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727 vs A518

plymouthman72

plymouthman72

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I am sure this has been asked before as the advantage is engine longevity and gas mileage but Is the A518 worth the trouble of swapping out in a 71-4 b-body? What are your opinions?
 
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Well. I did it years ago on a 72 GTX. You will have to do allot of crossmember work but it's worth it in the end. Big Block? Small Block? Put mine behind a 500 stroker 440 block.Had to use a JW bell housing but it all worked. The car had 3.91 gears.
 
If I were to do it, it would be going behind a 340. Did you use the radiator for the transmission cooler or did you use a separate one since it had different sizings. Did you have to bang the tunnel in all?
 
I've contemplated this swap too but know absolutely nothing about the 518...but everything I've read said it was a real pain..I know they make adaptors to swap over to a glide and some may consider this sacreligous but, does anyone make a 700r4/4l60 adaptor? The only thing I don't like about the 518 swap is the electric on/off...
 
Yes the tunnel at the rear where the bulky 518 OD is. I have gone round and round about doing this to my 88 D350. Plenty of room in the truck.It has a 727 and 4.10 gears.I drive it less than 5,000 miles a year and the cost of doing a change over,no matter a 518,Gear Vendor or the Silver Sport A41 is no less than $4,000.That's using all new parts.
Mike,, I did have problems with getting the electric on/off working but I believe it was because we installed it in the steering wheel using the horn circuit .A switch on the shifter location would have been a better way to go.
 
My 92 318 Dakota had the 518 and it worked fine but yeah, the OD unit is big. As for the switch, why not just install the switch on the dash? You could use a toggle switch for ease of hitting it instead of a button? My 95 Dakota has a button and it's easy to hit it too but there are times when I miss it. My Durango has the button in the shifter and that's better....
 
If I am driving the car less than 3000-5000 year is it even worth the headache of doing it? Generally I usually on travel 60-65 when I go places but would really love to take longer trips in the future. This may sound stupid but my thought was if it was good enough back then why isn't it good enough now. BUT the speed limit was also a lot slower then. So many many dog gon choices!

If I were to do it, I would probably mount a toggle switch in the console or try and integrate it cleanly into the t handle somehow.
 
Wilcap sells a nice billet plate adapter to use the Chevy automatic overdrive behind a big or small block application. The 700R4 or 4L60E fit much better in the tunnel area although it will still need some modification. The 700 is a less expensive swap because it retains a mechanical speedometer drive like the Mopar and does not require a computer. I'm using a 4L60E behind my 6.1 in my 1966 Charger with this adapter.
 
Greg can you elaborate on the details, of course that is if plymouthman72 doesn't mind his thread getting hijacked and filled with the likes of bowtie infidelities...???
:rolleyes: what say ye plymouthman???
 
I don't have any pictures, but I can tell you that the adapter is contoured to the block and with the 700R4/4L60E will clear headers just like or better than the original trans. It retains the factory Mopar starter or Mini starter. I am using a modified Charger floor shifter as found in most 60's Mopars. I am converting it to a cable shift with parts I'm getting from Shiftworks. The crossmember is a modified stock piece but you can use flat stock and make one pretty easy if you have the means to cut and weld steel. I did not have to do any floor work on this car but did have to trim a little around the torsion bar "loop" that goes over the tunnel, this was reinforced with some additional steel but that may have been overkill. Trans is close to the floor but does not contact and retains pinion angle. Cooler lines are on the opposite side but I needed to make new ones anyway, if yours are still good you could connect new to old with compression unions. Overdrive in a 700R4 is hydraulic just like the other gears, the only wiring is for the converter clutch and it can be done internally so the clutch comes on only in fourth gear and comes off any time it isn't such as kickdown or coming to a lower speed. HGM electronics also makes a nice little stand alone system that controls lockup function to speed and throttle position if you want to get more glamorous. The B Body speedo cable screws right onto the GM speedo housing, I routed my cable through the crossmember since the bung comes out right about the middle of it. Overall length of the 700 VS the 727 is about 4.25 inches shorter so you would need a new driveshaft and a 27 spline GM yoke. I would suggest a new driveshaft anyway since these cars are close to, or older than 50 years old and the tubing was not very thick to begin with. I have done this on several B and E bodies of the 66-70 era and it is a rewarding conversion. First gear ratio is a deep 3.06 to one vs the 727 2.45, and overdrive is .70 giving a 30 percent gear reduction plus converter clutch.
 
Mike67 said:
Here's the link, $605 for the kit doesn't sound to bad.... My f-inlaw had a 700 in is p- street 55 about 500hp and it does great. I take it on the day run 70ish and no problems...the only thing with his 700 is it controls the 1-2 shift...I control the rest, but it's not to bad...
http://www.wilcap.com/wilcapstore.html#!/426-350-AT/p/54397325/category=14420228
Click to expand...
The trans can be modified for gear holding in first, but with a 3.73 or deeper rear end the shift comes up so fast you might want the trans to do it for you. The governor on the 700R4 is behind an external cap and is easy to modify for increased shift RPM.
 
Thanks for all of the info, I've tried googling the swap but always came up empty... The 55 has 4.11s & 29x18.50 I'm the only one that drives it and that is my only complaint w/ the 700... I just don't like not having control I guess...
Thanks again Greg!!!
 
i'am getting ready to do it. I appears to be very straight forward. I will be starting a new garage on the forum to document it. Going from a 318/904 to a 400/518.
 
I would consider a 518 a better swap than a 4L60 or the problem prone 700R4 , neither are impressive by any means ... it’s a lot of money and headaches to support gm .. I would go the TF with a gear vendors any day and have something rock solid. Used units do turn up once in awhile but not often.. it’s your car ... and my opinion so make the best of it ...
 
Yes a 46RE is fully electronic valve body if I’m not mistaken, I have one in my 02 Ram 1500, first overhaul was at 250k, I had a flare between shifts, I wore my front band out... Rebuilt and works great, added a deeper pan kit ( added 4qts over stock)from some diesel trans company, remove the old check ball and put a moroso brass check ball in and been fine since, many trips pulling a trailer trans stays nice and cool
 
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