Moparts
Gearvendors
Posted By: Dabee
Gearvendors - 01/11/09 01:46 AM
Is anyone running a Gearvenders over/under drive? I知 getting ready to stuff the new 511 cu in bullet my 69 Super Bee and want an overdrive in there with it. The car is primarily street driven but will see some track time.
Posted By: dragaddict
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 01:50 AM
Have one in a 69 Coronet 440 727. Car has 4:10 gear. Fun on the street and took it to Racine Wis for Power Tour in 2007 from Colorado. No problems.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 02:02 AM
Dragaddict, that痴 what I wanted to hear as my Super Bee is frequently taken on long road trips. It has made the trip from Detroit to Reno for Hot August Nights twice.
Posted By: 68Bullit
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 02:20 AM
I've got one behind my small block with a 904. I have 4.30 gears and with the gearvendor, the final overdrive ratio is 3.35 It's very tolerable on the highway/freeway. The best investment I've made so far
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 02:28 AM
68Bullit, Where are you at in NC? I知 off I-40 about 20 miles into Tennessee. I知 going to give GV a call Monday.
Posted By: 68Bullit
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 02:49 AM
Quote:
68Bullit, Where are you at in NC? I知 off I-40 about 20 miles into Tennessee. I知 going to give GV a call Monday.
Hello neighbor. Sounds like we're a little over an hour apart. I'm just outside of Asheville. Definitely call GV. Haggle with 'em and get them to pay the shipping for you. They'll do it, trust me 
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:02 AM
I値l haggle with them over the shipping when I call them Monday. I just moved down here from Michigan last fall. I知 still trying to figure out where all the reliable MOPAR shops are in the area, so the I may be bugging you from time to time.
Posted By: NITROUSN
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:15 AM
Nice serpentine drive. Looks just like mine. Did you get yours from Bill C.?
Posted By: 500Stroker
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:26 AM
Best upgrade I ever did to the car. Have over 30,000 trouble free miles on mine in the last 4 years.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:27 AM
Yes, Bill did it. The engine was done by Chuck and the guys at Best Machine Racing Engines.
Posted By: NITROUSN
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:34 AM
Quote:
Yes, Bill did it. The engine was done by Chuck and the guys at Best Machine Racing Engines.
Bill does nice work. Here is one of his systems on my Hemi.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:36 AM
500Strocker, sounds like you drive your car a lot. That痴 what they池e for. Before I got heavy into racing I would put 7,000 to 8, 000 miles on the car every summer. The two trips I made to from Detroit to Reno were each 5,000 mile round trip plus what I put on cruising while in Reno. I知 cutting back on the racing, old age is setting in, so I知 going cruising again.
Posted By: 500Stroker
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:43 AM
Yes I do. The GV makes it that much more enjoyable. I have a 3:55 so the GV drops it down to 2:76. Just don't buy into their 6 speed gear splitting marketing. It's very hard to time it correctly with the delay after hitting the foot switch. Then trying to down shift at the same time you are up shifting the tranny.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:51 AM
That痴 what I知 looking for, to cruise down the expressway at 75 mph turning 2,400 RPM. What could be cooler? Well maybe doing the ｼ mile in 7.9 sec @ 170 mph in my dragster.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:56 AM
Nice Hemi. Do you know Roy Jakway? Jake lives in Ironwood and is a Ford guy. He has a couple nice Mustangs. We致e been buddies for 30 plus years.
Posted By: topside
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:59 AM
I have about 30,000 miles on mine, in my GMC 3500 dually, 454 & T400. Not one problem, even towing with it engaged. You might need to fiddle with driveshaft angle. I never bother with the gear splitting deal except occasionally 2nd-over - 3rd under - 3rd over. For all I can tell, the thing is bulletproof.
Posted By: JDMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:23 AM
I've got a GV in a 71 Challenger. It's probably one of the best mods I've ever done to a car. I had it in a D350 pickup for a while, but took it out when I sold the truck, so I could stick it in the Challenger. I bought it from Moparts member Sasquatch (Todd) Check him out before you buy anywhere else.
