Part 1: Is an A-518 swap for you?
And the Roach Runner?
Note the differences in the A-518 3-hole triangular mount setup
(top) as opposed to the 727 two-hole layout. Also, this A-518 tail
housing is from a '96-and-up model as the electrical connector for
the magnetic speedo pickup is visible.
The extra girth of the A-518 transmission's overdrive unit and tail
housing are readily apparent when compared side by side with
the 727 tail housing. The driveshaft yolk will remain the same,
however, since both output shafts have 30 splines.
The A-518 (bottom) seems huge in this photo as
compared to the 727. Much of the effect is mere-
ly perspective. Besides the obvious differences
in the tail section, you may also notice the elec-
trical plug on the A-518 (arrow) to hook up the
overdrive and lockup wiring harness and the
larger cooling line ports.
BY THOMAS A. DeMAURO
Photos by the author and Jerry Slattery
Diagrams courtesy of Chrysler Corp. and
JVX Performance Transmissions
W
[hen it comes to our Mopars, we want it all. Ours has
to be the cleanest, the fastest and the hottest, bar
none. We also want them to do everything well and
eliminate all compromises, which we know to be impossible,
yet we are not deterred.
Such is true for the Roach Runner, which I want to be
competitive in every way. One area that is a classic com-
promise is rear gear ratio. More times than not, a steep
gear is needed to extract the most that the engine has to
offer for quarter-mile performance at the expense of cruise
rpm and top speed. We are not building a Bonneville car, so
top speed is not too much of a concern, but cruise rpm cer-
tainly is since the Roach will see lots of highway miles. You
may recall that the Roach's 83/4 Sure-Grip rear was rebuilt
and a 4.10 rear gear was installed with quarter-mile ETs in
mind. For this reason, we decided to investigate an over-
drive trans retrofit for the project.
HIGH PERFORMANCE MOPAR 33
 If cost is not a major concern, a
brand-new A-518 con be had from
the MP catalog under part No.
P5249 ] 66 for approximately
$1,575 list and $1,375 out the
door. You will, however, have to
forego the lockup feature, as this
assembly is available in non-lockup
only. If you are running a small-
block and you want a new A-500,
it, along with the lockup feature and
needed wiring harness, can be
ordered from MP (part No.
P5249165] for fhe same price as
the A-518.
If you plan to have a used A-51 8
rebuilt by a tranny shop, you can ask
them to find a core for you for a
price. But if you are a do-it-yourselfer
and you like to shop the used parts
ads and junkyards, then you'll need
M o s t frequently asked swap questions
to locate a 1990-presenf Dodge Ram
pickup, van or V8 Jeep to score your
A-51 8. Below are the Hollander inter-
change numbers for the Dodge pick-
up and van through 1996.
Hollander Interchange Numbers For
The Dodge Truck
Here is the A-518 from the passenger's side.
The upside down "V" is a quick way to spot an
A-518 in a pile of transmissions at the local
bone yard.
The A-518 is 727-TorqueFlite based,
giving it more torque capacity than the
A-500, which borrows its design from
the 904 TorqueFlite. So we chose the A-
518 for durability reasons.
Due to differences in the bell-
housing bolt pattern fit's a small-
block), this swap is not a drop-it-
in-and-go situation when a big-
block is involved. Even though it
is not low-buck, the long-term
 Lock-up converter durability
and performance

In case you have thoughts of just swapping the 727 tail shaft for the A-518
OD and tail shaft, here is why it won't work. There are just too many differ-
ences to overcome in the mounting area.

payoff is having the best of both worlds when it comes to

acceleration and cruiseing while bringing your vintage
Mopar up to modern-day standards in the transmission
department. So even if this swap is beyond your current
budget, and we will tell you how much it costs, there is still
good information to be had, as some of the upgraded com-

This lockup converter is from a diesel application. Note

the lack of the starter ring gear normally found on
Mopar converters.

IMPELLER THRUST WASHER IMPELLER

FRONT ASSEMBLY
COVER

The eight-digit "PK" number can be found on the driver's side pan rail.
Next to it is a four-digit production date based on the 10,000-day Julian
calendar followed by a four-digit serial number. Many of the PK numbers
are listed in the "A-518 Running Upgrades" section of Part 2 so the
changes can be applied to the specific numbers. A complete listing of all PISTON TURBINE STATOR
of the PK numbers from 1990 to 1998 is too extensive to post here, but
the dealers have them in the parts books. Here are the internal components of a lockup converter.
 How do you tell
the lockup A-518
from the non-lockup
A-518?

The 1¼-inch-deep 727 pan (left) vs. the 2½-inch-deep'90-95 A-518 pan. The'96 and-later pan
has a small bump on the bottom lo clear the extra electronics.

ponents found in the '90's 5 I 8 can be retrofitted into a vintage 727.

For part 1 of this series, we will touch upon what is involved in doing this
swap. We will also tell you where and how to find an A-518, which units should
be avoided, and what the advantages of an overdrive swap will be.
In subsequent issues, we will discuss running changes made to the A-51 8 over
the years, detail the modifications made to our 518, by Level 10 Transmissions, for
increased performance and durability and then get into the nuts and bolts of the

The differences between the lockup and

non-lockup input shaft can be seen here.
The lockup piece on the top has an exten-
sion ahead of the splines (with a sealing
ring) to engage the lockup clutch. The
lockup uses a 23 spline shaft and the
non lockup uses a 24 spline shaft.

Also, lockup A-518S use a 3-pin case con-

nector, while the non-lockup uses only a
2-pin connector in Dodge truck applica-
tions. The Jeep needs an 8-pin case con-
nector, as seen here because it has elec-
tronic shifting.
swap, including mods needed to fit the tranny into the Roach alternative for small-block swaps and because some parts
and how to set up the linkage, the OD and the lockup feature. are interchangeable with the 518, such as the overdrive unit.
For the most part, we are dealing with an A-518 swap However, space does not permit a full dissertation on the A-
only. The A-500 is periodically mentioned because it is an 500 as well, so we'll have to save that for another article.

Case dimension diagram.

Special thanks to product engi-

neer Neil Laymon of Chrysler's
Kokomo transmission plant for his
help in researching this article.

Sources
Level 10 Installation Center
188 Route 94 North
Hamburg. NJ 07419
973-827-1000

Level 10 Showroom
32 Route 46
Lodi, NJ 07644
973-546-8200

The JVX adapter kit makes this swap JVX Performance Transmissions
possible. Shown here are kits for V8
gas engine A-518s and the V10/diesel
1458 Chelsea Ave.
A-518 and A-618 transmissions. Memphis, TN 38108-1103
Order, 800-727-5891
Tech, 901-274-7238