Keisler Engineering 5 Speed Transmission Kit [Archive] - PY Online Forums

View Full Version : Keisler Engineering 5 Speed Transmission Kit

68MeanVerdoroGreen

10-21-2005, 04:56 PM

Fellow forum members,

Has anyone puchased or have information on Keisler Engineering.
This looks like a nice complete package that puts the stick shift in the original place and work with the stock crossmember.

http://www.keislerauto.com/gm/transmissions/chevelle_68-72.asp

This would make a good project for me over the winter.

Thanks in advance,

black_bird

10-21-2005, 05:37 PM

I did the swap in my 81 Trans Am, and I like it now. When we ordered the kit we had some issues getting parts from them; it took quite a while, but it was worth it I think in the end. There are some other companies out there I believe doing this swap now, and I've seen a couple with a different shifter setup that I think work better than the way Keisler did mine. I'm happy I did the swap, first gear is wicked, and having an overdrive is so nice. It also looks pretty dang stock on the inside. The shifter I got looks nothing like the one in the picture, and we had to have a new crossmember made, which they supplied in the kit. So, I imagine a few things have changed since I got mine. I think you'll likely enjoy the overdrive when/if you get it; it's so nice on the highway. I think I've rambled on enough now, lol, any questions, hit me up. I can take pictures or whatever if you want me to.

berrygoat

10-21-2005, 07:11 PM

Do a search under the member "streetking". He had the same deal with pic's in an old post.

Silver Judge

10-21-2005, 09:18 PM

It's easy to be interested in TKO 600 conversions for obvious reasons.
I notice that this Keisler website has no detailed info on floor plan sheet metal mods which are part of one of their kits, that makes me wonder.

Others on this forum have basically done their own metal fab to cover the enlarged opening you need to make in the floor but if a kit makes it easier and less time consuming than it could be really great.

Some of the kit details indicate that they come with a hi performance clutch,
I would personally prefer to select my own clutches and know what I'm getting.

Let us know what you find out, this is a good subject :cool:

Hammered

10-22-2005, 03:04 PM

400 4spd.

10-22-2005, 05:00 PM

I bought the Keisler kit for my '67 Firebird and they are terrible to deal with. Don't believe Keisler's advertising. My complete, no-cut kit was not complete and required cutting. They sold me a Chevy pilot bearing (which they stuck me with) and almost sold me a driveshaft for the smaller Chevy u-joint. As soon as they had my money, there was no talking to them again. If you think my experience was unique, go to some of the Chevy boards and ask this question-you will get a similar response to mine. The TKO is a great upgrade, but I strongly suggest you go with another vendor like http://www.classicchevy5speed.com/

I have done a Keisler kit on a customer's car (Barracuda), and it was not a smooth ordeal. First, there was a 6 week back order that turned into more like 4 months. They supplied the wrong hydraulic cylinder, and omitted some of the installation instructions. The template for the floor brace cut out was off by an inch. I found that when the engine/trans assembly was put into place.
Phone contact was a PITA, because most of the time the phone went unanswered.
I have read only positive things about Classic Chevy, so I would lean in that direction next time.

HWYSTR455

10-24-2005, 12:11 PM

You guys are scaring me! I just got my TKO 600 kit for my '71 T/A, and am just getting ready to get into it.

Already noticed the pilot bushing/bearing thing, was for a Chevy, figured as much though, and not too upset over eating that.

BLACK_BIRD: You say you had issues with the cross member? Do you recall what those were? Maybe I can head that off at the pass... Also, you mention that others make better shifters? Can you give me a source? Is there an issue with the one that came with the kit?

HAMMERED: Guess I need to be careful when I order the driveshaft then, huh? Is it going to matter if I give them complete details (9", etc), or are they going to get it wrong anyway?

black_bird

10-24-2005, 12:20 PM

BLACK_BIRD: You say you had issues with the cross member? Do you recall what those were? Maybe I can head that off at the pass... Also, you mention that others make better shifters? Can you give me a source? Is there an issue with the one that came with the kit?

