A518 floor pan mods - 69 charger ??

what floor pan mods are needed to install an A518 behind a big block in a 69 charger ? i know this has been discussed before, but i was unable to find what i need using the search, and google custom search. unless i missed something.......
as usual TIA.

You would think that this would be common knowledge by now but so many of us Mopar guys are 20 years or more behind the curve. GM guys have been putting the 200-4R and 700-R4 in classics since the late 80s.
The 518 requires removal of the center section of the torsion bar crossmember. If you plan to retain a torsion bar suspension, you'd need to fabricate a replacement center section with a taller arch in it. Also, there is a few reinforcing ribs in the tail shaft extension housing that can be cut away to obtain clearance. It has been documented at DodgeCharger.com but their search feature is not real helpful. Check their Engine, Transmission and Driveline forum.

Is the floor and crossmember that different in a 69 B from my 70 Cuda? I put a 518 in my Cuda last year and didn't have to hack the thing up.

Trimmed the tailshaft some and had to dimple the floor pan. It is certainly tight in a couple of places, but workable.

I think the engine sits slightly forward more in the E body cars, making the transmission tunnel a little more forgiving.

Have you done one ?? you have to trim the T bar X member, not cut out the arch & raise it, you just have to thin that area & weld it back.

After that there is a few spots that have to be hammered up for room.

Well no offense to you, but you also have spacers between the frame rails and K member. That is something that I would never do. The tapered shank of the K member bolts were designed to positively center the K member to the car structure. Given that you did this, I also suspect that you may have installed the transmission lower than others might. This would result in less transmission tunnel mods.

I posted lots of pics of a 518 in an e-body mod in this thread.

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbt...-automatic.html

It should be the same on an 69 B body. With Torsion bars, floor pans, K-frames, suspension and even the rear mount brackets swap-able (or at least nearly swap-able in some cases) between mid 60 to 72 B body and 70-74 Ebody I think it would work. I KNOW THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN THE PARTS ALONG THOSE YEARS BUT THEY WILL BOLT IN PLACE SO THE STRUCTURE CAN'T BE MUCH DIFFERENT.

Instead of removing the center of the brace I just trimmed the stiffening ribs and some unnecessary mounts of the side of the transmission.

Worked fine for me. Just food for thought.

Spacing a K frame is no big deal. Almost any new cars (which are uni-body) have a cradle with oversize holes that can be shifted fore/aft, left/right. Once the bolts are torqued its not going any where.

CSK, Nice article on the Charger.
Doug

can a factory console shifter be used ? what mods need done to it ?

My Cuda is floor shift. The linkage is tight, but works fine with only a couple of tweeks.

As to the discussion on lowering the K. I have done it on numerous cars with no issue. And didn't Mopar do it on the 68 SS cars? Seems that it worked okay there, too.

Thank You

I have seen the factory linkage works, but I converted my factory shifter to a cable.

I'll ask again, have you done one ? I thought you were smart, NEVER SAY NEVER , LMBO. NO my trans is not lower than others, if anything it is higher.

this picture is before I shimmed the K frame

Have I performed this swap?
No I have not. I do READ though. I installed a Gear Vendors OD and there was a variance of advice on that installation. As with other topics, there is often dissention on the correct way to do things.

so you are saying I did not do it correct. LOL

No, I was just thinking that your situation is a bit different. The K member spacers and dropped transmission mount probably resulted in less of a need to notch the torsion bar crossmember.
We all have deviations from stock that we are comfortable with or NOT willing to do.
Some guys seemed to wig out when I wrote that I had 12 year old tires on my car that I drove 100 mph for short blasts. The tires looked nearly new. When I replaced them, they even looked great from the inside. If you ask the "Tire experts", they swear that a car with tires older than 6 years is a a huge risk.

I've not done this swap on a 69 Charger, but I have played with enough Mopars of this era to know Chrysler quality control, as far as body tolerance are concerned, was pretty loose.

I suspect what actually will need to be done will be car specific. You can line up 10 different 69 chargers (or any other Mopar car line) side by side, and the modifications required to perform the same task will probably be different between more then 1/2 of them. The differences can range between very easy and very difficult, or be anywhere in between.

Posted in this thread may be both extreams, Moperx won't know what will actually needs to be done until he gets started. Gene

you are spot on as usual gene. i really won't know exactly what will need done until i start. just looking for general guidance now, and other's experience. as you said, the QC of these cars is/was all over the place when new, then add age and [possible] crash damage to the mix, who really knows what a particular car will actually require. luckily, i can fabricate and weld !

On the mod you did.

Did you trim anything on the transmission or just thin out the Torsion bar crossmember?

Definitely need to trim

Same as above pictures of CNXT

i was figuring on trimming quite a bit on those ribs. i wonder how much case strength would be lost by trimming all but approximately 1/2" off of those ribs ? i don't have a core transmission yet, but i have a couple of local leads.

If you are buying the trans as a core then do yourself a favor.

Gut the trans, then do your mock up with just the empty case.

Once everything fits, build the trans and install.

Those things are HEAVY.

Yeah... or use one of these....

my old carcass learned that a LONG time ago ! unfortunately franky, my shop only has an eight foot ceiling, and i have had no luck so far conning my best friend into buying a lift......

I picked up a used Kwik Lift for $400 when I did the swap, would have been a pain without it.

Interesting because I did the same trim on my 70 ebody and didn't have to touch the crossmember or body at all.

funny you should mention that. several years ago, i drew up and fabbed a lift similar to the "quick lift", but used truck air bags to raise and lower it, putting the tire bottom 20" in the air. i have all the parts made, but life dealt me a tough hand, and it's only about half put together. initial testing proved it will work as designed, but it's just one of many projects i need to finish. the bags are supposed to support 7000lb at 10psi. there are safety stands to support the rear of the ramps in use, while the front tires are supported on "piers" at the front.

CSK, is that an aluminum driveshaft? Did you get it out of a RT Dakota or aftermarket?

had it made