Building a transmission

[flyin6]

My setup changed quite a bit since I last posted here talking about a 400HP A518 build.

I turned the fuel screw up so much the VE pump turned into a inline pump!
Yep, it's true! (not really)

I built a 500-600HP inline P-Pump engine for the truck which will soon be installed. I told the guys at Gillette Diesel to provide a turbo and injectors for that 1995 marine piston engine to provide 500-600 HP at the wheels.

That fresh motor is sitting on the engine stand next to SquareD

Now, I need to build a trans to hold that and I do not want to sink 6K-7K into a lock-up 47RH
I actually now own a 47RH 2WD drive core here at my casa, so that is a possibility. Thing is, with the 518 being a non lockup design the transfer of shock loads will actually be easier on the internals of a 518 because the converter slips by design.

I mounted a large trans cooler on the roof of the truck in a custom rack which has a cowling to direct airflow to that cooler.

I'm looking for a list of the parts I need to make this 518 as strong as I can get it. I understand that a lot of the 48 series transmissions parts swap into this 518 case. I'd like to source those parts. I need smart advice as what to get as I tackle this project myself. I think that with taking my time, I can muddle through it with some success!

[BC847]

- What are you gonna do with the truck?

- Is 500 ~ 600hp its limit, . . . . . . or just for now?

[flyin6]

- What are you gonna do with the truck?

- Is 500 ~ 600hp its limit, . . . . . . or just for now?

The purpose of this truck is a survival vehicle
Allow me to explain.
During 5+ years combat in places like Baghdad, Kandahar, Kabul and so forth I learned a thing or two about what a vehicle needs to look like and what it has to be capable of to be used in and around bad guys.
It needs to be able to sprint away from trouble quickly
It has huge front and rear bumpers (Weight) to allow one to smash through other vehicles, road blocks or even walls of buildings in some cases.
It needs to be pretty robust (Doesn't break down much)
It will be carrying a lot of extra weight from bumpers, side rails, exo-skeleton, extra tires, lots of fuel, and "Stuff" in the bed
I suspect this truck will run around in the 7500-8000 lb range.

In building it, I am not using anything exotic, but keeping an eye on cost and cost effective mods. Example: The stock D70 is problematic so I replaced it with a beefed up locked Ford Sterling axle.
I am retaining leaf springs, although the ones I am using are much longer. The engine is a single turbocharger 2nd gen unit that works well at 550 HP and should be dead reliable.

It will never be used as a drag racer, puller or anything to act foolish in, just kept around as a "Just in case" vehicle. So I suspect that whatever the motor dynos at when it is sorted out (550HP??) will be enough, heck it should be more than enough.

I drive a 500+ HP Duramax that ramps at 8700 lbs and it is plenty fast enough.

So I need parts strong enough in that trans to do all that and to later on pull a trailer, a high ground clearance military trailer based unit I will build that will top out around 4000 ish me thinks. I do own a camper, a 35 footer that weighs in the mid 7,000 range, and I could possible see that truck pulling that trailer as well.

So that's a bit about the purpose of the thing, and I am about 1 year into the build so far

[oldestof11]

Hate to say it but a sterling axle is just as bad as a 70. You don't see the guys on Pirate 4x4 building them.