Let's see. The shifter I have is a sort of "custom" design I guess. It's kind of cut into the side of the tail housing, where as a normal/stock shifter for this transmission should sit on top of one the towers. I saw in a post here, about the Classic Chevy kit, they had an off-set shifter, that mounted like a normal one, but was made in such a way that it would mount/look stock inside the car.

The crossmember problem I believe was taken care of, the issue was, they didn't even have one ready to make/send out. So, we took measurements of where it would need to be and such, and told them over the phone. Then we had to wait an extra couple of months for it. It fit ok once we got it, one of the only things that fit right.

I also had a problem with backorder, I was qouted around 6 weeks, and once it was all said and done, it took 10 months to get everything to me and be ready to install. I'm not even kidding. I didn't want to sound down on them in my first post, I've heard of a few good stories about them, but my experiences pretty well agree with what everyone else is saying. Like I said, it worked fine once we got it in, just getting it in, and dealing with them, was somewhat of a pain.

Hammered

10-24-2005, 11:16 PM

black_bird

10-25-2005, 12:28 AM

HWYSTR,

I had to argue with them for more their a month over the drive shaft! The problem was that they my money or I would have gone to someone else. The only reason I caught their error is that they wanted me to upgrade to a 1350. They would not believe that the BOP 8.2 rear is different from the Chevy. Once they were convinced they said that their driveline shop couldn't make a drive shaft with the correct yolk. I finally gave up arguing and told them to send the correct shaft or I would be contacting VISA to cancel the whole purchase. Suddenly they could make my shaft although it was about 10 weeks late. So the short answer is go to someone else.

John

We had a couple similar run-ins with them, that once we wanted to cancel and go somewhere else, they could all of a sudden make the part or do whatever. They couldn't seem to get the driveshaft right for me either, as I recall, we had to have one made local, and they did refund us that cost, which suprised me. I dunno, I'd definitely see what else is out there before you jumped into it, I certainly would if I were to do it over again.

HWYSTR455

10-25-2005, 06:26 AM

Great. Well, live and learn, and guess I'll see how it turns out, since I'm kind of not in a position to turn back! I actually purchased the kit in like Nov/Feb, and drop down there to pick it up. Had a 3550 conversion from Forte, but the 600s came out, wanted one of those. They did buy my 3550, though I took a beating on it (think they gave me a grand for it).

Anyway, I'm not waiting 10 months or even 10 weeks for a drivesahft, I'll go to dutchman or something and get it in a week. Might have to eat that one too...

As for the shifter, I'll just have to see how it works. If it doesn't work as I hope, then I'll look into the classic chevy one. I did check that out on their' site, and it does look nice. I'm concerned on the Keisler shift when power shifting or whatever, the arms/rails may bow, not giving a clean shift. Again, guess I'll see!

Darn! And I was really interested in the hydrastic throw out bearing wetup they have! I called yesterday and they said there was a backorder on the masters, and it would be a couple weeks. Wonder if that's the 'common' response. Might have to roll the dice there too....

HWYSTR455

10-25-2005, 06:27 AM

Oh, one more thing, drove the wife's new (at the time) Marauder down there and got a healthy ticket on the way. Maybe I should have turned back then!

Hammered

10-25-2005, 09:13 PM

HWYSTR455: I hate to ruin your day even more, but you can't mount an aftermarket shifter on the Keisler TKO. Another thing they don't tell you is that they mill about 0.1 to 0.2" off the top of the mating surface on the trans so only their shifter will work. Perhaps you could make a spacer or replace the tail cone-not sure.

HWYSTR455

10-25-2005, 09:52 PM

Great. Well, guess I'll cross my fingers on shift quality then!

black_bird

10-26-2005, 11:26 AM

Great. Well, guess I'll cross my fingers on shift quality then!

