driveline opinion

Hi,
I currently have the 225 dauntless V6, TH 400 trans and dana 20 TC
Dana 27 front and Dana 44 rear. The set up doesn't work too well. For a pull it from the junk yard budget, what would you recommend for trans/ TC? I would like to keep the 225. Oh yeah it is a 68 CJ 5.

Josh

PS leaning toward a manual trans

 

I would go find a cheap sm420 or sm465 for around 100 dollars and then buy an adapter to go to a dana 20 or maybe find find a dana 300 laying around.

 

The Dana 44 is a center unit. I don't really have an issue with the Dana 20 they were good and it seems to work ok. I guess it is this TH400 I don't like. It jumps when I put it into gear. I don't know if there is something wrong with it or if it is because the original setup was designed to have a massive, rpm slowing flywheel instead of this paper thin AT flywheel?
Then there is this issue of the driveshafts. The rear driveshaft is very short but seems to work ok. The front drive shaft is almost 3 ft long. If I keep it as a straight shaft it'll almost certainly hit the trans pan. If i split it I'll need a carrier bearing which seems impossible to find, not to mention having an expensive specially designed 2 piece driveshaft. I think it would be much cheaper and easier to use parts 'designed' to fit in this Jeep. It had a 2 piece drvshaft I took it out sectioned it and welded it back togeter to make a straight shaft because I couldn't find a replacement carrier bearing. Am I missing something here? What do you think?

Josh

 

The V6 Jeepsters had the same setup as you - TH400 and D20. You could copy whatever front driveshaft they have. Fairly sure it's one piece.

I don't know much specific about the TH400, but a common shadetree mod is a shift kit, which changes the valving to alter the shift speed. A mechanic friend of my Dad's had an early 50s Chevy truck like that - a Hydramatic though. I understand you can take the spring plates out of the clutch packs and replace them with flat plates. Shifted like there was a man standing in the bed, hitting the bed with a sledge hammer.

There's standard soft valving, and there's RV valving ("crisp" shifts) and there's race valving (hard shifts).

 

The V6 Auto Jeepsters used a 2 piece with center support bearing-PIA

You have an interesting combo; there is no easy soloution $$ wise IMO

 

What do you mean by jumping when you put it in gear?
It kind of sounds like you need a higher rpm stall converter. Not race rad by any means, just a tad over stock. Also what is the rpm at idle?

 

As far as I know all jeepsters had a 2 pc. front driveshaft. Both auto and manual trans. All three I have owned had them (67 manual, 69 auto, 70 manual).

If all you needed was the bearing its available through any good industrial supply, maybe even NAPA (although NAPA will charge you three times as much for it). You just have to press it off and measure IDxODxW with a dial caliper. If you don't have a caliper, take it off and go sweet talk the counter clerk at you local industrial supply. He'll probably do it for you.

 

By jumping, I mean when you go from park to drive with your foot firmly planted on the brake pedal it lurches forward maybe a foot. I tried turning down the idle but it still lurches and now almost stalls. My brother who is a somewhat of a mechanic told me it was probably the torque converter stall speed or the trans. What stall speed converter should I have? 225 V6 -4 barrel, 400 AT, Dana 20 transfer as a reminder.

 

Not sure whats in it stock but you need more than you have now.
I'd say thats the culpret though. It should not jump/surge when placed in gear.
Maybe someone with more GM auto tranny knowledge will pipe in.

 

Something in the 1500-1800rpm stall range would be more than sufficient. Also, check the tranny fluid. What's it look like? Is it pink or brown? How's it shift once you start driving?

 

earlier reply is correct when stated "interesting combo". Belongs in a commando not a Cj5. Question is how much bucks ya got to toss into it? What are you trying to do with it? Friend of mine has a 71 commando 3sp, 20 tc. It wheels, but is not good on steep rocky terrain. If there were bucks, I would go with a 4 speed granny tranny, keep the 20 tc. Bellhousing, adapter, linkage, flywheel, etc. Ain't gonna be cheap, but the results are gonna be worth it! -Hill

 

should be a "bullet" proof setup. sounds like a tranny rebuild is in order.

 

It seems to shift ok once you start driving. From what I remember, the last time I checked the trans fluid it looked pink-ok. Oh, also when it shifts from gear to gear it shifts fairly hard and quick like it has a shift kit.

Josh

 

What the RPM @ idle?