Tag: a518 transmission

Overdrive!

I wanted to give a little shout-out, as they say, for the kit that controls my overdrive and torque converter lockup. Here’s the link: https://www.transdepot.net/A518-Lock-Up-Wiring-Instructions-46RH-Only_c_279.html

I was whining to a customer a couple years ago about how high my D100 was revving on the highway. I could barely get to 55 mph and it sounded like an indy car. Maybe I’m exaggerating.

He told me I could add an overdrive transmission to the back of my 318 with “very little work”. Those three words often accompany a lot of work, so I was skeptical. A local transmission shop (Tri City Transmissions in Kitchener) sourced the A518 out of a pre-1995 Dodge pickup, and I got to work installing it. This was happening right before my annual trip to Syracuse, and I found out by doing the swap on my own that transmissions are heavy. You’ll need to move the transmission mount somewhat, but we have some parts for that. Check out the link for a kit that will let you control the overdrive and lockup without a computer. It’s been working flawlessly for a couple years now. Make sure you have consistent vacuum (I had an arcing spark plug wire and it caused a lot of frustration during my first trip).

Let me know if you have any questions about the swap! I’ll see what I can do to remember an answer.