Tremec TKO in 69 B-body question

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

Do you have the "4 speed hump" already?

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

is a TKO the same size as a T56 ?

The T56 is much larger, SST currently has a T56 6spd B and E body set ups if interested, I'm waiting on member 70RT to see how his SST 6spd B body install goes and what's involved, as I may change out my TKO600 for another gear and lower ratio of .50

Yes its a factory 4-speed car.

According to the guy that installed my T-56 it wasn't that bad but he is experienced. He didn't like how SST did the hump in their pics so we basically cut out most of the hump and rolled out metal and built our own. The template for the crossmember is the building foundation. Once you get the crossmember cut out and the transmission support bolted up you have it. When we rolled the metal out for the tunnel we used the tunnel templates to get the right clearance for the tranny and tunnel but we left the transmission bolted up to make sure it was correct and it was close. He didn't take as many pics as I wanted him to but theres a few. I went hydraulic also. This phone won't let me post pics. If you pm your cell I'll send you what pics I have. I went with the close ratio. It's geared better but you can put a final .50 in it when they build it and keep the better 1-4 gears.

If the crank centerline and back of flywheel dimension are stock or close I think it should fit right in if the shifter was set up for your car.

I put a TKO 600 in a '70 California built E. Besides the 4 speed hump the front of the tunnel is tight on these and I added a relief piece per instructions. It did take a custom trans cross member supplied as part of the kit from Keissler (new owners Silver Sport). The shifter landed right where it was supposed to and I shimmed the transmission mount to dial in drive line angle with OE rear.

No issue normally with tunnel front on B's that I know of.

Hopefully it fits right in.

The E body TKO500/600 falls into the stock factory 4 spd shifter hole because the offset/remote TKO shifter was designed for that purpose on the 70-4E and 71-2 B application, the 68-70 TKO uses the center shift position on the TKO case and relies on an offset bracket to relocate the shifter towards the drivers side so that it will fit the factory 4 spd CONSOLE ONLY, not the B body bench seat shifter application/location

68-70 B body TKO application pictured

Mike

Dayclona, that is how my shifter is setup. American powertrain modifies the tailshaft much differently than that picture to help clear torsion bar cross member. I installed trans went right in looks like it will clear everything ok. Just wanted to see how much original floor (ouch) I am going to have to cut out. Also do you normally make a block off plate of some kind for the oe shifter hole? I also see what your saying on a spacer for the mount holy crap that hangs low! How much do you normally space those? Thanks

That's an old pic of the tailshaft section, most of the mfg's of TKO kits have machined the tailshaft to rid it of of unnecessary casting/ribs/etc, I don't know what the current AP tranny crossmember looks like (their initial offering was a copy of Keislers 1st gen mount) there is no "set" value that I can give you for a spacer, you need to determine what you want the driveline angle to be (buy an inclination meter/dial if you don't have one)I usually aim for 2-3 degrees tailshaft downward to mimic the factory driveline angle, how much room you have to "push" the tranny tailshaft upwards will be your limiting factor on a stock floor/torsion crossmember

If the transmission still has the vertical rib on top of the tailshaft where it contacts the upper torsion bar crossmember in the tunnel, you can trim that rib right off for more "upward" room/clearance...and yes just make a plate to block the factory 4 spd hole, screw it in place using the factory boot ring holes or weld, your choice

Mike

AP's top plate/shift tower looks like it's sucking up some "real-estate " due to it's thickness, that tranny is hanging really low, you need to get the shift tower up thru the floor...it can be done, below is a 69 Charger TKO install, cut the floor how you deem necessary, then rebuild it around the tranny for clearance

Mike

Mike: Just curious where and how much the "offset" is as shown in this picture as the shifter sure looks centered to me.

- EM

On 68-70 B and A body TKO/T56 applications the shifter nub of the Tremec is in the center of the trans centerline, adapters and shifter sticks/handles will relocate the finial location of the shifter/boot assy...sometimes, plus how one finishes the floor hump/sheetmetal for a visual appearance around the shifter/boot, unless a console is involved, it depends on the application/type of tranny

It is close I jacked it up as far as it would go to mark for cuts. Had been hoping for a small hole just around the shift tower,judging by the pics probably not but that's why I started the thread. It will move up some when its through the floor but nowhere near enough in the back. Crazy they would have it that low.

Hello Mike, I saw this post and I'm in the progress of installing the same transmission that you showed pictures of. I had a hard time when I removed the transmission with the shifter tower in place and I was thinking about removing the shifter tower before I install the transmission again. Is there anything I need to know more that having the transmission in neutral to remove and putting the shifter tower back on the transmission after it's installed in the car? (got a solid opening in the tunnel for the shifter tower)

The shift tower is only held in place by 2 Allen head bolts, just remove the tower, not the plate that seals the shift rods, make sure the FLAT of the shift nub of the shift tower faces the drivers seat (assuming your vehicle is LEFT HAND DRIVE))when re-installing the shift tower, I provided a pic a few posts up of what the neutral shift rail position looks like should it be in gear, you can't install the shift tower if the transmission is in gear, put a small amount of sealer on the bottom of the shift tower so it won't leak

Mike

So there is no prying or anything like that after the two Allen head bolts are removed? is it a rod with a ball on the underside of the shifter tower that goes into a cup on the [censored] dogs?

Yes...very simple, nothing to be afraid of, the shift tower will even work/function if you install it 180 degrees off, but it will put the tower nub flat on the passenger side and offset the shifter handle towards the passenger side

Thanks Mike, pulled the shifter tower yesterday and like you said it's pretty straight forward.I just wasn't sure:-))

Finally bought an app to make pics smaller. Install was pretty easy. There was some extensive tunnel mods., we cut out the 4 speed hump and rolled the metal to fit. They are templates to help. non original 4 speed car. I Have to use an E-body shifter.

70RT Charger, are you using an E body shifter because you want to?

As the T56 shifter location you appear to have, looks close to the 68-70 B body TKO shifter location as seen in these pics, I'm comparing the factory floor shape sections between the 2 pics, and they appear "spot on" in B body shifter location?

Mike

Sorry to bump back to top. I got this cut out and fit just wanted to post a picture of the cut for anyone who may need a reference pic.

Thanks for the update, gee... AP has a rather new approach to the shifter tower, hope it's an improvement over the past set ups?

Mike

Looks like it would fit into an automatic floor pan?