When we began searching for an A-727 TorqueFlite to hold up to the 825hp Ray Barton–built Street Hemi going in our ’65 Coronet, we found most transmission companies claimed their units could only support up to 650 naturally aspirated horsepower. These same companies do offer transmissions and components for Brand X folks that can handle over 1,000 hp. What’s a Mopar guy to do?
We called A&A Transmission. It offers the kind of hard-core components that’ll enable the TorqueFlite to withstand power level ratings of up to 1,600 hp. Enter Rick Allison (proprietor of A&A Trans). We know of no man on earth who has dedicated the years of research and development to produce the parts to toughen-up the TorqueFlite transmission. In today’s world of race- and street-driven, high-horsepower buildups, it’s now possible to construct a TorqueFlite with A&A Trans components that’ll take the abuse and stay together. And should you decide to go on the Hot Rod Power Tour or Drag Week, an A&A fortified TorqueFlite with a Gear Vendors overdrive unit would lower engine rpm for nice highway cruising on that dream road trip.
With naturally aspirated high-horsepower commonplace and others with power adders (nitrous, turbo, or supercharger), a serious transmission upgrade is critical. Let’s be thankful a real Mopar guy like Rick Allison has devoted years of R&D to produce the strongest components available for us to continue using our beloved TorqueFlite. Now that you’re reading this, you’re aware there are no excuses for us Mopar faithful to use a Brand X auto trans in our Mopar muscle car.
Whether you’re running a 904 or 727, and whatever the power level of your combination, A&A has the parts to keep your T-Flite together without the fear of failure. In our situation, we wanted to preserve our ’65 A-727 cable-shift, slip-yoke TorqueFlite for our bench seat, column-shifted “Cool Blue” Coronet project car. Here we’ll mention some of A&A’s Ultimate components (300M steel-hardened input and output shafts, lighten billet steel drums, lightweight sunshell, rear roller bearing support, A&A’s ultimate bolt-in sprag, modified front pump and support with hardened front pump gears, billet servos, billet five-pinion front and four-pinion rear planetary gears, machined for Torrington bearings, Kevlar bands and clutches, with many more components you can read about in the captions) that’ll fortify our unit so there’s “no worries” about destroying our transmission case with a catastrophic explosion.
Once we complete the buildup of our B-Body, it’ll see chassis dyno testing followed with foot-brake strip testing. We’re confident our well-built, super-tough A&A TorqueFlite will be up to the task. Before starting the build, we asked Rick if we could use an auto shift, or a forward pattern instead of a manual reverse shift-pattern valvebody. Rick let us know that an auto shift or manual forward shift-pattern valv body would only flow enough fluid and pressure to hold the high gear clutches without slippage to about 550 and 650 hp, respectively. That’s the reason why we see the high-horsepower combinations use a manual reverse shift-pattern valvebody, which has much more fluid flow and pressure to firmly apply the Third gear clutch pack.
Preferring a forward pattern for shifting a street-driven car, I asked Rick if he could develop a manual forward shift-pattern valvebody for our street driver. Thankfully, Rick went ahead and put in a bunch of late nights to develop and build us a manual forward shift-pattern valvebody. This special-built valvebody will deliver 66 percent more fluid flow of holding power for the high-gear clutches. Rick assured us that the added fluid flow was enough to handle our Street Hemi’s 825 hp. After all of the R&D, this high-horsepower manual-shift forward pattern valvebody is now available for any Mopar maniac interested (are you Slap Stick folks listening?). Rest assured, we’ll have plenty of confidence knowing there’s a bulletproof A&A TorqueFlite behind our high-horsepower Street Hemi. Follow along and check out how a seriously strong and reliable TorqueFlite is built using the toughest components.
