Exploring the New Process A-833 Transmission

A super cheap alternative to an 11" clutch & Muncie / Borg Warner 4speed.

Are you looking to put a tough 4 speed & 11" clutch in your classic GM muscle car?

Did you get sticker shock when you found out what Muncies & 11" bells are going for? The average swap meet price on this set up is as follows:

$400 - $600 for used Muncie or Borg Warner Super T-10

$150 to $250 for a GM 11" bell or used Blow proof.

$20 to $40 for 11" clutch fork

$50 to $100 for usable 11" flywheel.

$75 to $150 for a good used Hurst Shifter

You are looking at spending between $700 & $1100 !

I'll let you in on a little secret. I found a set up which I can purchase at my local Easy Pull Junkyard for a total of $75. No kidding. It's the New Process A 833 4 speed over drive transmission found in 1980 to 85 Chevy 1/2 ton, 2 wheel drive trucks. It comes with an 11" flywheel & bell housing, & Hurst shifter. The transmission has all the same dimensions as a Muncie other that it is a little fatter.

The trans mount, input & output is in the same location as this 68 M20 Muncie.

The only major difference is the position of the ears that bolt to the bell housing.

The shifter is a Hurst and resembles a Competition PLUS with a grease fitting.

The bell housing has that un-usual bolt pattern for the trans. It is actually big enough for a 12" clutch. The bell also had the ball mounted on the side for a clutch Z-bar.

Since the New Process A 883 transmission is a truck transmission, it is tough. I tested it. I'll tell you about it later. It's only down fall might actually be a plus if your are a cruiser, not a racer. The gearing is not ideal for drag racing. The gearing is :

1st = 3.09

2nd = 1.67

3rd = 1.00

4th = 0.73

The gearing is too wide a ratio to be effective on the track. If your a cruiser, that's a different story. That low first gear makes it perfect for peeling out at the local cruise and the over drive gear makes it good on gas while cruising or on highways.

I wanted to try this set up out and had the perfect candidate. This 65 Impala SS.

I wanted to put it in a car capable of braking the trans for test purposes. This 4000 lb bomber has a mild 350 and a 12 bolt posi with 4:10 gears. It was originally stick but someone had put an automatic in it. The flywheel & bell bolted right in. The clutch linkage all fell right into place with no fabricating.

The transmission bolted to the stock Impala crossmember and all the shifter linkage cleared with no issues. Even the speedometer cable bolted right up, but the gearing is way off.

The only problem I ran into was the 3rd & 4th gear linkage arm on the shifter hit the inside on the trans hump. I did have to notch the floor.

When I was done with the swap, I was pleasantly surprised to find the truck shifter only sat 1" forward from the factory Impala position. I was able to install the SS console (1" forward of course) and even screw on an original old white Hurst shifter ball.

Not bad for $75 and some bloody knuckles.

So, how does it drive? With the 4:10 gears in the rear, 1st is real low. 2nd feels nice but I think that with a higher rear gear, the gap in the ratio between 1st & 2nd could be more noticeable. 3rd is a great cruising gear and 4th, the over drive gear really helps keep the RPM down on the high way. At 70 MPH, the motor was turning 2900 RPM.

But will it take abuse ? I took the old girl out and did some 3000 & 4000 RPM launches. The car didn't hook up. The tires just smoked. I then did some 5000 RPM flat shifts (hold the gas on the floor boards and shift). This always blew my Muncies apart. The A 833 took the abuse as I burned rubber right through 2nd gear and chirped 3rd. This was all done on a closed course ... of course. Hee Hee.

I doubt if this swap increased the value of my Impala but I don't care. It's the perfect swap for your cheap daily driver or weekend cruiser.

Your Welcome,

David H. Lehr

Classicjunkyard.com

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