TKO install kits

[78formula78]

hey guys im just doing some shopping around(and a little dreaming right now) but i found two different companys that offer kits to convert from a auto to a 5 speed they're pretty much the same kit just two different compays but one says "70-81 Camaro/Firebird: The stock TKO 500/600 will not fit in this car correctly! Keisler Engineering owns a ’79 Trans Am for development work and we have found that without our custom shift position there are serious clearance issues for the tunnel, console and driveline angle. All the competition can offer for your car is an external offset, a simple bent piece of metal sticking out in zigzag fashion from the top of the shift tower. An external offset shifter interferes with the floor and negatively affects the shift geometry. In fact, there is only 1.5” of room to fit the original TKO shift tower in the tunnel. Consider trying to fit the entire shift tower, and the base for the shift handle in 1.5” of space. Simply put, this is too much mechanism in too little space. If you lower the transmission in the tunnel to accommodate this mechanism you will ruin your driveline angle, which in turn will cause noise and vibration while reducing the life of your u-joints, transmission output bearings and differential. The Keisler PerfectFit kit for this car features a custom tailhousing with a true internal offset that provides the factory-correct shift position, driveline angle and tunnel clearance with no cutting or modification to the car. We are the only company that provides this." and that from www.keislerauto.com which i've heard some bad reviews about from ppl on other forums about the coustomer service and getting parts on time

while another company that i have heard good things about offers this as a solution but its not required to make the car work cause its only optional but i worry about if keisler was right about the angles being messed up or if they were blowing smoke to get ppl to buy their product the other company is
www.classicchevy5speed.com
i work in retail and i don't like dealing with ppl that are know to be [EDIT] but i don't want a bad product because the ppl are nice. you guys think its smoke or is kisler right?

[Joe 1320]

I suppose the real question is whether you are willing to modify the trans tunnel. Do you want a concourse resoration of the body/chassis or are you willing to sacrifice originality?

[78formula78]

i have no problems doing modifications but i only have basic hand tool so i can't do any extensive fabercation or modification if a hammer and snips won't do it then imma have a hard time doing it, and i belive in doing as much yourself as you know how to do, and i really want to do it myself. but even if i modify the only thing chevy 5 speed has you do is a small quarter moon cut on the tunnel so it go through without hitting anything, but keisler trys to say that the trans will still not be in alignment with everything...

[Joe 1320]

OK..... a custom shifter position to make the correct a driveline angle is the answer to not cutting the floor. The only reason the trans wouldn't line up would be intereferance from the trans tunnel. I'll bet you money that if the shifter were completely removed, the trans would fit just fine. Then you cut the floor for shifter access and correct movement and all would be well. The offset shifter is just that company's way of making a buck off folks who don't want to cut their floor. Does it work? evidently it does. Is it required? Modify the floor/trans tunnel and you wouldn't need it. As long as the trans bolts to the motor, the rear trans mount secures the trans at the right angle, the driveshaft connects and everything is in phaze it will work. You'll just have to deal with the hows and whys of the shifter. Now how well things would line up within the console is another matter...... that one I don't have a clue. I would have to see it in person.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

OK..... a custom shifter position to make the correct a driveline angle is the answer to not cutting the floor. The only reason the trans wouldn't line up would be intereferance from the trans tunnel. I'll bet you money that if the shifter were completely removed, the trans would fit just fine. Then you cut the floor for shifter access and correct movement and all would be well. The offset shifter is just that company's way of making a buck off folks who don't want to cut their floor. Does it work? evidently it does. Is it required? Modify the floor/trans tunnel and you wouldn't need it. As long as the trans bolts to the motor, the rear trans mount secures the trans at the right angle, the driveshaft connects and everything is in phaze it will work. You'll just have to deal with the hows and whys of the shifter. Now how well things would line up within the console is another matter...... that one I don't have a clue. I would have to see it in person.

When I first thought about this the thought I had was the shifter offset is necessary because the original T10 4 speed has a side mounted shifter. The shifter goes through a console that has the hole offset to the drivers side to fit the shifter mounted on the side of the trans. The T5 is an internal rail where the shifter is mounted on the centerline of the trans. If you tried to put a T5 where a T10 was and you make the shifter go through the hole and fit the console wouldn't that make the rear of the trans shifted to the drivers side and no longer pointed at the rear end? I think the offset shifter is needed to fit the factory console. Am I wrong?

[Joe 1320]

When I first thought about this the thought I had was the shifter offset is necessary because the original T10 4 speed has a side mounted shifter. The shifter goes through a console that has the hole offset to the drivers side to fit the shifter mounted on the side of the trans. The T5 is an internal rail where the shifter is mounted on the centerline of the trans. If you tried to put a T5 where a T10 was and you make the shifter go through the hole and fit the console wouldn't that make the rear of the trans shifted to the drivers side and no longer pointed at the rear end? I think the offset shifter is needed to fit the factory console. Am I wrong?

That's what I would have to eyeball. Remove the shifter and everything should fit...... it's the opening in the floor and potentially the console that has things screwed up. The point I was making is that there are two ways to make it work. It's likely the offset shifter is the bandaid that works without modifying the trans tunnel or console.