Well, like I say, it works ok once you get it all in. I've beat the crap out of mine, and it keeps on ticking. Power shifting, missing shifts, normal, clutch drops, you name it, lol. I've dropped it at 3500 on slicks at the track, then power shifted it all the way down. I'm not making huge power or anything, but it holds up. It's only ever not shifted good once or twice, and I think most of that is my clutch. I think the main problem with them, is their customer service and willingness to help a guy out.

6567GTO

10-26-2005, 11:45 AM

When I called Keisler they told me that I'd have to wait 6-8 weeks for a TKO-600. I had heard that they were slow on getting parts out to people. I ended up going with Classic Chevy 5 Speeds and was very happy with their service. I received my trans in 5 days with all the correct parts. I have one of their offset shifters and like it very much. They even contacted me later on telling me that one failed for a customer and that they'd be happy to send me a newer version before I had any problems. Great service from Classic!!!

GTO JOHN

11-12-2005, 06:47 PM

Expect lots of modifications. My friend is putting one in his 69 GTO along with full Hotchkiss suspension. They are still not 100% done with the install and have been on the phone with Keisler for months. They got it right for the Chevelles, but the Pontiacs use a different shifter and opening so there was a learning curve for everyone here. I'd expect some changes from Keisler on the GTO kits after this fiasco is cleared up. Don't have any pics but can give more info if anyone wants it.

John

jeffmort

11-17-2005, 03:22 AM

Everyone-
Thanks for the kind words. We are doing are best for the Pontiac guys! Regardless of who you purchased your TKO from, feel free to give us a call if you have any questions or issues and we would be glad to help.
The McLeod shifter is getting great feedback - we have delivered a bunch of them and the response has been very positive.
We now have a tunnel patch for the GTO's to help the install go a bit smoother.
Check here for one of your fellow GTO buddy's (Alex Godsey) nstallation write up - he did a great job: http://www.classicchevy5speed.com/tremec_transmission_1967_gto_wu.htm.

taalltheway

11-17-2005, 06:27 AM

Is Keisler really that bad? I have read from a lot of post here that people were happy with Keisler - not to mention Rocky Rotella´s report in HPP. Maybe their internal structures and organization was not up to the big demand....happens a lot of time...

i am also thinking about buying a kit and since i am in Germany i would be really afraid to get wrong parts and try to solve this with a company that is in a very different timezone...

Does the Classic-5-speed also require no cutting? Is it a simple bolt in? Do their Tremec 500s also sport the lower first gear? Do they ship to Germany?

2manyponchos

11-17-2005, 09:25 AM

I have to give a thumbs up to the guys from Classic Chevy 5-Speed. We are finishing installation of a TKO-600 in a '66 GTO Convertible. Tunnel modifications were fairly extensive, but knew that going in and it is needed with any TKO conversion. The McLeod Slik Stik for the '66 came right up through the factory tower. Classic Chevy shipped the trans kit the same day we ordered it (while they were packing for SEMA I should mention) and it was received in 4 days from California to Indiana. Can't wait to drive it as soon as we finish brake lines (front disc changeover as well). Like I said, very impressed with customer service and responsiveness from Classic Chevy 5-Speed! If I get a chance, I'll post some pictures...

Mr_GTO

11-17-2005, 09:55 AM

Cool. I notice lots of people using really short shifter handles on their cars. Anyone use a stock GTO handle that sits up towards the dash height?

Tripower455

11-17-2005, 11:44 AM

Cool. I notice lots of people using really short shifter handles on their cars. Anyone use a stock GTO handle that sits up towards the dash height?

Like this?

http://tripower455.freeservers.com/gto10-3-05-8edit.jpg

Mine is not a stock handle. It is one of the flat Hurst deals, but is the closest on to a stock size, shape and offset that I could find. Feels great in the car.

