installing a shift kit in a torqueflite 727

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 12, 05 9:17 pm

my 68 charger has a standard 440 hp motor, standard 727 and convertor, 83/4 posi, with possibly 355 or 323 gears, she runs ay 2750 rpm just below 70 mph with 275 60 15 bfg radial tyres., after all that info above this is my question!,
would it be worth installing a shift kit in the transmission or not, the 727 seems quite lazy when you nail it from creeping forward slowly, just chirping the tyres and accelerating away. if you nail it from a total standstill she will spin the tyres for 25 yards

. from say 50 to 100 mph she accelerates extremly well/fast

and kicksdown lovely. she also dosen`t let the engine rev up when changing from 2nd to 3rd indicating o.k. clutches and fluid is clean. she does suffer from convertor leak back when idle for a few days though. anyway i feel that the tranny seems a bit larthargic at low down revs/speed. what are the pros and cons of a shift kit, will i notice any improvement, is it worth it fitting one, what are the best kits and how easy are they to fit? or any other suggestions?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 12, 05 9:34 pm

Dunc or Blue are the people to ask, but that said very soon i'm going to be able to supply a valve body with the kit already installed hopefully for a really good price compared to buying the kit and doing the mod yourself

This is going to be brought in from the states supplied by FBO, i'm waiting on prices now and more information

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Aug 12, 05 9:38 pm

I don't think you want or need a shift kit. The things you describe are really down to the way the engine delivers power and the torque converter. I would leave it alone unless you want to run a modified engine very hard up a drag strip.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 9:38 am

I'm no trans expert an Dunc will probably say i'm talking like an idiot but as I see it any lazy shifts just wear out the trans as it could be sort of in 2 gears at once.

people fit shift kits in the 518's in the newer ram trucks to eliminate lazy shifts, and don't forget the autos are designed for the usual american that doesn't even want to think about gear changes never mind feel them.

And again Dunc may say i'm wrong but if a gearchange is lazy that's wasting fuel .

Also you wouldn't take a full second to release the clutch on a manual during gear changes so why put up with it on an auto.

There's lots of different kits about that range from a small improvement to a real kick in the back.

The motor needs to be "connected" to the drive shaft for the greatest amount of time possible not doing nothing while the trans makes up it's mind to change gear with all the slippage and wear that entails

when i worked on heavy plant the trans in that stuff would shift with a real kick, if it didn't it wouldn't last 2 minutes.

Just my opinion and I may well be wrong but I don't see the point in all the tuning and fettling etc if the trans is lazy

I'll now wait to be told i'm an idiot

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 10:21 am

I gotta agree with Will, i have fitted a B&M kit in my 727 and the shifts are spot on now.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 10:36 am

How slack was it beforehand in terms of comparing it with the shift kit in it?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sat Aug 13, 05 11:07 am

Does he really want a hard "clunk!" from 2-3 every time he moves forward in a traffic cue?

Sure if the trans needs new service parts or band adjustments etc (when was it last serviced?) then that needs doing. You don't want to drive around with a worn or poorly adjusted transmission.

But I think modifying the valve body on an otherwise stock motor isn't needed. Just my

but Dunc is the expert so await his advice.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Sat Aug 13, 05 11:09 am

I await the Southern Expert opinion

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 11:27 am

Nowadays Dave pretty much everything is catered for so the hard clunk is not nessecary.

You're right though Dave first thing is to get the adjustments checked and see what it's like after that.

I wonder how many cars are driven all the time lets say "sedately" for want of a better word?? If a car is at any time driven hard i'd say that they would benefit from a shift improver kit of some level, i'm not saying a kick in the back shift would suit every car.

Also a good trans additive is at the lowest end of improvement for stockers, now an additive won't improve nothing if it needs adjusting but it will reduce temps and assist seals/ bearings and friction material and will also help judder.

let's see what Dunc and Blue think

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 3:52 pm

i didn`t know there was adjustment on the trans.
the kickdown linkage and shift linkage is adusted properly as posted on here. what and where are the adjustments in the box? apparently the box and engine was rebuilt in the states before i shipped the car over, approx 7000 miles ago. the engine does seem fresh, and compressions, cam, valves are all good and no fluid leaks which indicate that this is true although both are standard.
i do drive tidily 80% of the time, but she gets leathered 20% (roads permitting!) so perhaps a mild shift kit will benifit me. i like the thought of positive shift changes.
what additives do you recomend, and where can i get them?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 3:55 pm

hey twolanes, how much and how easy is it to fit a b&m shift kit?
i have access to two ramps in work, and i am a john deere tractor technician so work on fairly complex trannys, although mainly hydrostatic ones any advise will be appreciated

Ashley · Post by **Ashley** » Sat Aug 13, 05 4:51 pm

I fitted a B&M shift kit in my 727, When you boot it you get a kick in the pant's. But when your driving in traffic 1st to 2nd there's a big clunk.
Apart from that very happy with it

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sat Aug 13, 05 7:20 pm

The B&M shift kit is a good one, the instuctions are pretty clear and someone with your experience should have no trouble fitting it. It will eliminate the cusioning effect between gear changes which basically is slippage anyway, you might appreciate this or find it Bananarama!'s a personal thing, there are 3 levels anyway from firm to hard, the instructions will explain. Depending on the year of the transmission you might also gain part throttle kickdown which livens things up a bit. The 2-3 shift overlap that all stock torqueflites suffer from will be much reduced. I suppose the best way I can describe the effect of a shift kit is that it converts a transmission that is designed for lazy smooth gear changes into one that is suited to more spirited driving where performace rather than comfort is the aim. Every torqueflite I have ever owned (even daily drivers) got at least a shift kit in it, as an ex 4 speed fan I like a firm shift!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 5:22 pm

that is exactly what i want blue, where can i get a b&m shift kit and are they realy expensive?
i do like to feel positive shifts, i wanted a manual tranny but couldn`t find one at the time when i bought the charger.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 5:37 pm

I'll be able to give you a price on a valve bodies that have already been done in the states soon, now from first discussions it looks as though the price on the finished valve body will be very good when compared to a kit

All you would do is drop the pan and change the body