Here’s more stories leading up to this latest installment with Cool Blue. We’re itching as we inch closer to completing this exciting project car.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.At Chryslers at Carlisle we brought our ’65 A-727 TorqueFlite to Rick Allison of A&A Transmission for a full high-horsepower buildup. Rick will fortify our trans with super-duty components he designs and manufactures to easily handle anything our 825 hp Street Hemi can dish out. Here you’ll see what goes into an A&A Ultimate Transmission.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Our A-727 was built with A&A Ultimate components rated at over 1,600 hp. The trans was safely packaged, crated, and delivered a few months after we dropped it off at Carlisle.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here are a slew of the super-strong billet steel and aluminum components that’ll be going into our A-727. Thankfully, A&A has developed and produces these tough hard-core parts to make the TorqueFlite capable of withstanding the kind of abuse from today’s high-horsepower buildups, including nitrous or blown applications.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The OEM-sintered iron/powered metal front drum has been known to explode and destroy many TorqueFlites. Here are A&A’s Ultimate billet 4140 steel front/high clutch drums, which are far superior in strength. Our 727 trans will employ the lightened big piston drum (right) for better clamping force, Third gear shift, less rotational weight for more power to the rear wheels, and no fear of drum explosion.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Stock TorqueFlite’s have three-gear–type cast-aluminum planetaries front and rear. We upgraded to a billet steel five-gear front and billet aluminum four-gear rear planetary setup. Instead of stock thrust washers, the planetaries and the billet steel annulus gears are machined for Torrington bearings for less friction to free up horsepower.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The outer front pump body and support was cleaned, blasted, and machined on the gear side for trueness. The bushing was replaced, and the ring and drum bushing surfaces polished. The Third gear feed hole was enlarged, and the vent blocked. A&A’s exclusive 4140 steel pump gears feature larger and thicker lugs with a thicker register (ID) to prevent lug breakage during acceleration or deceleration.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Our combo will use the Ultimate billet steel front and rear drum to allow for a five-clutch front and four-clutch friction plate setup. This setup supports up to 1,200 hp. A six-clutch setup with the Ultimate drum and small piston will support 1,600 hp. The Raybestos blue plate specials clutches are grooved for a faster shift by preventing fluid hydroplaning.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This new rigid Second gear band is reproduced by A&A. This rigid band is stronger, wider, grooved, and relined with Kevlar material to grip around the drum much better at wide open throttle than a stock weak and flimsy flexible band. Band slippage means wasted power. No slippage worries with an A&A rigid band with its robust construction.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.At the top is the stock front band anchor and band strut that’s known to bend or break. Below are the ones manufactured by A&A from 4140 heat-treated billet steel. Using a thicker and much stronger band anchor and strut is a must in any performance TorqueFlite.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Our ’65 A-727’s front and tailshaft housing received the “race-prepped case” treatment. The case is machined to allow pressure adjustments while installed in the car. There’s a cut-out in the bell housing for easier converter bolt access. Lubrication and venting is improved. Glass beaded, bores are honed and boltholes tapped. The tailhousing mount pad is machined and a new bushing and seal installed.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.These billet aluminum servo and accumulator pistons solve the problem of original pistons cracking due to increased pressures of shift kits and race valvebodies. The Second gear (left) and the accumulator piston (center) are dual ring designed to eliminate fluid leakage past the ring area to ensure a more positive shift to second and firmer Third gear shift.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here the A&A billet servo pistons are installed to begin the build of our ultimate tuff TorqueFlite. The 4.2 ratio billet steel band lever (left) is manufactured by A&A and considered the ideal ratio. The stock rear band lever is plenty strong for all applications.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A&A’s innovative Ultimate 16-roller bolt-in-sprag (aka, over running clutch) improves the performance and reliability of any T-Flite. (A 12-roller sprag is stock.) It provides an extra margin of strength and safety by preventing over-running clutch failure, known to destroy many TorqueFlites in the burnout box at the ’strip.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This Ultimate 300M steel output shaft is four-times stronger than stock. The output shaft support was machined for a roller bearing instead of a bushing. Parking gear is billet steel without the weight of the governor housing bolted to it. The extension housing bearing is in place. There’s no provision for a speedometer gear, we’ll just use GPS for our mph.