Posted By: MidPenMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:50 AM
I was going to go with the GV but chose the 4L60E instead. It has an even higher final ratio than the GV. The GV is .80 and the 4L60E is .70.
Posted By: dOc !
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 06:06 AM
Quote:
For all I can tell, the thing is bulletproof.
For HD towing and RV use ...I have heard diff. And from their advertising I have seen - it is true. They used to feature LOTS of RV's in the pictures ... now very few.
Something about the plantery gear-sets being way-weak on a decel.
Posted By: Twostick
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 07:03 AM
If that is true you better get rid of your 727.
Kevin
Posted By: Bull1tt
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:29 PM
I have 70,000 miles on mine in an F350 PU. Had to replace the rear seal on a trip last spring, only issue so far.
Posted By: Pool Fixer
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 03:48 PM
I am about to purchase one as well and I just spoke to GV the other day because I was considering a used on in my area. They quoted me 2699 and FREE shipping for a new unit.
Also, the Kiesler is nice....but the price difference between the two was just way way too much for me to justify it. I was quoted the 550 foot/lb version for 4500.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 04:16 PM
Yea, I talked to Keissler last week. Their price scared me off. I need a new rear end also. The old 8.75 back there is starting to grumble and complain. If I go with the GV I can have overdrive and a new rear end for $4500. I really wanted to deal with Keissler since they are located about 50 miles from me.
Posted By: Pool Fixer
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 04:53 PM
I would never question that the kiesler is better...in some ways...better o/d, and it probably upshifts and downshifts more naturally because you wouldn't be trying to split the gears your self.... but not almost 2 grand better. I gotta think that the kiesler is more actual work too. For guys like me who are doing it on their back in the driveway, that means a lot. shifter mods, running new tranny lines, removing the entire trans, changing the crossmember. I think it would be a lot easier to do a gv in a weekend. It depends on what you want too. If you just want to have lower final drive rpm's or if you want to have it shift like a new car.
I don't want to trash them for their pricing. I have a friend who's a GM tech and said that an unmodified tranny isn't a whole lot less than what kiesler wants. If you were starting from scratch and had no tranny, then the GM makes sense. If you already have a good 727, then the bucks say go GV.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 04:58 PM
My current transmission is good. I知 looking for the lower cruising rpm with out giving up performance. It looks like the GV is the way to go.
Posted By: JDMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:04 PM
The gear splitting thing is way over rated. Splitting first gear is a waste of time, and if you split 2nd and 3rd at WOT......you'll run out of road cause you're doing about 300 mph
I just use mine in autodrive mode, and let it figure out what it needs to do. Nobody would ever know it was in the car if I didn't tell them
Posted By: MidPenMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:04 PM
The Keisler transmission is pretty sweet too as it's like you have a brand new car. Now my only realy complaint so far is i can not get the transmission to stop leaking. It started leaking from the seals at the get go and after some back and forth with Keisler (
)they paid for about 3/4 of the fix. oh well......
I was going to go with the GV but the 4L60E is way lighter and no need to pound the tunnel of the roadrunner. That was my main concern as the shops who have done the GV said they had to massage it to fit. Oh and i was able to have the trans lines rerouted to the Right side of the car and now i have no more issues with my aftermarket shifter cable burning up on the headers!
That was worth the extra $$$$ all by itself.
Posted By: 500Stroker
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:20 PM
If I was looking for a new trans, converter and OD I would probably give the Keisler a try. At the time I bought the GV all I was looking for was OD and they were the only option 4 years ago. Either way the reduced cruising rpm sure makes these cars more enjoyable to drive.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 05:23 PM
MidPenMopar, I really wanted the Kessler unit for most of the reasons you state. A shift cable isn稚 an issue for me as my car has a console and I plan to keep the factory shifter. I知 not concerned with having to dimple the tunnel. The console should hide that.
JDMopar, As far as split shifting goes I agree with you I plan to let the controller do the job .
Posted By: Dabee
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 06:06 PM
Quote:
I bought it from Moparts member Sasquatch (Todd) Check him out before you buy anywhere else.
