 727? Yes. BUT..You can't just "pop in" the speedo gear housing. It has to be aligned correctly to make the gears mesh

Can I use the kickdown linkage? most likely especially if you can get the levers from the 904. There is a possibility of very slight mods needed but should be able to work. Most of the problem will be with the carb bracket not being tall enough for a 4bbl carb. It will probably have to be bent upward. You may also have to bend the top rod from the carb. I have that exact same linkage on my 360 with a TQ

Can I use the oil dipstick tube from the 904 on the 727? Probably NOT the same

If I understand correctly, the 1968 tranmission used a single post neutral safety switch, and 69 and forward used three-post. Do I need to get a three-post switch and just hook up one of the cables to the car, to get it to work? the switches thread in and are interchangable. Use the correct single post switch for your 68 wiring.

If you can't do that, NOTE: Only one of the wires on the 69 up three prong switch (the center I think) is for neutral start. The other two are for the back up lights which are switched on the column (or shifter) on the 68. You could ignore the switch wires and hook up the neutral switch on the 3 position switch if you had to.

BTW the oil cooler lines from the 904 will work on the 727 as well. The transmission mount and crossmember are the same too. The 727 is longer so you will need a shorter driveshaft. Also the driveshaft yoke (that slides into the end of the tranny) will be different between a 904 and 727. Hope this helps!

 

[Nidhögg]

Can I use the linkage from the 904 column shift on the 727 console shift?
Not easily, but you could pr0bably use most of the floor shift parts from the 71. Most A/B/E console shift cars used similiar pieces so they are not terribly hard to find. I suppose if you are very good with torches and welders, the column shift rod from the Z bar to the trans shift lever could be modified to work with a floor shift but it would require fabrication.

Yeah, the problem is, I dont have anything from the 71 except whats shown in the pictures nothing at all on the 727).
But I found the lower rod at Classic Industries (link) and also the Gearshift Control Torque Bracket (link), so I should be fine then

Can I use the 904 speedometer gear on the 727? Yes. BUT..You can't just "pop in" the speedo gear housing. It has to be aligned correctly to make the gears mesh

Yeah, I tried to insert it the same way it was aligned in the 904 and it seems to fit good, but I will do a proper check on it before the final installation in the car.

Can I use the kickdown linkage? most likely especially if you can get the levers from the 904. There is a possibility of very slight mods needed but should be able to work. Most of the problem will be with the carb bracket not being tall enough for a 4bbl carb. It will probably have to be bent upward. You may also have to bend the top rod from the carb. I have that exact same linkage on my 360 with a TQ

I´m gonna run a Street Demon carb, so I´m not sure the original linkage would work with it? I read about the Lokar kickdown cable kit, perhaps it would be better suited for me, since I wont run the original carb?

Can I use the oil dipstick tube from the 904 on the 727? Probably NOT the same

Thanks, I will get a new one

BTW the oil cooler lines from the 904 will work on the 727 as well. The transmission mount and crossmember are the same too. The 727 is longer so you will need a shorter driveshaft. Also the driveshaft yoke (that slides into the end of the tranny) will be different between a 904 and 727. Hope this helps![/B]

The oil cooler lines from the 904 are bent and broken at the end, so I would have to get new ones. I will use the same crossmember but get a new tranmission mount, so I know its healthy, the old rubber one has been sitting on the car outside on grass for 23 years, so I might as well get a new one

I will order a new yoke and measure the length between the tranny and rear axle, I have two driveshafts but only for 904 -> 7¼ and 904 -> 8¾, none for 727 -> 8¾, so I will probably have to modify one of those I got or order a new, custom made one.

Great help, thanks a lot!

 

[tekslk]

Maybe you can find a 727 someone wants gone to get most of your parts from.