RvFNG76 wrote:
Griff once again thank you so much for all your help with my families soon to be next home on the road. I've often considered the tbi swap. Now down to brass tacks do you think I could pull a throttle body and intake from a mid to late 80's dodge? As well as maybe swap out the tranny for a 518 4 speed from the same vehicle. The only reason I ask is I have a late eitghties b250 with a 318 do you think it will work or is there too many differences in the intake???
Leeann already responded well so I'll just add some ...
The main problem with early A518s was substandard lock-up clutch material in the OEM torque converter. It would disintegrate, plug the fluid cooler in the radiator, and the transmission would overheat and burn up. Dodge upgraded the clutch material but it's still not adequate for use in a motorhome. (Some non-Dodge OEM-equivalent torque converters are continuing to use the old material.) There are a few aftermarket A518 torque converters up to the task but they're comparatively expensive.
Regardless, the OEM overdrive unit is not up to the task of a motorhome. It's okay in a sedan or a half-ton pickup or van.
Just about everything between the pump and overrunning clutch in the A518 and A727 is the same and interchangeable. The overdrive unit, in the tail cone of the A518, was not designed and isn't manufactured to the same standards as the A727.
So, Leeann is correct. A Gear Vendors Over/Under unit is the only reasonable way of having overdrive in Dodge-based motorhome.
Because the computer that drives the Dodge fuel injection is also tied to the A518, a swap is not an option.
An aftermarket two-barrel TBI is one option for you. Another option, better in my opinion, is a MPI intake manifold and throttle body. Edelbrock makes one and I think there's another company that makes one, both with favorable reviews and fans in each camp.