Hay I know Todd (Todd Marsh). I bought a Mega block, 500 stroker kit and 440-1 head kit from him years ago. I'll give him a call.
Posted By: dOc !
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 06:27 PM
Quote:
If that is true you better get rid of your 727.
Kevin
So the 727 and GV plantery gear-sets are of identical designs ? ....
Posted By: Twostick
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 07:08 PM
Both use planetary gear sets so yes the basic design is the same.
If you were speaking specifically to the GV planetary instead of planetaries in general, I wouldn't sweat it. I know of one that was in a 1 ton oilfield sevice truck that weighed in at 10,000 lbs with winch and tools and pulled a tagalong float with a back hoe for another 15-18,000 with no issues. If you can't break it in the oil patch it's about as close to bulletproof as it gets.
Kevin
Posted By: dOc !
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 07:23 PM
I have never taken one apart ...so I have no actual experience. What I had heard was the way the gear-sets were made or the gear angles ?? ....
I have to mention again .... for a product that was supposedly made - at first - for the RV application ...why they now don't do a lot of advertising in that area now ..... "says" something to me.
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 07:39 PM
Quote:
I would never question that the kiesler is better...in some ways...better o/d, and it probably upshifts and downshifts more naturally because you wouldn't be trying to split the gears your self.... but not almost 2 grand better. I gotta think that the kiesler is more actual work too. For guys like me who are doing it on their back in the driveway, that means a lot. shifter mods, running new tranny lines, removing the entire trans, changing the crossmember. I think it would be a lot easier to do a gv in a weekend. It depends on what you want too. If you just want to have lower final drive rpm's or if you want to have it shift like a new car.
I don't want to trash them for their pricing. I have a friend who's a GM tech and said that an unmodified tranny isn't a whole lot less than what kiesler wants. If you were starting from scratch and had no tranny, then the GM makes sense. If you already have a good 727, then the bucks say go GV.
Kevin, I've done both GV's, auto and 4spd, plus the Keisler Auto and varous TKO 5spds........the Keisler Auto was just as much work as the GV, what you trade off in work in one installation phase, you gain in the other,....in the GV install, you'll be removing the tailshaft housing, if your working on your back in the yard/garage (bless you) get the car as high as possible, SAFELY!.....youl'll need to "pound"out the floor a little to tuck the GV up in the tunnel, also plan on having the use of an inclination dial/meter to phase the driveline angles, and the possible need for rear axle perch shims/wedges.....when you do the wiring for the control unit, solder all connections, and confirm that your grounds are "solid".....some ignition set ups have been known to wreak havoc on the controller from RF interference.....it's not fun when the GV drops out at 100 MPH plus, and you have 3:91's or 4:10'S!...been there, done that!
The Keisler Auto is not a stock GM unit, many mods, and updates are made to it,....although I do prefer it over the GV's......I'm more intune to recommend the TKO 5spd swap over.....If I didn't have a Keisler option at all,....I'd put a Passon 4spd in long before I'd do a GV again.....just my opinion.....
Posted By: cogen80
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 07:51 PM
Quote:
The Keisler transmission is pretty sweet too as it's like you have a brand new car. Now my only realy complaint so far is i can not get the transmission to stop leaking. It started leaking from the seals at the get go and after some back and forth with Keisler ( )they paid for about 3/4 of the fix. oh well......
I was going to go with the GV but the 4L60E is way lighter and no need to pound the tunnel of the roadrunner. That was my main concern as the shops who have done the GV said they had to massage it to fit. Oh and i was able to have the trans lines rerouted to the Right side of the car and now i have no more issues with my aftermarket shifter cable burning up on the headers!
That was worth the extra $$$$ all by itself.
didn't you have computer issues at first also? that could be a big problem for the back yard kind of guy
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 08:02 PM
Quote:
Quote:
The Keisler transmission is pretty sweet too as it's like you have a brand new car. Now my only realy complaint so far is i can not get the transmission to stop leaking. It started leaking from the seals at the get go and after some back and forth with Keisler ( )they paid for about 3/4 of the fix. oh well......
didn't you have computer issues at first also? that could be a big problem for the back yard kind of guy
Stu,....To me the only drawback on the Keisler Auto was the computer crap,.....did the guy installing your Keisler Auto, interface it with a laptop,.....the transmission line/band pressure/ shift points/ etc are adjustable via computer interface, perhaps that is your seal problem,...to much pressure?