I am using the Tremec offset shifter, but it is waaaaaay too high for console use. I am going to order the McLeod unit, but I have to know for sure if it will fit with a '66 console! I want pics! ;)

Mr_GTO

11-17-2005, 01:23 PM

Yea, like that. I plan on using a late model Trans Am/Camaro console in my car instead of the original one.

jwcfbd

11-17-2005, 08:49 PM

I went with Keisler when I put a TKO 600 in my 67 Firebird a couple of months ago. I also ran into a few problems with them but in the end it all worked out and I am very happy with it. Here is the link to my install. http://216.178.81.108/forums/showthread.php?t=434702

jeffmort

11-18-2005, 01:58 AM

taalltheway-
Installing a TKO into a GTO, regardless of who you buy it from, will require cutting the tunnel. Do not let anyone tell you anything different.

Tripower455 & everyone else who may be interested:
The McLeod Slik Stix shifter with the 2" offset will give you stock shifter positioning in the GTO console. In case you have a special situation like a custom console or if you are just concerened for whatever reason, th eMcLeod shifter can be produced to put the stick just about wherever you want it, for example:
2" left offset / straight up
2" left, 1" back
2" left, .375" back
2" left, .625 back
1" left, 1" back
1" left, 2" back
.625" left, straight up
.625" left, 1" back.
etc. etc. etc. etc.
There are over 100 different combinations of shift stub positioning that you can achieve with this shifter. basiaclly, just draw 3" circle around the stub of a stock Tremec shifter (in either of the two positions the Tremec shifter can be positioned in) and you will have an idea of the range of possibilities of shift stub position.
To put it another way, there is approximatly a 9" x 6" area around the center of your tunnel in which the Mcleod shifter can position the shift stick. The 9"x6" rectangle starts from a point that is 13.75" back from where you transmission mounts to your bellhousing and works it's way back from there. additionally, by installing your shift stick on one side of the shift stub or the other, you can fine tune the location even further.
So if you are concerned that the 2" offset version of the shifter may not put the stick within your GTO console (which it will - we have confirmed it), there are many different variations of the Mcleod shifter that ar eoptions for you.

Here is an exploded image from our website that gives a good look at the shifter details: http://www.classicchevy5speed.com/TKO_500_TKO_600_recommended_shifter_positions.htm.
When looking at the diagram, envision the offset arm of the shifter stub being available in multiple offsets and set backs.
I was at McLeod's today helping to assemble a few shifter s for our inventory. At the "shifter building" station in the warehouse, there is about 25 different bins containing offset stubs of varying lengths just waiting to be assembled so there is a position that will work for just about any application. I will be there agian onsaturday and if I remember i will take a picture of the shifter station to give you a visual idea of the program.

Well, probably more than you care to know, but I thought you may be interested.

Tripower455

11-19-2005, 12:32 PM

The main reason that I am skeptical that the McLeod shifter will fit the stock consile is because the stock '66 shifters were so tight, and even a later, bolt on or bayonet mount handle Hurst shifter will hit the bezel. It's not as much a function of stick position, it's bolts and nuts hitting the bezel. The offset Tremec version puts the stick in the right place. I just can't position the console to a place where I can select all the gears without hitting the bezel.

I am probably going to order the shifter anyway, but I really want to use the console....

jeffmort

11-19-2005, 01:46 PM

Tripower455

11-19-2005, 03:50 PM

If the Tremec 2" shifter positions the stick correctly then the 2" Mcleod will also fit properly.
As far as fitting under the console, I know exaclty what you mean. When we we were helping Red with the design of the shifter we told him it needed to have a lower profile than the Tremec 2" offset specificcaly so it would fit under tight consoles. The McLeod shifter is much shorter than the Tremec unit and has proven to fit under the tighest of consoles

The problem isn't the height in my case. It's the amount of metal on the stick/stub itself that is the problem. The Tremec offset one will center in the hole and clear the bottom of the shifter. With the console secured in this case, you will not be able to get the car out of neutral, as the handle, where it bolts to the stub, will hit the bezel.

I am going to order one and see if I can make it work. If not, at least I will have a superior shifter in my car!