FULL MANUAL: torqueflite

[Gromski]

what are the advantages to having a full manual torqueflite in a race only car.If this is just hobby car is full manual the way to go.I going to use a BM transpak competition kit,with the BM hammer shifter.These pieces
were purchased before I read most of the posts.

[Christopher]

The shifts are a lot quicker,you have control when to shift,and you don't have kickdown linkage to worry about.I ran one on the street,they work great.

[motorhead440]

i have a turbo action full manual vb in my 70 440 duster and i love it. i mainly use it for qtr mile but i drive it on the street once and awhile. the shifts are positive and "there" just remember that what ever gear you have it in, is the gear you start off in.there is no automatic anything. i use a hurst qtr stick in my duster, i like the combo, it works well together. good luck

they stink on the street, u have to manuelly
up and down shift.

[DartGT66]

That's why they are called manual valve bodies, I guess. For full shift control, the manual valve body is the only choice. The shifts are hard and happens immediately when you pull the shifter. That's something you can't achieve even with the best shift kits. I have used the manual valve body in the street for four years, and I really like it. You just have to always shift manually, but that's fun too. One feature of the manual valve body is that there is no motor braking in first gear.

[River]

no braking in 1st...so it basically freewheels when you let off it? how?

[The Dartman]

One thing I would like to mention about manual valve bodies, is that your shifter MUST be 100% perfect. Do not buy a low end or used shifter in ANY manual valve body application. If it is an older shifter, very good idea to replace the cable as well. Cables that come out of adjustment easily, shifters that do not have an easy ratchet pattern both up and down are not acceptable in a manul valve body street app. I have had multiple problems with B&M's Lower end shifters like the Star Shifter and others. I recommend for the lower end a Hurst Pro Matic II (mine cost $75 new!) and I installed one in my Dad's Duster as well. As soon as the shifter was installed, Dad's tranny problems went away. His old B&M required adjusting about every two weeks, and the B&M cables would pull out of the "crimp" about twice a year. My car had an aftermarket 1973 Hurst automatic shifter installed for 24 years!! When it went bad, the brakets actually rusted off were it was bolted to the floor!! Cable was still fine!! Both mine and Dad's Pro matic's have NEVER been adjsted since initial install (with the exclusion of me pulling the trans early in '99).

I guess with all my ramblings here that I just want to recommend a good shifter with good ratchet action up and down.

[Dr. Righteous]

HEY, one of the hottest things in 'sporty' new cars is manual control over shifts. Can you believe it? An old racer's trick making it into production cars.

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Stress is a relative thing. Now please shift into 4th.

[moparscott]

I think manual valve bodies are great in a street car. You don't have to worry about modifying your kickdown rods and brackets when switching to an aftermarket carb. You still get the predictable "launch" characteristics that an automatic provides, you get firmer shifting, and you get the FUN of being in total control of your upshifts and downshifts.

[Zorb]

Is a manual valve body a reverse pattern,1,2,D - or are there both forward and reverse manual valve bodies?

[Christopher]

There are both,but the common setup is P-R-N-1-2-3

[mopar34069 Joanne]

My dart was a 4 speed when we got it but I wanted to take it down the track after the burning up thru 1 and 2 we put in a torqueflite with the manual valve body a B&M shifter. Boy what fun. On the street and down the strip. Never miss a gear and it is always there no matter what gear you are shifting to and i still get to shift. I see it as the best of both worlds an automatic that I don't miss a gear with. The shifter is the ratchet type you just bang and go it has the reverse lock out red handle. I chose this shifter because it is easy to use and is NHRA approved for racing. I have never missed a gear with it. My Dart runs 12.90's-13.00's in the 1/4 thru flowmasters and dot hoosier quick time pro's. I drive it to the track cause hubby has to trailer his(64 Polara 10.50's in the 1/4). He also has the torqueflite with the manual reverse body.

[This message has been edited by mopar34069 Joanne (edited January 04, 2000).]

[Christopher]

Mopar34069Joanne, Welcome to our board!! You'll find a bunch of info here,the members are super sharp,and everybody helps each other out.Tell us more about your car and your husbands car.Please visit often and contribute to our forum!!

[prostock]

I run a Fairbanks standard shift pattern manual valve body in my 68 Super Bee on the street, and it works great.

I don't see it being any more "work" than driving a 4 speed.

[GILBO]

what causes the trans to freewheel in 1st. gear. i've not heard about that before, i've been thinking about getting one and a b&m megashifter for my charger r/t. any info welcome! also will my 10" alabama converter soften up the shifts like it does to my b&m shift kit. thanks for any info.

[This message has been edited by GILBO (edited January 05, 2000).]

[V10nacuda]

prostock,
does the foward manual shift as hard as the reverse ones... I have been looking for the foward pattern ones so I can keep the slap stick in my 71 barracuda.... any one else had experience with the 2 types & there differences..

thanks V10

[Christopher]

You can use the reverse valve body with a stock shifter.I had one in my 69 Dart,and my Lil Red Express truck.

