A833 and the 235?

[alden]

I posted this over at stovebolt but figured I'd shotgun it over here to see if anyone that doesn't frequent that forum had some experience here:

I've been searching and reading for a few days now and can't really find anything definitive other than people saying it's an option (but the posts I've found describing their experience are from the 1960's truck crowd). For reference I'm working with a 59 fleetside longbed currently with a 235 and SM420.

My SM420 either needs to be replaced or rebuilt, and either option is not cheap. On the other hand I just scored an early 80's chevy A833 in good working condition (minus one broken linkage) for a very good price. Unfortunately the blast shield did not come with it.

My questions are as follows if anyone can clear up the doubt left by my searches:

1. Has anyone written up their specific experience adapting this transmission to a late 50's 235? I.e. a step by step walk-through of tasks?

2. is the blast shield (I use that term, some others might call it the bell-housing; I'm a novice so hopefully that gets the point across) required or will it mate up to the one from my sm420?

3. What modifications are needed to make this work? I'm assuming the following: driveshaft shortened, shifter handle modified or recreated to bend it forward under the bench seat, modification to the floorboard to put a new hole for the shifter. Anything on the engine side?

-Alden

[Big Port Jimmy 6]

Alden they used two different a833 overdrives in the late squarebodies, one had the Chevy pattern to mount to the bellhousing and one had a hybrid bell housing with a Chevy block bolt pattern and a Mopar trans pattern. If you have the first with the Chevy pattern it will bolt to the bell housing on your 235. You will need to check the register (hole)where the front bearing retainer goes in the bell housing to make sure that the register is large enough. I am fairly certain that the SM420 bells all have the correct larger register though. If you have one of the trans with the Mopar pattern, you will need to find the correct hybrid bell housing and an adapter to go from the 235 block to the V8 chevy bell housing. There may be an adapter that would go from the Mopar trans to the chevy trans pattern also. It would have to be an old stock Offenhauser or Hurst possibly. The real disadvantage of going away from the stock 235 bellhousing is the loss of the mid mounts and having to fabricate replacements. It also goes without saying that you would have to match up the input shaft spine count to a correct clutch disc. The coarse spline disc may be same between the two. You also may want to read up on the t5 swap also it is more popular due to the easier availability of parts.

PS You will also need to get the shifter that come with the a833 overdrive application as it is specific and as I last heard not supported by the aftermarket.

Hope this helps Jay