For a while now I have been trying to come up with an overdrive transmission for my '63 C-10 pick up truck. A T-5 from an S-10 won't be stout enough for the engine planned for it. An automatic is out of the question. A TKO 600 would be just right, but I'm too cheap and too broke to spend over $2,000 on a gear box. Well to day I'm talking to a guy about this very problem and he goes to telling me about a feller he knows with a solution. His son-in-law has a Doug Nash 4 speed with an electric over drive out of a mid 80's Corvette. He said the SIL wants $500 for it shifter and all. I did a search on here and another on Google and have come up with damned little information. Does this ****** work with a regular Chevy bell houseing? Is it strong enough to put behind 550-600 ft lb of torque? If this is the best thing since sliced bread, why ain't every body useing it? Is it possible to put a shifter on this that would be reachable in my truck? Do you need some computer to operate the O/D? Surely some one here is less ignorant than I am about this box.
Avoid this ****** like the plague. Ask the guy to give YOU money to take it off his hands, and even then your gettin ripped off. Just my 2 cents as a multiple Corvette owner, and Engineer. TR
they worked great, but the electric OD won't take a beating. I loved driving with that setup. keep searching and you will find additional, factual information
The Corvette 4 + 3 fits the Chevy "normal" bellhousings just fine. But is more like a manual 4 speed and an automatic, the overdrive is the automatic type parts, so it is a bulky thing. Not your best choice.
Doug Nash built them but it's not a DNE trans. It's a Super T-10 with a three-speed auto on the back. A DNE 4+1 is the Richmond 5-speed and they're plenty strong.
Hey bob, Chevy produced the VEGA for almost double the years of the 4+3, want some other facts. I have a good friend that is a retired C-4 Corvette Engineer, I'm trying to get him to join and help with the facts. He currently projectile vomitting from laughing so hard at the moment, TR
TR we both are in agreement on the 4+3 question but whilst you gots your engineer there ask him what the hell he was thinkiing with the crossfire engine ... LOL
No. It is not strong enough to handle 600 lb.-ft tq. GM installed the 4 + 3 ****** behind the '87 Corvettte TPI 350 V8 rated at 240 hp/ 345 lb.-ft tq. You are pushing a TKO600 almost to it's limits with 600 lb.- ft tq.
man try a gm 833a 4 speed transmission out of a 81-87 chevy truck. 3rd gear is 1:1 and 4th is an over drive . they are great hood good hp and i have used them and never tore one up. the early ones are same size as muncie and bolt pattern. the later 85-87 have a ******* bolt patter but are the same size as muncie ( just get the bell housing for the trans ). i have beat my 833a trans like a red headed step child and it takes it and asks for more. full throttle no lifing shifting with no clutch. do some research here on the hamb about them. will fit your c-10 great.
I used one in my pickup . The sihfter is the deal I found . The stock shifter has the 2speed switch in the knob , makes it cool to split gears or down shift / upshift . My truck I couldn't use the shifter and switch . The switch is just on or off so used a dimmer switch and just used it for OD. Looked like a super T-10 with a gear venders setup , pretty long overall though. Mine was 4 hundee a few years ago. I liked it . I also worked on them vettes back in 90s , fun when it was happening . Mike
Well the plan calls for a 348 or 409 based stroker motor. Either way it will 430 or more cubes and nasty. I've got a 348 with 3 deuces now that needs to be built. Might have a change of plans and just go with the 348 at stock stroke. Since I do drive the snot out of what ever I own maybe it's time to bite the bullet and amputate money. I thank you all for your responses.
And since I've had three of these cars- ask him what they were smoking when they came up with the OptiSpark? And what's the trick to getting to the # 8 sparkplug? And last but definately not least to anyone that's worked on a C4- Whose brilliant idea was it to build the car around the heater core?!? To the o.p......don't think I'd wanna try it. In fact, as soon as I can, my o/t plastic fantastic will have a 5 speed in the place of the 4+3.
.... and they thought they could solve that optispark problem with a simple venting tube .... silly guys!
There is nothing wrong with this Transmission and it is Bullet proof, it came with the 26 input spline shaft with the 32 exit. They even used this transmission on the "Sledge Hammer " Corvettego check it out. This transmission was put behind a Callaway Corvette Back into 1988 and it did 254 M.P.H., The reason they stopped making them is the Government Banned the Make of that Corvette that went that fast. Big deal its half standard and Automatic, if i can recall there was no RECALLS ON THIS TRANSMISSION. So before you start to Bad mouth something because your Jealous you cant afford one, dont mean everyone has to follow your path of not having one. Doug Nash Made heavy duty Transmissions, i even had a Doug Nash 5 speed behind 600 Horsepower Big Block Chevy.
Amazing concept, huge failure; the automatic overdrive being the weak link in the chain. Just to get a better idea about these, look at that auction site we all know and love; pay attention to the bidding on one. JMO. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
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