I have a 54 Desoto Hemi. I am finding some speed parts coming around. But is there a transmission Easily found and cheap that will help me maintain highway speeds and keep down the RPM's. It came with the original auto. I just don't trust it. Any info?
I like manual transmissions. Cheap? I doubt it. There are two ways that I'd go. Wilcap engineering has adapters to put Ford or Chevy or Buick/Olds/Pontiac or Mopar to your Desoto. TR Waters has a very simple adapter to put small mopar trans behind your Desoto. I'm using a TR Waters adapter for a 354 Chrysler in a Model A and will use a A833 regular 4 speed or the A833 o/d 4 speed. Think about it. Study it some more. You could find most any old 50's mopar standard transmission and it would work,..but if you need parts,..you will have a problem. Good Luck. Lucky667
Hot Heads sells what you need. I'd go with the 200-R4 from an 80's model oldsmobile. TV cable hooks to carb, steep low gear, overdrive, and lockup converter... Cant ask for much more than that.
I think you have quite a few options actually. As mentioned already, Hot Hods or Wilcap should be able to help. I might be mistaken, but I think Wilcap probably makes the adapter for Hot Heads. Pat from Wilcap is actually a HAMBer and he LOVES to talk about this stuff (just make sure you have the time!), so you might give him a call if you can't find the answer you're looking for. As for your options... just about any GM or mopar Manual transmissions can be adapted, one way or another, there is a ton of options for Automatic transmissions as well. Here's a link to Wilcap and some of the things they offer. If you don't see it, he can probably still do it though... http://www.wilcap.com/Hemi.html Also, check out the HEMI Tech section for some other discussions related to the topic (click on the banner in my signature line). We need more Desoto people to get involved with this. Welcome to the HAMB...
I'm looking to do the EXACT same thing...291/200-4R. Pat @ Wilcap is a wellspring of information, and from the looks of the Hot Hemi Heads adapter, it very well might be a Wilcap product. Only "problem" I have is what floor shifter to use. Nobody seems to offer one for a 200-4R...
You havn't been looking very hard... First one I looked at: http://store.summitracing.com/partd...1&part=MRG-7668&N=700+306741+115&autoview=sku Click on the link to read the directions. It comes with the shifter plate to bolt it to the 200-700 "R4". I ***ume it also comes with the gate plate for a 4 sp. auto. Worst case scenario, you can use/access all gears except 1st "low". Swaping the 200 into musclecars that originally came with a 350-400 is common, and it will even hook up to the stock shifter, but as above, you cant get into 1st manually. Absolutely fabulous transmission that can be built to handle "OMG" power levels. O'reilly's sells the complete overhaul kit for the 200-R4 for $240, and a stock replacement converter for $119. By comparison, a T-400 rebop kit is $99, and a converter is $79, so you can see it's a little more expensive, but not crazy $$$. It does take a couple special tools to rebuild one. This is where it helps to have friends. I got a guy who can do it for me for $150. He built a 400 for me last spring and charged me $100 for labor. Hope some of that helps!
THANKS, Darryl! I figure, using the 200 I have a nice, lower first gear, and with the 4th OD I can go to a about a 3.70 or so rear gear in my 9"...and still have a reasonably decent 70mph cruise rpm...
Happy to help. Here's some GREAT info on putting a 200 into an older car: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=109774 It's a little long winded, but if you read thru all of it, there's a bunch of links and killer advice!
By the way, that Summit Mr.Gasket auto shifter is exactly what I need. I have a flat NOS Hurst shifter lever and white 4spd ball that's been hanging in my shop for years. Just looking for something to build around it, and that shifter looks like my lever will bolt right to it...
When you change transmissions, how do you handle the different length/connection of the driveshaft? FYI - newb at this stuff.
TR Waters is also a HAMB'er. His adapters are mopar to mopar. He doesn't post here very much. He has an incredible amount of knowledge about HEMI's and his CNC machine work is incredible. Study all of the options before buying anything. Good Luck. Lucky667
I second that. TR Waters is a great guy and knows his stuff for sure! I wish he would post more often, actually.
