4 speed overdrive
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,576
From: Salisbury NC
RE: 4 speed overdrive
well, im skeptical of the guy thats building his engine anyway, lee (my friend) came in sayin that for 3,000 he was gonna get a 383 that had 350 hp and for a little more he could get 400
he keeps sayin that jimmy (the guy building the engine) knows how to take old parts and match them up to make horsepower and how he knew cheaper parts that worked just as good
personally i prefer not to put cheap parts in my engine, i wouldnt mind getting a short block 302 and an edelbrock performance package and assembling the engine myself, ive never done much work on v-8's but i have a lot of experience with tractor engines
he keeps sayin that jimmy (the guy building the engine) knows how to take old parts and match them up to make horsepower and how he knew cheaper parts that worked just as good
personally i prefer not to put cheap parts in my engine, i wouldnt mind getting a short block 302 and an edelbrock performance package and assembling the engine myself, ive never done much work on v-8's but i have a lot of experience with tractor engines
Yukon Cornelius
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,812
From: deep in the heart of dixie GEORGIA
RE: 4 speed overdrive
yeah there was the 4 spd wannabe toploader in the truck etc. my brothers 86 has one (it had a over driven forth like stated above) but the gear ratios were lazy and the box is not desirable they pop up on ebay every now and then
the fox mustang had a over drive tranny b4 the t5 its called the srod(single rail overdrive)
the fox mustang had a over drive tranny b4 the t5 its called the srod(single rail overdrive)
5th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,566
From: Marquette Mi
RE: 4 speed overdrive
Well, the Fairmont/Zephyr in the 80s had a 4 speed that was an OD, 3rd was 1:1 and 4th was the OD. They are WEAK, especially the OD part. They are an economy trans and wont hold up to a healthy V8.
A 383 with stock iron heads, like 882's wont make that much power. For $3000 he could build plenty of engine, if he could do all but the machine work himself. We got 540hp and 580ftlbs from a 455 with $2700 in it, it did have 11.3:1 compression, but other than that it was pretty mild, not a big hyd cam, just good machine work and some ported heads. That was a Pontiac, but to listen to the Chevy guys they say they can make 700hp with a 350 for $2700...lol..
Sure you can build it with cheap stuff, it wont last more than a couple seasons if you race it, and it wil lose power on the street after a year or so. It also runs the risk of chuckin a rod or breaking a piston with cheap stuff and shortcuts. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time.
Edelbrock makes a good head for Fords. Find a better cam though, thiers is kinda wimpy if you are lookin for power. Everyone knows how I feel about their carbs too... but I like the heads, it gives everone an option, well except for the AMC guys since the Buick head just came out.
A 383 with stock iron heads, like 882's wont make that much power. For $3000 he could build plenty of engine, if he could do all but the machine work himself. We got 540hp and 580ftlbs from a 455 with $2700 in it, it did have 11.3:1 compression, but other than that it was pretty mild, not a big hyd cam, just good machine work and some ported heads. That was a Pontiac, but to listen to the Chevy guys they say they can make 700hp with a 350 for $2700...lol..
Sure you can build it with cheap stuff, it wont last more than a couple seasons if you race it, and it wil lose power on the street after a year or so. It also runs the risk of chuckin a rod or breaking a piston with cheap stuff and shortcuts. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time.
Edelbrock makes a good head for Fords. Find a better cam though, thiers is kinda wimpy if you are lookin for power. Everyone knows how I feel about their carbs too... but I like the heads, it gives everone an option, well except for the AMC guys since the Buick head just came out.
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,576
From: Salisbury NC
RE: 4 speed overdrive
when i got my stang it had a remanufactured (pretty much new) holley 600 cfm, but it was acting funny, when i would punch it the motor would die like it wasnt getting enough fuel.
and yea soaring, im guilty of workin on old tractors, call me a redneck, but they are simple. My tractor pulling tractor had about 30hp factory (straight six) its got about 120 now, and tourque through the roof
im a long way off from getting an engine though, i have to get the front framerails/shock towers, fender aprons/ radiator support back on my car then have the final bodywork done and get it painted. I've got the front end assembled i just have to fit it up to the firewall and weld it in but me and my dad are having trouble making the repro parts fit right
and yea soaring, im guilty of workin on old tractors, call me a redneck, but they are simple. My tractor pulling tractor had about 30hp factory (straight six) its got about 120 now, and tourque through the roof
im a long way off from getting an engine though, i have to get the front framerails/shock towers, fender aprons/ radiator support back on my car then have the final bodywork done and get it painted. I've got the front end assembled i just have to fit it up to the firewall and weld it in but me and my dad are having trouble making the repro parts fit right
5th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,566
From: Marquette Mi
RE: 4 speed overdrive
You should put the front end parts on the car one at a time, not assemble them then try to make it fit the car... I knew I shoulda taken more pics the last few days...
anyway, trying to get something you welded up on the floor to fit will be a nightmare. You need to use the car as a guide for where to put everything, 1/16" is a huge gap to make up.. I am sure you are finding that out now...
anyway, trying to get something you welded up on the floor to fit will be a nightmare. You need to use the car as a guide for where to put everything, 1/16" is a huge gap to make up.. I am sure you are finding that out now...
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,576
From: Salisbury NC
RE: 4 speed overdrive
yea, everything is already welded together, EVERYTHING the framerail assemblies are welded to the radiator support, the strut rod braces are welded in, the engine crossmember is bolted in and i even have a export brace bolted to the shock tower
we measured everything out really carefully before we welded anything, the only problem is that the guys in tiawan didnt, if i had my camera id take pics, but its messed up, so i cant even do that
we measured everything out really carefully before we welded anything, the only problem is that the guys in tiawan didnt, if i had my camera id take pics, but its messed up, so i cant even do that
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,089
From:
RE: 4 speed overdrive
Got one in my '79 Fairmont (gave it to my dad...but still in the family).
It's backing up a decently healthy (225hp or so) 302 without problem.
Sad part about that tranny is it's direct lineage from the muscle era toploader 4 speed.[&:]
It's backing up a decently healthy (225hp or so) 302 without problem. Sad part about that tranny is it's direct lineage from the muscle era toploader 4 speed.[&:]
ORIGINAL: THUMPIN455
Well, the Fairmont/Zephyr in the 80s had a 4 speed that was an OD, 3rd was 1:1 and 4th was the OD. They are WEAK, especially the OD part. They are an economy trans and wont hold up to a healthy V8.
Well, the Fairmont/Zephyr in the 80s had a 4 speed that was an OD, 3rd was 1:1 and 4th was the OD. They are WEAK, especially the OD part. They are an economy trans and wont hold up to a healthy V8.