Installing Classic Motorsports Group’s
Elite TKO Overdrive Transmission Kit

Into a 1970 Dart

By
Jeff Mortenson
Classic Motorsports Group

The first step in the install process was to remove the stock transmission, driveshaft, and crossmember as well as the interior carpet and front seats so we would have room to work.

Because the TKO is a larger transmission than a stock Mopar automatic or manual transmission it is first necessary to modify the tunnel to allow the transmission to fit properly in the tunnel. To do this we neede to remove the carpet and front seat to give us room to work. The Classic Motorsports Group kit includes a tunnel cutting template to show you where to cut as well as a pre-formed replacement tunnel patch.

The floor brace that runs along the underside of the floorboard interferes with the TKO transmission. The detailed installation instructions clearly explain how to properly cut out the stock floor brace and to install the custom replacement floor brace included in the kit. The custom floor brace is an extremely solid piece and is designed to be stronger than the stock brace.

The next step was to install the custom roller pilot bearing into the crank. The custom bearing has the correct outside diameter to fit into and stock Mopar crank while having the correct inside diameter to match the input shaft on the TKO.

With the flywheel, clutch disc, and pressure plate installed, the next step was to install the custom floor brace.

Before we installed the transmission, we needed to reposition the shifter mechanism by simply unbolting it and rotating it 180* and bolting it back down.

Although the Classic Motorsports Group TKO kit is designed to work with the stock A-Body mechanical clutch linkage, we decided to install a custom hydraulic release bearing instead. This hydraulic bearing with complete installation kit is available from Classic as an optional item. Every nut and bolt that is needed is included in the kit which makes the installation very straight forward.

Next, the transmission and bellhousing assembly was ready to be installed to the motor. The custom aluminum bellhousing is an exclusive CMG part that is specially designed for the small block Mopar engine block-to-TKO transmission application. For big block applications CMG has custom SFI scattershields available.

     

Crossmember
The Classic Motorsports Group kits include a custom crossmember specifically designed for 1967-76 A-body cars. It is a bolt in unit designed to work in conjunction with the custom floor brace. When installed the custom crossmember position the TKO transmission for correct driveline angle which is very important. All of the hardware needed for the crossmember as well as the complete installation is included with the kit.

Driveshaft
The Classic Motorsports Group kit also includes a custom made driveshaft complete with u-joints and C6 slip yoke. Detailed driveshaft measuring instructions are included with the installation instructions. After measuring, the driveshaft form was faxed to CMG for processing. The custom driveshafts are built and shipped within 3 days of ordering.

Final under car work
After installing the new driveshaft we then focused on the electrical connections. For the reverse light switch, we simply hooked up the reverse light wires from the stock wiring harness to the reverse light switch located on the driver’s side of the transmission case. The kit includes a custom pigtail connector that easily snaps on to the reverse light switch on the transmission.

Next, we installed the custom CMG speedometer cable that has proper fitting on the speedo head end for installation to the stock Mopar speedometer gauge an custom integrated adapter to mate with the TKO. Electronic speedometer kits are also available from CMG when using an aftermarket electric speedo gauge.

Before leaving the underside of the car, we filled the transmission with 3 quarts of Pennzoil Syncromesh transmission fluid.

Final steps
The last step was to install the custom tunnel patch. The universal tunnel patch is preformed and has a proper sized hole cut out for the TKO shifter mechanism but it does require additional modifications (cutting, trimming, and forming) for final installation.

The last step was to install a shifter stick and of our choice, re-install the carpet and seats, and take the car for a test drive – what a difference a gear makes! We were able to cruise in the fast lane at about 2000 RPM’s!