Posted By: ChinooK440
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 08:22 PM
Quote:
I have to mention again .... for a product that was supposedly made - at first - for the RV application ...why they now don't do a lot of advertising in that area now ..... "says" something to me.
Probably because most all rvs for the last decade or so come from the factory with an overdrive trans already, And people who buy/ own older rvs usually don,t spend that much money modifiying them like an older muscle car.
I used to own a car with the g.v. unit and i,d give it an A+ rating.
Since then i,ve been shopping around for an older motorhome and surfing around rv sites , the consensus seems to be there have been some faluires in rv / heavy trucks applications mainly due to people coasting down Long/ Steep grades with the O.D. engaged and they don,t seem to like that , something about the gear sets don,t get lubed properly while decelerating ??? <-- just relaying what i,ve read. and just thinking out loud here but,,,,,, a knowledgable driver would/should disengage o.d. of any kind going down long grades for the engine braking effect .
Posted By: MidPenMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 08:30 PM
Quote:
didn't you have computer issues at first also? that could be a big problem for the back yard kind of guy
Yes i got a bad computer box right from the get go. They finally sent us a new one but it was not easy to get it sent to the shop. My mechenic had to do all sorts of those things first before we got sent a replacement unit. I was lucky that he was so nice to me and did not charge me for all the troubleshooting he had to do. He pretty much knew right away that the box was bad but we just could not get a replacement for weeks. One thing i fould out are that the transmissions are rebuilt units and NOT brand new. They come from a place in southern California.
Posted By: cogen80
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 08:46 PM
Quote:
He pretty much knew right away that the box was bad but we just could not get a replacement for weeks.
thats pathetic custermer service in my book.
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 09:15 PM
Quote:
Quote:
He pretty much knew right away that the box was bad but we just could not get a replacement for weeks.
thats pathetic custermer service in my book.
What if? seeing it was a new item for Keisler, that the mfg that supplied to Keisler was on backorder?.....Kinda like when Mopar Performance puts you on back order for 6 months 
Posted By: Pyper70
Re: Gearvendors - 01/11/09 10:23 PM
Eh...The GV is a nice unit....I was part of the big buy in from Moparts here about 3 years back. Took me a weekend to install plus the Monday morning following because the driveshaft needed shortening. All in all a very good install. Drove her from LA to Atlanta in 4 days with 3.55's....spinning 75mph at 2200rpm....
Along the way I found out my H-Pipe was entirely too close to the oil pan of the GVO and the gasket material melted....Still havent gotten around to relocating the H pipe...but I did get a few spare gaskets to have on hand for the future
Posted By: 68Bullit
Re: Gearvendors - 01/12/09 12:00 AM
Quote:
What if? seeing it was a new item for Keisler, that the mfg that supplied to Keisler was on backorder?.....Kinda like when Mopar Performance puts you on back order for 6 months
Yeah but It'd be one thing if paying customers were paying the Mfg direct, but in this case, they're not. When somebody pays for something, they tend to go back to the people they handed their money to, right???
Quote:
Quote:
didn't you have computer issues at first also? that could be a big problem for the back yard kind of guy
Yes i got a bad computer box right from the get go. They finally sent us a new one but it was not easy to get it sent to the shop. My mechenic had to do all sorts of those things first before we got sent a replacement unit. I was lucky that he was so nice to me and did not charge me for all the troubleshooting he had to do. He pretty much knew right away that the box was bad but we just could not get a replacement for weeks. One thing i fould out are that the transmissions are rebuilt units and NOT brand new. They come from a place in southern California.
Stu,
We had a battery of tests that needed to be checked before we would send out one of the most expensive parts of the conversion. It was our 1st field failure.
