Tremec TKO 500/600 overdrive auto and other aftermarket crossmembers.

Hey all,

edit, I am adding all trans swap crossmebers and hydraulic clutch pedal conversions to this thread if anything just to compile a list of vendors for trans swaps.

I did a couple searches on this site and came up with no information on Tremec TKO transmission swaps into 3rd gen A bodies, if it has been covered before please forgive me and maybe add a link to it in this thread. I don't think our cars are obscure enought to warrant being ignored by the major vendors of TKO kits. If they are out there please add them to this thread.

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I am contacting as many vendors as i can that carry 5 speed install kits and especially TKO style trans crossmembers. I am a poor fabricator at best and would love a nice kit to put a 5 speed in my car.

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As well as crossmembers a guy needs a clutch setup and I see the link for four speed parts kit here,

http://www.g3gm.com/t2938-4-speed-conversion-kit-for-73-77-gm-s thanks for this valuable sticky. But it doesnt contain hydraulic info wich is required tor six speeds as far as I know.

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Here is a link to Gforce that makes what looks like four different crossmembers for us but no 5 or 6 speed one maybe they do I'm gonna email them. http://www.crossmembers.com/shop/crossmembers-general-motors-body-chevelle-gto-cutlass-c-1_2_12.html

it looks like Gforce centers on overdrive auto swap crossmembers wich is better than nothing.

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I have emailed American Powertrain to ask them just what the heck is the big idea for jumping directly over our cars from the 68-72's to the 78-88's, and not making crossmembers for modern trans for us. be it the five speeds or the big six speeds. And does American Powertrain even make the crossmembers they sell????

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Next I'm going to Keisler to inquire about crossmembers for our cars.

More to come if I find it but I need help, I'd love a modern 5 speed in my 74 and I'd like to go off others experience and a ready made crossmember and clutch if I can.

If I was any where near ready for my stick swap in Ethel, I could bang out a couple crossmembers for us. I have a muncie and a T5 lying around. On the other hand, If anyone can spec it out, I can build it.

BicknellWelding wrote:If I was any where near ready for my stick swap in Ethel, I could bang out a couple crossmembers for us. I have a muncie and a T5 lying around. On the other hand, If anyone can spec it out, I can build it.

Sweet!!

Now we're talking! A member making parts for this would be awesome!

Heres the response from Keisler engineering direct from Shafi himself after I questioned him in an email about a kit for our cars and a crossmember.

((my email to Keisler))

Hi Shafi,
I'm emailing to inquire why in the word are our cars 1973 to 77 A bodies being ignored when it comes to TKO or Keisler 5 speed swaps, I have found little to no help in this regard.
We here at www.G3GM.com which is a third gen GM A body forum want to know why we can't get crossmembers and hydraulic clutch setups for our cars, there is a link to a thread started about this here
http://www.g3gm.com/t7261-tremec-tko-500-600-overdrive-auto-and-other-aftermarket-crossmembers#64383
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American Powertrain skips right over our cars, do you have a trans swap for us that is not on your website, and if not why not????
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Gforce crossmembers makes several overdrive auto crossmembers for us but no apparent 5speed model.
Please help us
thanks in advance

((Keislers response))

Hi James,



We have been selling kits to the ’73-77 A-body cars for many years. Back in 2004, we had a ’73 Laguna SS display with us with our kit. If we had a TH400 crossmember here we could determine what needs to happen. Also, a picture of the frame rails where the crossmember attaches helps.



With Best Regards,



Shafi Keisler, Pres/CEO

Keisler Engineering, Inc.

2250 Stock Creek Blvd.

Rockford TN 37853

865-609-8187 x 203

KEISLER …the #1 Selling Overdrive Transmission with over 15,000 Sold

So keisler has been selling kits for 73 to 77 a bodies for many years, but they need a turbo 400 crossmember and photos to make it happen for me??

dont understand

American powertrains response,

Hey James,



Just wanted to let you know that we would be happy to help you with a transmission system for your mid-70s A-body project.



The truth is, we have done a few of them but have not advertised a “kit” because they are a pretty low volume project. As they gain popularity I am sure we will add them to our website in a more official manner.



In the meantime, if you want someone here to help you with a custom quote then shoot me over a phone number and I will have someone contact you.



BTW, I have a latent desire to find a Laguna and build it, and the Buick Grand Sports from those years are killer.


Gray





Gray Fredrick,
American Powertrain,
A TREMEC Elite Distributor
(931) 646-4836

gray@americanpowertrain.com
www.AmericanPowertrain.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Powertrain/160876862676

well who needs a kit anyways,

Its just a trans, bellhousing, pedals and a driveline I guess. And a custom crossmember, I gotta make things harder than they should be sometimes.

carcass wrote:The truth is, we have done a few of them but have not advertised a “kit” because they are a pretty low volume project. As they gain popularity I am sure we will add them to our website in a more official manner.

See, now answers like this just p**s me off to no end.

1) It costs exactly zero dollars to add some text to a web page.

