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Modern Muscle with a 5-Speed Manual InstallInstalling modern manual Mopar muscle with Keisler five-speed upgrade From the January, 2005 issue of Mopar Muscle By Randy Bolig Photography by Muscle Car Restorations
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Making your Mopar a more "modern" style vehicle does not mean you haveto add 20-inch wheels, and/or drastically change the appearance of yourcar. We realize that your interest in muscle cars leans toward the stocklooking cars. But, does that mean you can't upgrade your car to handleand perform like a true 21st-century ride? Mopars are a hot commoditythese days, and more and more older Mopars are being modified toresemble a stock appearance than ever. It sounds strange that we say,"modified to resemble stock", but it's true. The classic look of thesecars, matched with new technology is a terrific combination. But, how isa balance achieved? Car owners are taking the necessary steps to retainthe timeless looks of a classic Mopar, but are updating, to make thatclassic drive similar to, or better than, a much later model. But driving a vintage muscle car with the original four speed and steepgears at sustained high speeds on the interstates, quickly bringsseveral problems to light. The high rpm you experience with an older,non-overdriven transmission causes driver fatigue and poor fuel economy,and it contributes to reduce engine life. If you swap rear end gears, ora complete differential, to a long-legged (low-numerical) setup,acceleration is severely sacrificed. So, what's a guy to do? Enter Keisler Automotive Engineering and theirlineup of five- and six-speed transmission installation systems.Keisler's kits are based on new Tremec five-speeds and six-speedtransmissions. These transmissions have large diameter and widthchrome-moly steel gears, quiet and efficient tapered roller bearings,all chrome-moly steel shafts, short throw internal shifters, and thanksto a pressure die-cast alloy ribbed case, a trim weight of just99-pounds for the five-speed, and 138-pounds for the six-speed.Keisler's kits are custom-engineered to fit a specific application, andthe kits are shipped with all necessary installation parts, including alightweight balanced chrome-moly driveshaft. The advantages of late-model transmissions are, you get fasteracceleration in first gear with either a 2.97:1 or 2.66:1 low gear forgreat around-town drivability, and spine-tingling acceleration at thestab of the throttle. You reap the highway benefits of a low rpm,overdrive fifth, and sixth gears--gearing that will drop the rpm levelsat an interstate-friendly 75-80 m.p.h. to below what was previouslyturned at a meager 55-m.p.h. No old Mopar has ever been accused of beinga fuel miser, but in this day of premium unleaded nudging $2.50 pergallon, every increased mile per gallon counts. We think there are some very good reasons to consider converting from anearly-model stock trans, either four-speed or automatic, to one ofKeisler's Tremec five- or six-speeds, so, let's see what it actuallytakes to make the switch. If plan on driving your muscle car, be it a Mopar, Ford, or Chevrolet,the Keisler five-and six-speed transmission conversion is probably oneof the best upgrades you can make. Now, we don't want to blow smoke upanyone's you-know-what, so this kit will involve a fair amount of workto install. Do not let that deter you from purchasing this kit. KeislerAutomotive goes to great lengths, to make the kit as complete aspossible. If you can follow directions, and have a mediocre amount ofmechanical aptitude, this can be accomplished in a couple days time. Ifyou have more than a mediocre amount of mechanical ability, the timewill be shortened. For those of you that still feel it is above yourgrasp, Keisler can even schedule your car into their shop, and do theinstall for you. So, what are you waiting for?  What's a guy to do if he/she...  What's a guy to do if he/she has a car that is this nice? Drive it ofcourse! By adding a Keisler Automotive five-speed manual conversion, youcan have all this horsepower, steep gears, and still be able to driveit. Believe it or not, we did on the 2004 Power Tour  A new, not rebuilt, Tremec...  A new, not rebuilt, Tremec is the heart of the conversion. Completingthe swap is a balanced chrome-moly driveshaft, custom cross-member,speedometer cable, wiring, and mounting hardware.  After removing the exhaust,...  