On the extra labor your shop charged to fix the shift shaft seal. The company we get our trans from sets the repair guidelines based on popular books that calculate labor based on the repairs needed. Keisler ended up eating and reimbursing you more that what they wanted to pay. The trans is still under warranty. This is the 1st time I heard you are still having leaks. Please get it to a shop so we can get it covered.
Also we actually get the trans built in Ne.
Let me know.
Posted By: MidPenMopar
Re: Gearvendors - 01/12/09 03:37 PM
Quote:
The company we get our trans from sets the repair guidelines based on popular books that calculate labor based on the repairs needed.
Gene that company qouted $50 to fix the shaft seal. Now they figured that = 1hr labor. The trans shop i took it too (who have been in businnes for over 35 years) charged me $250 for the 2.5 hours to drop the trans and take it apart to fix the couple of leaks. No way the shop said that could be done in 1 hr. by anyone unless it was on a bench. Anyway i got $190 of the $250 reimburshed from you guys in the end. You know me i am was not looking for anything more than what was fair. That part that was bad i understand was an expensive part, but i was just lucky to have a very understanding mechenic who helped me out on the labor to troubleshoot the problem.
So far, so good.
Stu
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Gearvendors - 01/15/09 05:51 PM
maybe I'll come down in early April and we can go through your 727 and put a seal kit in it and check it out as we put the GV on.
barry
Well, looks like I'm bringing this back..
I'm thinking of getting an OD unit for my Daytona. It's a 4:10 car, so it's heck on the highway, but FUN around town. I'm seeing that I would probably have to fork out about $3,000 (+,-) for a finished situation. I don't see where Keisler has a single unit, is it the complete transmission? Mike?
Also, anyone with a picture or two where the modifications to the floorpan need to be made? My understanding is I'll have to dimple it for clearance. I know one has to modify a driveshaft, but do you still use the factory rear tranny crossover support?
Cheers,
Troy
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 02:26 PM
I don't see where Keisler has a single unit, is it the complete transmission? Mike?
Cheers,
Troy
Troy
Keisler offers a whole transmission, not a add-on like Gear Venders,..........I've done both the Gear Vendors and the Keislers,.....Keislers set up far out weighs ANYTHING Gear Vendors has to offer IMHO
My Daytona has a Dana 4:10 gear 27 inch tires.....I'm running a Keisler TKO 600/650 with hyd throw out..... a .64 OD 5th gear, that works out to a 2:65 rear drive ratio in 5th,....which equates to a 140 MPH top end with 4:10's, .....or a nice cruising speed of 80 MPH at around 2200 RPM........highway gas mileage with my 440/6 dynoed 450 HP, .520 lift cam,....is 22 MPG consistently on long trips,........cruising between 70-90 MPH
IMHO, if you cheap out like most guys do, and go the Gear Vendors "route", you'll be dissapointed,......but, if you have no experience with a Keisler equipped car vs a Gear Vendors equipped car, you don't know what your missing,....I've been fortunate to have experienced both Gear Vendors auto and 4spd manual OD set-ups, they pale in comparison to the Keisler set-ups in reliability and performance
Mike
Posted By: aarcuda
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 03:30 PM
unless you want to shift at higher than 6000 rpm, right?
Quote:
IMHO, if you cheap out like most guys do, and go the Gear Vendors "route", you'll be dissapointed,.....
Mike
That's the problem, BIG bucks...... Was the Keisler plug-n-play or did you have to make numerous modifications to the OEM support equipment?
May just have to take off an hour or two before the crowd so they can catch up with me until I have a lot of disposable income. But, it would be nice to cruise at 80 at sub-2500 rpms.
Troy 
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 04:38 PM
Quote:
unless you want to shift at higher than 6000 rpm, right?
