The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Let's see.
Nearly 7 years..one day a week..countless setbacks and discoveries of past mishandling..and the incredible support from everyone on this site.
It's now home, but the challenges are far from over as there are other hurdles to pass.
-But at least I can take it for a spin here and there.

Thanks everyone!

Now that looks the absolute dogs bollocks Chuck
Bet ya happy boy aint ya?
Congratulations on sticking with it mate................please tell me you invited your idiot family member round for a look at your floorpan repair work

Looks great.

How is the transmission shifting now?

Thats a neat looking car ,I really like the painted bumpers

Wow, 7 yr wait.... getting that back now must still be a bit of dream..... One NICE looking Challenger there..... and again I like the painted bumpers

Thanks everyone!
The transmission is still struggling to go into third. Checked the kickdown and adjusted the band and still not much improvement.
Funny thing- if I "manually" shift from 1st into 2nd - then Drive- it goes into 3rd nearly every time.
Weird.

Congrats sweet Challenger! If the trans is new and built by a reputable shop/person I would check the Foll: 1st and pressure testing in the car is much easier then a stand alone trans dyno or test stand. That sounds like not enough mainline pressure. Make sure the kick-down is adjusted correctly.(this is vital because mainline pressure is dependent upon throttle pressure which interacts against the governor pressure for upshifts) If this doesnt help I would take it to a shop that can measure the mainline pressure. I think your problem lay in the governor pressure versus the 2-3 shift valve. I am not an expert but have re-built a few 727 Torque Flites. This has to be fixed/found or else you will burn up the clutch pack

Thanks for the tips. Right now, I have a 904 in the car and am saving up for a 727. Weird thing is- if I "shift manually" from LOW to second and then into drive, she goes into 3rd.
Until I can get this sorted, what's a safe speed to drive at?

There isn't a safe speed if the trans is slipping at all. If it does not sound as if it is slipping (higher revs than you expect) then you are probably OK.

It could be a sticking actuator. It sounds like you need to take the trans apart and re-assemble while checking all the parts, seals, and clearances. Not as hard as it sounds in practice.

Dave-
I've heard positive stories about both the 904 and 727. I never plan on racing this car- and aside from highway driving (65-80mph) I will never rag on it. Some folks have said the 904 is fine for my uses- even with the upgrades I've done to my 360 engine (upgraded cam/ pistons) while others, including my friend who assisted me with this project, says I'll probably burn up the 904 in a while.
What's your take on these from a "drive around town" perspective?

The 904 is plenty strong enough. It is lighter and robs less HP from the engine too.

I see no reason to upgrade to a big block transmission. Even though the 340 and 360 got a 727 back in the day, the transmission was not built to big block spec anyway.

The 904 will be fine ,I know people that build em right and lean on em hard at the strip ,they do last if built right ,and as Dave says they are much lighter and have less parasitic loss