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Our reconditioned extension housing is bolted in place. Notice the slip-yoke used to check fitment with the newly installed bushing and seal in the extension (tailshaft) housing.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Back inside the case a new Kevlar rear (reverse) band with grooves is installed.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Followed by the billet steel rear drum and annulus gear. Notice the front of the Ultimate output shaft.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The four-pinion rear planetary is slid in place. Notice the Torrington bearings machined in place of a thrust washer for less friction and more power to the driveshaft. The 727 in my ’67 R/T has only the front planetary gear assembly “rollerized.” A&A was first to “rollerize” the rear planetary assembly.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This lightened sun shell has lightening holes for less rotational weight. The sun gears are in place. There’ll also be less friction for the sun shell while rotating against the rear planetary with Torrington bearings instead of a thrust washer.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Next the “rollerized” front annulus gear and five-pinion planetary gear assembly is positioned in place and held there with the seen snap ring. Notice the Torrington bearing that’ll be between the A&A Ultimate output and input shaft. Not seen will be the Torrington roller bearing on the inside of the input shaft — another A&A exclusive for less friction and more power output.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here’s the lightened billet steel big piston drum with its billet aluminum big piston. Our application will use 15 high clutch springs (eight springs was stock) that’ll provide more clamping force for a more positive high-gear shift.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The five-clutch front drum, four-clutch rear clutch pack retainer, piston and pressure plate assembly is test-fitted with the front pump housing place.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here we can see the lightened billet steel front drum surrounded by a new rigid Kevlar-lined band. Notice the new 24-spline Ultimate input shaft (we’ll have a better torque converter selection than the stock 19-spline shaft). It’s made of the same 300M steel as the output shaft and it, too, is four-times stronger than stock.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A&A’s specially reworked front pump and support is bolted in place. Notice the reconditioned bolts holding the pump housing in place. Take note that throughout the trans all the hardware is new or original reconditioned. Also, looking closely, you can see the A&A stamping and part number at the front of the Ultimate input shaft.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The billet band levers, anchors, and adjusters are installed, and the bands are adjusted to specs. In this view you can see the lightened sunshell, rigid bands, and billet servos. Most of the other installed components are now hidden from view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Listed in the A&A catalog as “still in the works” was a race manual forward-shift pattern valvebody. I dislike manual reverse pattern shifting an automatic street car. We’re lucky Rick spent many late nights developing us a race manual forward-shift pattern valvebody that will flow 66 percent more fluid to the high gear apply for more clutch pack-holding power and a firmer shifting Third gear. This high-horsepower, manual forward shift pattern valvebody would make shifting a Slap-Stick car lots of fun!Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Our first of its kind, super-duty manual forward shift pattern valvebody looks great with its new and reconditioned (re-anodized) hardware. Notice the A&A Trans stamping. Every valvebody built by A&A is serialized and recorded to know its specific modifications.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This A&A billet aluminum filter extension has an O-ring seal instead of a gasket. The rear pump (’62-’65) was eliminated during our trans buildup. Our special manual shift forward pattern valvebody will use the popular (’66-’78) single-hole¬–type filter and extension instead of the stock two-hole filter (’62-’65).Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.We like the looks of the A&A-finned cast-aluminum deep pan. It holds 3 1/2 extra quarts to aid in cooler fluid and maintain sufficient flow. A stock pan would be sucked dry by this high-flow transmission. This thick pan adds rigidity to the case like an engine crankcase girdle. Notice the cutout in the bell housing for easier converter bolt access.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Having an A&A-built transmission with their super-strong Ultimate components is peace of mind for no fear of transmission failure. It not only looks great, but the this “rollerized” trans will also reliably put more power to the wheels and get lower e.t’s than most any other performance-built TorqueFlite.