I've shifted at 6200-6500 RPM intervals with a Keisler TKO 600/650 5spd,.....normally I don't subject my engine to that abuse, unless racing, in street use there's no need for that kind of RPM, even "street racing"......the Keisler units can take some serious abuse, trust me, I know first hand,......a lot of misimformation exsists about Keislers units, and Tremecs in general,.....granted at one time Tremecs were crap transmissions, but in 1997 Tremec and Borg Warner Drive became one enitity, producing a "world class" transmission, although still marketed under the Tremec name,......the amount of not just Keisler, but Tremecs in use among the "car crowd/hotrodders" is staggering,......the "Mopar people" are the last on the "bandwagon" of joiners.........I'd pit my Keisler equipped cars against an equaly equipped gear vendors car any day, and have, until GV can convince me otherwise that their unit is superior,....I'll stick with a TKO
Posted By: aarcuda
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 04:50 PM
Quote:
Quote:
unless you want to shift at higher than 6000 rpm, right?
I've shifted at 6200-6500 RPM intervals with a Keisler TKO 600/650 5spd,.....normally I don't subject my engine to that abuse, unless racing, in street use there's no need for that kind of RPM, even "street racing"......the Keisler units can take some serious abuse, trust me, I know first hand,......a lot of misimformation exsists about Keislers units, and Tremecs in general,.....granted at one time Tremecs were crap transmissions, but in 1997 Tremec and Borg Warner Drive became one enitity, producing a "world class" transmission, although still marketed under the Tremec name,......the amount of not just Keisler, but Tremecs in use among the "car crowd/hotrodders" is staggering,......the "Mopar people" are the last on the "bandwagon" of joiners.........I'd pit my Keisler equipped cars against an equaly equipped gear vendors car any day, and have, until GV can convince me otherwise that their unit is superior,....I'll stick with a TKO
i believe i got that info from gene himself- that the tranny will not let you shift it if you are over 6000 rpm.
superior can be defined many ways. and not being able to shift at my shift point makes it useless to me.
in my opinion, getting into a showdown and finding that youre stuck in second while a mustang passes you would be pretty embarrasing.
I see a lot of people talking about the high cost of a keisler but no $$$. What is the rough cost of one of these transmissions?
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 08:17 PM
i believe i got that info from gene himself- that the tranny will not let you shift it if you are over 6000 rpm.
superior can be defined many ways. and not being able to shift at my shift point makes it useless to me.
in my opinion, getting into a showdown and finding that youre stuck in second while a mustang passes you would be pretty embarrasing.
I think I remember that thread,...Gene recommended that if your intention was to have a car that was constantly in the 6000RPM range, being shifted then the Keisler TKO wasn't for you,...However the TKO can be build to operate in that range, if you want to spend the money, your TKO can be sent to a number of shops, that perform the necessary mods,.....but lets face a little reality here,....your not going to be driving on the streets doing 6000+RPM shifts all the time, are you?......
If I need my car to perform at that range, and it has, I've never encoutered a problem shifting, or power shifting,......I think your also confusing the 3rd gear "lock out" on the TKO with high RPM shifting, 3rd gear "lock out" occurs when the operator slams the 3rd gear, it will lock at at any speed,....it's just a matter of retraining yourself to shift the TKO differently,....I can speed shift a Keisler just as fast as any other 4 spd
Posted By: DAYCLONA
Re: Gearvendors - 07/08/09 08:48 PM
Quote:
Quote:
IMHO, if you cheap out like most guys do, and go the Gear Vendors "route", you'll be dissapointed,.....
Mike
That's the problem, BIG bucks...... Was the Keisler plug-n-play or did you have to make numerous modifications to the OEM support equipment?
May just have to take off an hour or two before the crowd so they can catch up with me until I have a lot of disposable income. But, it would be nice to cruise at 80 at sub-2500 rpms.
Troy
Troy wether you go GV or Keisler, your gonna have some mods to do, if you think your gonna just "dimple" the floor for either application,......not!....
