There’s no doubt that bangin’ gears in your hot rod is fun. Unfortunately for many years, muscle car enthusiasts were left with ancient, sometimes fragile transmissions, with no overdrive, and hard-to-find clutches and parts. The good news is, there’s no more need for hunting and gathering parts because Holley has come to market with a complete transmission installation kit that will adapt a new TREMEC transmission to older big- and small-block Chevy engines.
Holley’s kits come with a roller pilot bearing, bellhousing with dust shield, billet-steel flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate, hydraulic release bearing, and all the hardware needed to install these components. They also use the best parts available on the market, from Lakewood, Hays, and Mr. Gasket. These kits are designed for drivers in mind, but can still support up to 500 horsepower while maintaining an easy pedal feel.
For those unfamiliar with TREMEC transmissions, we thought we’d give a quick rundown on the gearbox the Holley kit will mate to your Chevy engine. Simply put, TREMEC TKX and TKO transmissions are some of the easiest-shifting, most reliable transmissions on the market today — and have been for the last few decades. A lot of time, effort, and experience have gone into refining TREMEC’s offering, and it has such modern features as well as an overdrive fifth gear (available in 0.82 or a 0.64 ratio) as well as the capacity to handle up to 650 lb-ft of torque and 7,500-rpm shifts. It also has a number of shifter mount locations, and its compact design requires little to no modifications to your classic ride’s floorpan. Together, the Holley transmission installation kit and the TREMEC transmission pairs for quite the impressive offering.
If you’re interested in this type of swap, there are some fringe benefits. First, an increased overall value of your classic ride because at the moment, restomod cars are about as hot as they can get. Also, having a performance five-speed manual puts a premium on your car if you do want to sell it. Finally, the nature and control of the overdrive gear leads to less drone, lower cruising RPM, better fuel economy, and longer engine life when cruising on the freeway. Nobody wants to spin 3,600 rpm to do 70 mph anymore, and even with 4.56 gears, a final overdrive ratio of 2.91:1 can be achieved with the big 0.64 fifth gear. So, should you start thinking about making the move to that manual? You bet you should!