2) If you went to the trouble to make something for a particular make and/or generation of car, no matter how low volume, you owe it to yourself and your business to advertise it, especially in light of #1 above. Someone else out there will be looking for it eventually, and that's a sale you otherwise would have lost. And since none of your competitors are doing it, this is your chance to get a jump on them, since you already have a product for that market.

So either A) they're just plain lying and they don't make anything, or B) they're farking stupid.

I would go with both A & B for that answer !!

Is the t-56 the same as the tko? I have located a donor tranny to mock up in my car to build a crossmember. Although will I need to cut my tunnel? One other thought ... doesn't g3nut have a six speed in his?

from Amercian Powertrains website

http://americanpowertrain.com/c-313778-shop-by-category-crossmembers-gm-1967-69-f-body.html

They list two different crossmembers for the T56 and then the TKO 500/600. I had to reference the ever popular 67-69 Camaro to see this but it leads me to believe that the T56 and TKO have different trans mount positions and are different in length. The T56 also requires a hydraulic clutch as far as I know. The TKO can use the stock mechanical type.

And yes I think its total B.S. from two different companies to claim the same thing, they "have made" for our cars but don't advertixe and need parts and photos to make a "custom" kit they've already done.

From what I've heard about 1st gen F bodies and 1st/2nd gen A bodies cutting and raising the trans tunnel is a requirement for either the TKO and especially the big T56. Maybe so much for the T56 that if a guy is'nt carefull he could compromise the gas pedal location.

carcass wrote:From what I've heard about 1st gen F bodies and 1st/2nd gen A bodies cutting and raising the trans tunnel is a requirement for either the TKO and especially the big T56. Maybe so much for the T56 that if a guy is'nt carefull he could compromise the gas pedal location.

Based on that then I'd expect significant mods to ours. The factory shapes the tunnels to the trannys they'll be using, and ours use pretty much the same ones as the previous generations, with the exception of the PG.

carcass wrote:From what I've heard about 1st gen F bodies and 1st/2nd gen A bodies cutting and raising the trans tunnel is a requirement for either the TKO and especially the big T56. Maybe so much for the T56 that if a guy is'nt carefull he could compromise the gas pedal location.

YOU WILL HAVE TO MODIFY YOUR TRANS TUNNEL TO MAKE THIS TRANS FIT, I am in process of supplying more metal for a friend to complete his swap.

So if we have members swapping these trannys, what are they doing about the crossmember?

He is NOT a member yet tryin to get him to Join he is kinda a private guy I promised him I would not share his name or car

BicknellWelding wrote:Is the t-56 the same as the tko? I have located a donor tranny to mock up in my car to build a crossmember. Although will I need to cut my tunnel? One other thought ... doesn't g3nut have a six speed in his?

His trans is a GM unit from a 90's Camaro I believe & mates with the LS-1 of the same era. I'm not 100% sure but I think he just moved the stock crossmember on the frame rails.

thatfnthing wrote:

carcass wrote:The truth is, we have done a few of them but have not advertised a “kit” because they are a pretty low volume project. As they gain popularity I am sure we will add them to our website in a more official manner.

See, now answers like this just p**s me off to no end.

1) It costs exactly zero dollars to add some text to a web page.

2) If you went to the trouble to make something for a particular make and/or generation of car, no matter how low volume, you owe it to yourself and your business to advertise it, especially in light of #1 above. Someone else out there will be looking for it eventually, and that's a sale you otherwise would have lost. And since none of your competitors are doing it, this is your chance to get a jump on them, since you already have a product for that market.

So either A) they're just plain lying and they don't make anything, or B) they're farking stupid.

Ditto!

Keisler said they had a '73 Laguna SS, has anyone ever seen one of these? One of one? A car rarer than a SE.

dynchel wrote:Keisler said they had a '73 Laguna SS, has anyone ever seen one of these? One of one? A car rarer than a SE.

NO SUCH ANIMAL EVER NEVER EXSITED

No such animal existed,

as the Keisler SS700 fails to exist as well.

I finally met a guy at a car show with a 69 Chevelle a couple weeks ago that actually did get a keisler RS 600, but he waited like a year while keisler sat on his money, righ then when he got it Keisler releases the SS700 making the older t45 based Keisler trannies obsolete.

first car I've ever seen with a Keisler five speed.

Tremec still holds all the cards it just takes a little effort to get em' in.

Heres a 73 Grand Am with a LS and TKO 600. built his own crossmember, also boxed his frame rails. If you haven't seen this one before its worth a read through

http://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?83706-1973-Pontiac-Grand-Am-LS7-Swap/page9

Thats a good build all right!!

I am currently building up my 77 monte carlo and i have also run into the cross member problem as well i read somewhere online that you can use the tubular crossmember from a th350 auto transmission on the tko 600. However, i have yet to have time to test it. I did however find a hydraulic clutch kit for the trans from mcleod racing it is pn 13635 and it will bolt right up to your tko 600. This kit is costly at about 400 dollars for the master and slave cylinders but it eliminates the need for troublesome clutch linkages. The other problem i have encountered is that only 5 percent or so of all 77 monte carlo were manual trans to begin with making oem pedal assemblies very elusisve.

Try this link-it was in a lemans but good pictures:
TREMEC Install