[prostock]

V10nacuda

I have never had a reverse pattern valve body in this car, so I can't compare "apples to apples", but it shifts plenty hard to me. It's a 30 over 383, 3000 stall turbo action converter, turbo action full rebuild transmission, and a 4.10 8 3/4.

Chris,

I think he may be looking for the standard pattern valve body so he can keep the slap stick function of his shifter.

[Christopher]

Good point.I didn't think about that.

[Old hippie]

My cousin runs a screamin' "F" word product and he has used both forward and reverse manual valve bodies and there was not any differance in how firm the shifts were. The big thing we noticed is that on the launch with the reverse valve body you need to keep your hand off of the shifter or you will be in 2nd about 10 feet out of the hole which raiseses hell with your short times. This thing launches HARD!
The Old Hippie Hisself

[mopar34069 Joanne]

Hi everybody! I wanted to fill Chris in on my Dart. It is a 69 340 Swinger. We purchased the car in 95 and boy it looked good but mechanical wise it was a nightmare. It had a 360 in it and a 4 speed the wiring harness caught on fire the 4 speed was a mess the clips kept coming off the arm leaving us in 1 gear how stranded we got a few times. We straightened the wiring out and put in another 4 speed then the 360 had to go so we built a 30 over 340, J heads with moderate work,Dove roller tip 1.6:1 rockers, 2.02/1.60 valves, 750 Holley on a torquer 2 intake,K&N air filter that I had Darrel Alderman(MY HERO),Larry Morgan, and Larry Nance sign at the Mopar Nationals in 99, 284/484 hyd.cm, it is in 4 dgrees advance, stock cast pistons, 1-5/8 hooker comp. headers w/3"exhaust and flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers, I have a Carter race Mech. fuel pump and had to add a small elect. carter to help out for racing (was going thru w/2lbs.of pressure before adding the elect.), I have a dynamic 10" converter that was ordered with the specs of the car given, tor/flite 727 with cheetah rev. full man. valve body, 4.10 gear ,8-3/4 rearend, hoosier d.o.t. quick time pro's on the back, shifter is a b&m ratchet shifter w/line lock button in b&m handle, and an autometer monster tach w/shift light. For xmas I got a msd 6al that we will add this spring when I get the car out of storage. I drive it to the track and race it as is I run 93 octane either Shell or Sunoco and no additives it doesnt like it. It will run in the 12.90-13.00 range at 105-106 mph range. I have 1.85 60 ft. This will be my 5th year on this motor. We have another one started to put in but I told my husband it ain't broke so dont fix it. The new motor is just to go faster the bracket I run has a lot of low 12 sec. cars in it so it is to let me chase instead of being chased. Well I hope my car passes everyones approval. I love my car and like I told a guy who kept bugging me to buy it "The husband will be gone before my car will leave these hands!" Thanks for reading I will get my husband to write about his 64 Polara for racing and his 72 Duster for the street. we call them His, Hers, and Ours! (the race car)

[Christopher]

Sounds cool to me!!

[360duster]

Sounds like a real nice swinger Joanne ,i don`t blame you for keeping it.On the subject of manual valve bodies,i had a fairbanks reverse pattern in my 69 gt with 360 & 727.It was a lot of fun to drive on the street. with 4.10 gears i never had to downshift unless i came to a complete stop.then after i got the car rolling i would put it in high gear again, not much shifting at all.

[DartGT66]

And yes, a high stall converter will soften the shifts with a manual valve body too, if you shift at lower rpm than the stall speed.

[AZMOPAR]

One thing you might want to consider with a full manual valve body - some such as the Turbo Action Chetah depend on the over-running clutch in the trans to provide 1st gear (the rear band is not applied). This is the reason that no 1st gear braking is provided with that valve body. If you accelerate in 1st and get out of it, getting back on the throttle while still in 1st places an extreme load on the over-running clutch as it tries to lock back up. That may cause the clutch to fail - this will allow the clutch drum to turn at 2.5 times engine RPM, possibly causing a trans explosion. There are some pictures floting around that show the amount of damage that can cause. That is why trans shields are required for 727s in some NHRA classes, and why Turbo Action has a "don't use on street" disclaimer with their full manual valve body.

[lmopar69]

I built a 87 Ram 50, (mitsubishi) truck with a 340. I ran a Cheetah reverse pattern manual valve body in a 727. I loved it. Lightning quick shifts! and with a B&M mega shifter, it was great. My wife even drove the thing to work for a while, she enjoyed the looks she got. So go for the manual valve body best $140 I ever spent.

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Laine
Lmopar69@hotmail.com

[MopART]

Oh, did anybody mention how cool the manual valvebody is ? I would say that I am most impressed by the fact that you don't lose any rpm when shifting and not having to worry about the kickdown is a big relief - since you don't even use it. I never was happy with any position on the kick down for racing application and dual purpose (street/strip) was a big guessing game. If you've got a tight fit such as an "A" body with a 440 and CPPA/TTI headers, you can forget the stock kick down linkages.
Just make sure you take the time and adjust your shifter cable properly. Oh, yes, do buy a good shifter.