Was wondering if anyone here has any install photos of a tko in a 69 b-body? Specifically the shifter area. I have a 5.7 Hemi with Tko 600,from American Powertrain. Contacted them to see if they had any pics but no go. I knew it was going to need to be modified just want to see what others have done in this area. Thanks
Install the 4 spd factory hump, clean up excess metal and edges on the torsion bar brace that travels up into the hump as you'll need all the room possible for the shift tower, if your installing the tranny with the engine on the K frame underneath, you'll be good to go, if the engine is already in, remove the entire shift tower as it's virtually impossible to install the tranny with the shift tower on the tranny, only 2 bolts, make sure the tranny is in neutral before removing the tower, depending on how much webbing is still on the tranny case, you might need to install the tranny turned 90 degrees on it's side towards the drivers side, then when seated with the bell housing, rotate upright, then install the shift tower from inside the car, I don't know how much AP has modified the case on the TKO for clearance (it was basically copied from Keisler's early 2nd gen B body TKO design), if the case exhibits all the factory Tremec casting webbs and no visual mods on the passenger side/top of the trans then I'd suggest you either machine some of the webbs, or slice the floor for clearance, as the TKO is a rather tall box, driveline angle is very important, most of the TKO rear tranny crossmember mounts from the mfg's are designed to drop the tailshaft, it's so you don't have to cut the floor, the end result is the driveline angle is excessive, so you'll need to fabricate a spacer to get the tailshft up into the tunnel higher than the mount will allow...
When I sliced the floor in my 70 Charger for the TKO600, I cut it down the center/top of the floor tunnel and spread the floor sheetmetal open to accept a 1" wide filler strip welded in, only the space where the tranny will occupy (pic below where to cut)
Below is a pic of what the netural position of the shift forks looks like in the TKO without the shift tower on
My shifter came up thru the factory console with no mods, but it uses an offset bracket to get it there, the TKO shift tower will come up approx 3" to the right of the factory 4 speed shift hole, pretty much between the 4 spd factory shift hole and the center of the car's transmission tunnel, so if your doing a non console application it will sit more towards the center of the transmission floor hump
Mike
