i swaped out my 225 for this 318. having a bitch of a time matching up a tranny. i have a 904 from a 63 cuda. it had a 273 v-8. but it doesn't fit the 318 right. i'd have to cut some steel off the starter side of the block and drill/tap for the bottom 7/16 bolt. but i wanna know why i cant find the right tranny? any help? please e-mail me. jamcanfield at frontiernet dot net thanks.

 

i'm just outside albany n.y. if anybody wants to sell me one?

 

welcome.
the l.a. blocks are the same the 904 from a 273 l.a. will fit any other l.a. are you sure the trany is from a l.a. block or was it a poly small block?
did you actualy remove the 904 from the engine or was that a story some one told you? it may have been a slant six and that will only bolt to a slant six.
im just throwing out some ideas here if all block are l.a. the trany should bolt up.
With that being said any trany shop or junk yard in the local area should have plenty on hand.

 

The early "poly" 318 and any small block LA as well as the magnum and 3G hemis are all the same block pattern

The difference is that the converter snout on the early transmissions is smaller, so using a later engine means you need a busing ring between the snout of the (original) converter and the late (larger) crank recess.

Your description sounds like you have a /6 transmission. You can easily ID it just by looking

In the photo below, the left side of the photo is a big block trans, the small block is on the right



This bottom photo is a bell off a /6. Notice how HIGH the starter mount is, a dead givaway

 

the area above the starter. your pic's show aprox 1 inch space between the dowel alignment hole and the 7/16 bolthole.. big block and small. however. this tranny. "came from a 64 cuda. had a shorter tailshaft.. so i gutted my 6 cyl tranny and just used the case from the cuda's 904... now these were only made from 63 to 65. the 66 had a slip yoke for the tail 63-65 still had the trunnion joint.. push button!!!. not tryin to use a newer one???

anyway's. mine. and iv'e seen the same measurement on late model 904's... . the measurement between those holes is aprox 1/2 inch. so i'd have to trim the block to make the starter fit. and drill/tap a new 7/16th bolthole in the block.....SCREWING me if i find the right one too??

an ol timer told me he's heard of simmular issues with adapting auto trans to the 50's nash/dodge hemi's 303-326? which the 318 poly is from same block family right?

 

i can see now that yours. to my view... the one on the left is the small block. it looked like shadows at first but yours also has aprox 1/2 inch between dowel and big bolthole... the face of my engine doesn't. it has aprox 1 inch like the big block's...

the ser. # on the block makes it to be a 66 engine.. still should be same right?

 

 

another thing i see different. the attack of the 7/16 bolt.. comes from the engineside and threads into the bellhousing. just like the 6 cyl engines do. and this tranny... all the bolts attach from the tranny side into the block.

 

No, you have the engine transmission mis-aligned or twisted. In the photo of the transmission you posted the bolts are from top to bottom:

1---3/8" bolt from rear of bell into block

2--Dowel alignment hole

3--7/16 bolt from front of block into bell

4--Top starter stud and nut

5--Bottom starter bolt.

You have something out of line. That bell fits a small block.

There is no such thing as a Nash hemi

 

if you notice the yellow crayon marks on the block? the distance between the dowel hole and the bolt hole? on the tranny it's 1/2 in.. on the engine it's just over an inch.. iv'e had this all together. it all ligned up. converter as well. minus the starter...and that 7/16 bolt...

 

i read an article on how the dodge boy's aquired nash. and what dodge gained from it. the poly engine family (A block) was one of them. later becoming the LA.. the hemi design also came from nash. was the aricle wrong?

 

ARE you sure you have a 904 ??? It looks like a BB bolt pattern but the 904 was never made for a BB

 

Yes... it's a 904.. the dowel's are way off to be BB. this tranny DOES mate up to the 318 with the exception of the 1 bolt hole.. making the starter not line up in it's socket...

 

we need a picture

 

see reply #7... above. pic #1 is the standard 904 everybody's familure with. (although it's a pushbutton case)

pic #2 is the starter side of the block. see where the standard 904 would bolt marked by the yellow crayon? notice it now?

this seems to be turning out to be a learning experience for more than just me....

 

You have to have the trany twisted, the two bottom holes are for the two bolts from the block side..." 5/8 socket"
the other four "9/16" socket after the pins
so fro the bottom up it should read blot pin bolt bolt
i have in stalled dozens of tranies over the years and you can easily get it misaligned especially when your lying on your back.
i always target the pins first when installing.... the holes second from the bottom of the bell housing.
also i notice in your pic that your pins are not tapered which makes it harder to align and get them into there respective pin holes.
also when you are installing the trani you have the torque converter installed on the bell housing not the motor also make sure you have the torque converter totally seated inside the bell housing/pump if you don't get the converter seated all the way that will also interfere with your alignment..

 

Read this thread, should answer your questions.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486365

 

thanks man... not answered though. where are all the right ones? something fit's exact??? one would think this problem would be more common? if there out there it'll be the one way back of the shelf with the "?" on it...

 

maybe that trani cam out of some AMC car or a postal van?

 

ya gotta remember what ya read dude. i already stated more than once. it came from a 64 cuda. -w- 273 engine. it matches the LA engine. the A engine pattern is slightly different as decribed in that : http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486365 : post... so now the big mystery is: where the hell are all the tranny's that fit the A block. and ?? why do i have to modify mine? it's not like i can use a late model 904 or 727 right???

 

Now I'm confused. You trying to use an early Poly?

All 273/ 318 LA should be the same end of story.

I'm pretty sure the 65? later 318 Poly are the same as LA, it was only the early Poly (and might have been the old 315, not the 318) that was different

This cannot be an AMC trans, the starter on an AMC is on the other side. Looking at your photo, this sure looks like a SB trans and not BB, so at this point I don't know

WHAT specifically is this engine block?

 

A picture of the motor.. Not a 2" square so we can make sure what you have...

 

no. it's a 66 out of a dodge polara... definatly a 318. "A" block, not a "LA" the trans case is a 64. from a cuda. -w- 273, which that turns out to be a LA block??? if i'm reading everything right..

 

tv. that's been established. I know what i have. you'd need a pic. of what i don't have in order to help. where can i buy one?

 

jerry browns auto salvage in Queensbury Ny Or call Shawn Buffo at Buffomatic transmissions in Albany/ Glenmont

 

this is turning out to be one for the books. went up to glens falls yesterday cause they said. yeah we got one. BUT it was for the 273. LA case....

 

You may need the older cast iron torque flight What happened to the original trans

 

un-freekin-believable. it turns out.. if the site i was just on giving all the option data for those years is right. the belvedere didn't offer the 318 poly till 65.. and say's it had a 2 speed auto trans.. that would be the 904? however. in Austrailia and other CHRYSLER/UK provided countries. this engine goes back to 59 in there same body/version of the belvedere..

so now my options. if i can make everything work. find a 1 year only tranny.(65) or find the 66. 1 year only that needs modifications. or cut and drill/tap my block to fit the 273 case....that i allready have.??? now i understand why love for the mopar doesn't come cheep.