Ok..Ok.....I will post. I will start by saying that there are adapters available for virtually any trans behind an early Hemi. They all should work fine. My adapters are for early Hemi to SB Mopar only trans. Either an A-833 4 speed, or to a SB Mopar automatic 727 or 518. I have also designed a modification package to use the lighter weight 904 or 999 auto trans (which others claim cant be done). I dont have an early Hemi to GM trans adapter because there are a number of them already on the market that are proven pieces. What I tell all my customers, as has been mentioned here in this post several times, is do your homework. Some kits come with more parts than others. Some are cast, others such as mine are billet. Some come with SFI certified parts, some come with house brand parts. Everyone who makes and sells an adapter will (should) be more than glad to answer any questions you might have. Email works best for me. Thank you for the kind words. TR Waters
**GASP** He SPEAKS!! Hope hear/read more from you! We need some more early Hemi brain dust to be spread around this place... So does this mean you've been reading all along... silent in the background, snickering to yourself and saying "hwua, hwua, hwua.... they've got it alllll wrong!"
Guess the word of the day is "A-dapter kit." You guys make homework fun. I have had this motor in the back of my shop for years. I really know very little about mopar. But, now I have 2 that I am working on. It makes sense to have a newish ****** on something that is meant to be driven. I just hoped, by off chance a newish ****** would bolt up. Like many of the chevy motor/trans set ups do. Thanks for all the help. I filled up a bookmark folder with lots of good hemi sites. More research is needed:}
Good Luck BrandonG. I have to tell you, When I was looking for adapters for my 354 Chrysler. I studied Hot Heads, Wilcap, & TRWaters. HH & Wilcap had pictures and an explanation. TRWaters didn't. I sent him an email asking 'Whats the difference between your adapter and 'theirs'? What a 'GREAT' answer I got back. Tom told me what great products 'they' had and he went on to say what 'great' people they were to work with. Surprise! Then he told me how his adapters were different. Not 'one' bad word said about anyone. Lucky667
Believe it or not, I do read here, and post now and then. A short story, not to hijack this thread. A couple of years ago, I joined a small online forum. In doing so, I went to the "welcome" page and posted a short bit about myself and what I do. I was banned the very next day by the forum owner, who, in an email explaination, told me that my introduction to the forum sounded too much like a for sale ad, and that I was not welcome unless I wanted to buy a commercial sponsorship on his forum. Needless to say, I never did. I try to read most of the early hemi related boards, and post on a few. (I even read the HotHeads board, but seldom post out of respect for Bob) Scooter..... usually by the time I read something that I feel might not be correct, another of the fine members here has pointed it out already. Again, thanks for the kind words. This place is a great ***et.
Mr Waters, Question that maybe you could answer for me. I'v wondered about this for a while... How feasable/practicle would it be to cut the bellhousing completely off an auto ****** [like a T-400, or a 200-R4] and make an adaptor plate that bolts to the front pump on the ******, and then bolts to the extended block on a 331 hemi? Is there enough meat there to make things survive? Or would it rip itself apart?
It may be possible, but I wouldn't use a transmission with a cast in bell. A Furd C4 is a very good option, as you can unbolt the bell housing. You can just make an adapter plate thick enough to withstand any torqueing issues which would then bolt to existing bell housing threaded holes in C4 case, and also bolt to extended bell of Hemi. You would then need to use a crankshaft to flexplate spacer. The only hickup I can see is the starter. Need to remember that , but it might be possible to use the hemi lower bell housing with the hemi starter. In that case you will need a hemi flywheel between the crankshaft and crankshaft to flex plate spacer. (Yes there will be two ring gears, but who cares about the one at the torque converter.
The OEM ****** is a ****py 2 speed that shouls be of interest to restorers only. The DeSoto has same bell pattern as the 392, no cheap adaptor kits.
Note to Pir8Darryl; IIRC, Pat McGuire has the mount you asked about. And D2 Willys is on the right track but I don't think anyone has done it yet. As for manuals and autos for 'normal' blocks, there is no shortage of vendors. .
heres how i plan to make my own adapter, i start with my stock auto bellhousing and starter spacer, i'll mill off .25" from the rear of the starter spacer, .063" from the front of the bellhousing, .093" from the rear of the bellhousing, that will give me .375" between the front of the trans and the rear of the bellhousing, i'll make my adapter from 1/2" plate, that will allow me to turn a lip 1/8" to fit snug into the auto bellhousing, and in the center of that lip i'll bore the hole to locate the trans, this will keep all correct locations for the trans, spline, disk and flywheel, if anyone sees something i over looked please speak up.
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