If you go GV on the auto in your car, you have to remove the stock tailshaft, and transplant GV's in place, the rear tunnel has to be "dimpled" with a BFH for room, it ain't pretty, but you need to get the tranny up into the tunnel, the shaft has to be shortened, there's some wiring, a control box, and floor switch, much like a dimmer switch to activate the system,....the GV is a good system,....for the money, the problem I have with the GV is it's electronicly engaged,.......and if your running some serious gear, as you are, and your into it 90+MPH and the "box" decides to "dropout" on you?...guess what?, rear end lock up! and/or astronomical RPM's that could damage your engine,.....and for the naysayers that say that wouldn't happen, I driven, and been in customers cars that have experienced that, you lose electrical power, or feedback from the ignition cuts the "box" out, your OD drops out too,.....I know GV has addressed the proplem with updated boxes,....I've installed a few, and still had an experience of a GV dropping out at speed, it ain't fun!.......with a TKO/Keisler you wouldn't experience this condition because the tranny is purely mechanical, no "voodoo" electronics to rely on
The downside Troy, if you go Keisler is your going to need the "manual" stuff, seeing yours is auto, so pedals, a floor hump, new carpet(maybe), mods to your console, ex, 4spd toplate/boot, side trim, side carpet/backerboard,...you know the drill.......Keisler has a repro shifter for the 69 B body, pedals if you need them, the driveshaft is included in the price,....IMHO, I'd recommend the TKO 5, 600/650 with .64 OD, the best your going to get with GV's is .78......the complete Keisler setup with HYD throwout will set you back about $4500-$5K depending on what you need
The other alternative is a Passon 4spd set up, that's going to run you $3800+......plus the required 4spd stuff, bellhousing, clutch PP, TO, shifter, linkage, pedals, floor mods, etc, etc, when your done with the Passon, you might be into it for about a $1000 less than the Keisler set up,...and you only have a .80 OD 4th gear......which IMHO, why bother, unless a stock look is what your after,....don't get me wrong Jamie P. makes a good product
Choice is yours,...IMHO, the Keisler is superior to the above set-ups,...everyone has a different intention for their car's use, you just need to decide with is best for you,.....their all gonna cost $$$, just make the choice that suits your use
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 12:17 PM
Don't be so hasty to install a Keisler Automatic. I bought one in 07 and brought my car out this year after a 5 year project. I followed their install instructions and it failed to ingauge in 3rd 4th overdrive. With many Emails and frustration my 70 Challenger is out of service. They accused me of burning out top gears because of mis-adjusted TPS. I've been an mechanic for 30 years and know how to set a tps. Because I'm out of the 1 year warrenty they Will Not Stand behind their transmission. For $5000.00 I think I got the shaft.Now I have to pay to have it rebuilt. They won't even let me talk to upper management. Very POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 01:54 PM
The guy that started this particular thread has his Super bee out with the new gear vender unit. He sounds extremely happy.
It does not sap power like OD transmissions do.
Think he said 2600 is 80 with 3.54 dana.
I helped go through his tranny and the unit just goes on like a trained duck.
SMR transmission sells one using a motor home output shaft which is much shorter
http://www.smrtrans.com/
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 01:56 PM
regular unit
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 02:02 PM
unit itself
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 02:02 PM
sides right on
Posted By: Dodgem
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 02:03 PM
I don't think he hardly touched the floor on the super bee
Posted By: aarcuda
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 03:11 PM
Quote:
Don't be so hasty to install a Keisler Automatic. I bought one in 07 and brought my car out this year after a 5 year project. I followed their install instructions and it failed to ingauge in 3rd 4th overdrive. With many Emails and frustration my 70 Challenger is out of service. They accused me of burning out top gears because of mis-adjusted TPS. I've been an mechanic for 30 years and know how to set a tps. Because I'm out of the 1 year warrenty they Will Not Stand behind their transmission. For $5000.00 I think I got the shaft.Now I have to pay to have it rebuilt. They won't even let me talk to upper management. Very POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: DaytonaTurbo
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/09/09 06:01 PM
Quote:
The guy that started this particular thread has his Super bee out with the new gear vender unit. He sounds extremely happy.
It does not sap power like OD transmissions do.
What OD transmissions 'sap' power? Do you have any proof?? I have yet to see back to back 1/4 mile runs of anyone who's gone from a 727 to a 518, gear vendors or keisler auto while having made no other changes.
Posted By: JF_Moparts
Re: Gearvendors - 07/09/09 06:52 PM
I've had one for 2 1/2 years and it's great! I run 3.23s in the back so highway cruising is very nice.