After removing the exhaust, stock transmission, bell housing, clutch andflywheel, the install can begin. Install the new flywheel, and torque itto specs. If you're replacing a manual transmission, you will need toremove the old pilot bushing. A heavy-duty needle-roller pilot bearingis supplied, and carefully fitted into the recess of the crankshaft. Thepilot bearing plays a very important role in transmission life bysupporting its input shaft within the crankshaft. Roller style bearingsoffer a much longer life than the oil-impregnated bushings ofyesteryear. The pressure plate and clutch disk were installed next. Itis important not to over-torque the bolts, and to use the alignment toolto center the disk on the crankshaft so transmission installation willgo smoothly. The Hays-manufactured diaphragm pressure plate shown,offers positive engagement with reduced pedal effort compared to theBorg & Beck three-finger type that was used originally.  If you do not plan on voiding...  If you do not plan on voiding the warranty, the bellhousing-to-crankshaft alignment must be checked and recorded. This keepsthe crankshaft and transmission input shaft running in alignment witheach other. When aligning the centerline, if the alignment is out ofspec, the straight dowel pins are removed from the block, and replacedwith correcting/offset dowel pins. Keisler supplies these and a low-costdial indicator set for aligning the bell housing, in case you don't haveone.  Moving up into the cockpit,...  Moving up into the cockpit, we need to make a small transmission tunnelmodification. Using the supplied template/cover plate, you will need tocut the tunnel for the transmission to fit.  After cutting the required...  After cutting the required hole, test fit the transmission to make sureyou have enough clearance around the opening.  With the transmission fitted,...  With the transmission fitted, you will need to install the Keislersupplied cover. This cover comes as a flat piece of metal with theshifter hole already made. You will however need to make the appropriatebends to fit it to your tunnel. Now, you can either attach the coverwith screws, pop-rivets, or weld it in place.  Now, you can either attach...  Now, you can either attach the coverwith screws, pop-rivets, or weld it in place.  (above & right) Before the...  (above & right) Before the final installation of the transmission, you will need toinstall throw out bearing. In this application, we chose to use ahydraulic clutch kit from Keisler. Set up the bearing using the suppliedspacers, and follow direction explicitly. Hurrying now will only cause aproblem with operation later.  Here you can see that the...  Here you can see that the shifter boot is attached. If it the boot looksstock to you, that's because it is. When finished, the Keisler kitreally looks like a factory-installed transmission.  One thing you will need to...  One thing you will need to do if your car already had a manualtransmission is to replace the carpeting. The shifter location is movedto the right, and the new shifter will not line up with the hole in thecarpet.  (above & below left) To activate...  (above & below left) To activate the hydraulic throw out bearing, we need to install theactuator. The actuator installs into the factory clutch-rod hole, andattaches with screws; next, attach the actuator arm to the pedal. If younotice something missing in the image, you have a good eye. Whenever youinstall a diaphragm style clutch, you should remove the over-centerspring, as it may cause issues since the diaphragm style is much easierto operate.  To connect the actuator to...  To connect the actuator to the throw out bearing, Keisler supplies ahigh-quality steel-braided line. The supplied cover is placed over theclutch fork hole, and the line is fed through it to the bearing.  (above & below left) To get...  (above & below left) To get the fluid to the actuator, you need a reservoir. A bracket ismounted to the firewall, by attaching at the master cylinder bolts.Next, mount the reservoir to the bracket and run the hose to theactuator. When you have all the lines installed correctly, bleed theactuator cylinder per the instructions.  The back-up light sender and...  The back-up light sender and the speedometer will need to be hooked-upnext. Splice the wires for the backup light into the factory harness,and attach the speedometer cable extension to the factory cable. Thespeedometer hook up for the Tremec is farther back, and that is thereason for the extension.  With the Keisler shifter handle...  With the Keisler shifter handle installed, the install in done, andlooks factory.
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