Installation was a breeze. On my 71 b-body all we had to do was hammer the trans tunnel a little bit to make some space, but barely. No cutting.
I love telling people I have a 6 speed auto.
A number of people have said that the gear splitting is a waste of time, I have to disagree with that. I run mine in manual mode and the kick I get when going from 1st to 1st/OD is incredible. When first winds out and you're near 6000rpms, kicking in the OD takes me down to a nice spot in the power band, and the car revs quickly through another 20mph or so.
I will agree that shifting from an OD gear to a higher non-OD gear is not clean. You have to first shift to the higher gear, and then once it engages, take off the OD. But in my experience it only takes about 1/3 of a second for that, so it's no big deal.
Jim
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Gearvendors - 07/09/09 07:35 PM
Has anyone ever found a Gear Vendors O/D in a motorhome?
Did they acutally put them in the Dodge platformed motorhomes?
Posted By: KEISLER
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/13/09 04:51 AM
Quote:
Don't be so hasty to install a Keisler Automatic. I bought one in 07 and brought my car out this year after a 5 year project. I followed their install instructions and it failed to ingauge in 3rd 4th overdrive. With many Emails and frustration my 70 Challenger is out of service. They accused me of burning out top gears because of mis-adjusted TPS. I've been an mechanic for 30 years and know how to set a tps. Because I'm out of the 1 year warrenty they Will Not Stand behind their transmission. For $5000.00 I think I got the shaft.Now I have to pay to have it rebuilt. They won't even let me talk to upper management. Very POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cruiser,
I am the owner and founder of the company. Email me at skeisler@keislerauto.com. Anytime, anyone can call and ask for a supervisor, owner, etc. As hundreds of people will attest, Richard, Keith are excellent customer service guys. I had so many customers complimenting their service and care throughout the weekend at Carlisle.
I'll start off by giving you a free upgrade to the latest version of our software. It has a set up wizard for the tps that makes calibrating is so simple: pedal to floor, hit enter, then pedal at rest, hit enter - you are done. And this offer goes to EVERYONE that has our A-41.
We'll help you get sorted out. Have faith in Keisler Engineering ... we've been here 18 years and we're not going anywhere. We are the largest supplier of performance overdrive transmission to the mopar community and the muscle car market and a quantum leap past the other choices or suppliers of overdrive transmission. (bold statement, yes; let us prove it to you) The automatic is doing great, the Popular Hot Rodding feature that Steve Dulcich wrote is out now, and you should read it on our web site. Several of the folks that purchased it said they came to Carlisle just to purchase the A-41. We feel honored to have such excellent customers!
I'm driving my Kuda back from Carlisle now (at a hotel in Virginia to break up the 550mile late night trip). The Kuda has the A-41 with engine compression braking in 1/2/3, Dual Mode switch and Paddle shifter.
You guys should check out our Keisler TV www.keislertv.com and go to the transmission section and watch the A41 installation video.
Also, go to the Community page on www.keislerauto.com and join our newsletter. We have newsletters every 1-2 months, and there is lots of great stuff on the A41 in the newsletter coming out this month shortly.
See you at the Nats,
Shafi Keisler
Posted By: KEISLER
Re: Gearvendors - 07/16/09 07:34 PM
Watch this video of Jonathan LaPaglia (actor "Cold Case") with his '73 Rallye Challenger. He was deliberating on a decision as you are. 5min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMPLZJMXK_UThen, watch this video of the A-41 installation and track driving. 3min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JGZ9YL1-O8As to the question of price, our 450LB-FT (Stage 1) complete kit for Mopar E/B/A/C-body is $3795 including new driveshaft, crossmember, etc.
Shafi
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Keisler/Gearvendors - 07/23/09 08:51 PM
Shafi, Thanks for the response. I did not get the help I needed from your techs, but I have spoken to them recently. I have faith in your company and I expect a great transmission when we figure this out. My transmission will be tested by another vendor and if something is wrong I will be sending it back. I'd expect you want to keep all your customers happy! Thanks Future Happy Customer