Block Mopar Alternator

Thanks for visiting our site!
Block Mopar Alternator
Checkout Ebay Auctions For The Cheapest Prices

Check out Amazon:

Here are some more information for Block Mopar Alternator:

The real joy of owning a muscle car is in driving it. Muscle car owners who want to get the most out of their cars often drive to distant car shows or other events, but without an overdrive transmission a long trip on the highway becomes tedious. If the car has a performance rear axle ratio it is even worse. I love the sound of a V8 at speed as much as any guy out there, but a steady 3600 RPM for three hours solid with loud exhaust gets tiring. Most of us have become accustomed to being able to hold a conversation and/or hear the radio on long drives, and we would like to be able to pass by at least a couple of gas stations without stopping to fill up! An overdrive transmission solves those problems, and provides many other benefits as well.

The Tremec TKO is an overdrive manual five speed that is ideal for retrofitting into the classic muscle cars of the sixties and seventies. With your choice of a 0.82:1, 0.68:1, or 0.64:1 overdrive ratio depending on the model, you can really bring those revs down to a manageable number. A lower engine RPM on the highway provides several advantages.

First of all, as already mentioned, is the noise level. If you have a 3.73 axle ratio with a 235/60-15 tire (26.1" tall), 75 MPH equals 3600 RPM with a non-overdrive four speed. The TKO-600 with a 0.64:1 fifth gear (the most popular version) will bring that 3600 RPM down to a leisurely 2300 RPM at the same 75 MPH. The sound level at 2300 RPM is a whole lot easier on the ears after a couple or three hours than 3600 RPM would be!

Another benefit of the lower RPM that I already touched on is increased fuel economy. All other things being equal, the engine will obviously use less fuel at 2300 RPM than it will at 3600 RPM, but with a muscle car engine that has been built for performance there is another factor that comes into play. At 3600 RPM, some 4-barrel carburetors may have the secondaries partially open. If you have a steeper axle ratio, it is even more likely that the secondaries are open at highway speeds. With a 4.10 rear end gear, that 75 MPH number I am using results in almost 4000 RPM with a non-overdrive transmission. At that point, many carburetors are going to have the secondary barrels dumping fuel. Reducing the RPM needed to cruise on the highway will reduce the throttle angle, closing the secondaries and making a huge difference in fuel economy. I have actually seen fuel mileage on the highway be doubled by installing a TKO, due to being able to cruise without having the secondaries open!

Engines wear faster at higher RPM. In simplified terms, every engine has a lifespan that consists of a certain number of revolutions, barring abuse, neglect, or catastrophic failure. If you use fewer of those revolutions every time you drive 200 miles to a car show, your $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000 engine will last longer. So will everything attached to it that turns with the engine. Your alternator, water pump, mechanical fuel pump, power steering pump, and AC compressor will all be turning fewer RPM on the highway, and their life will be increased.

High performance engines produce more heat than normal passenger car engines do. Many muscle cars have heat problems due to high RPM on the highway. Reducing the RPM with an overdrive can reduce engine temperature and prevent overheating on long trips.

The intangible advantage to all the above is that overdrive will enable you to drive your muscle car more. You will be able and more likely to drive it to further-away car shows, or even on vacation! Overdrive allows you to enjoy your car more by driving it to places that you wouldn't consider going with your 4-speed (or 3-speed automatic) spinning the engine at 3600 RPM.

The TKO is plenty strong for most muscle cars. It is rated for either 500 or 600 lb.-ft. continuous input, and those numbers are very conservative. There are a large number of cars running much more than the rated torque with the TKO, and failures are rare. Although I can't officially condone using the TKO in an application that exceeds the torque capacity rating, I can tell you from experience that many folks have done so and have not had any problems, even under race conditions.

The Tremec TKO will decrease the noise level on the highway, increase your fuel mileage, increase the life of your engine and everything attached to it, could reduce or eliminate temperature issues, and allow you to drive your car to places that you wouldn't with an old four speed. It is stronger than the old Muncies, T-10s, Toploaders, and A-833s. Versions are available that will bolt directly up to a common GM or Ford 4-speed bellhousing, and custom Mopar bellhousings are available to adapt a TKO to a Mopar small block, big block, or late model Hemi. All in all, it is an ideal transmission for a muscle car that gets driven on the highway. For more detailed information on TKO specifications and options, take a look at my other articles in this series.

Keith Farren is an ASE Certified Master Technician with a BS in Business Administration, an Associate degree in Automotive Technology, and over twenty years experience in the automotive industry. He owns and operates two websites dedicated to classic cars, Classic Car Financing and Loans and Classic Car Prices Today. He also works for Keisler Engineering, a Tremec distributor that designs and sells all the custom parts you need to install a TKO into your muscle car or street rod. Give Keisler Engineering a call at (865) 609-8187.

New Car Review: Fiat 500, Deep in the heart of Texas

The Fiat 500, the original was a response to the Suez Crisis of 1956, the post war European economy was beginning to wake up and by 1955 half of all ships passing through the Suez Canal were oil tankers. Fiat no stranger to small cars had released the Fiat 600 in 1955, but with the oil crisis of 1956 it was clear that a even more fuel efficient car was needed for the growing urban centers in Europe. The Fiat 500 is considered by many to be the first "City Car". But that is enough history, today people are just as concerned about oil prices, cities are still growing, and people are looking for stylish alternatives to the standard econo-box hatchback. Just as it was in the late 1950's the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper stepped up to answer the call with cars that have a little personality.

As a car lover I could not wait for the new Fiat 500 to hit US Shores, I had owned several classic Fiats over the years, but had not driven a new Fiat since my last trip to Europe. So I did what most people would do and headed over to the local dealership (they call them studios) the showrooms are slick, clean red and white paneling, smooth Italian styled cabinets and displays, a coffee bar, and lots of glass. The only problem with the dealer is that no one would walk out and help me. After spending 20 mins walking around the lot, looking at every car, no one would come out. Now back when I sold cars, you get someone on the lot, at 10AM on a weekday, that's a good opportunity. So I made my way into the showroom where I found no-one, I began to wonder if I had missed the rapture, but at last I spotted a salesperson sitting a glass office. I waved, shouted, and he looked up with little regard, and turned back to whatever it was he was doing. So needless to say, the first drive of a 500 would not come from Fiat of Ontario. I reached out to them, but that is another story for another time. I was headed to Dallas.

Dallas...

I landed in Dallas, it was over 100 degrees and the humidity from incoming thunderstorms made it feel even hotter. I watched as people darted in and out of air-conditioned cars into the terminal and back again, as if they could avoid feeling the heat. "CC66...sir,sir, your car is parked in CC66" said the lady from behind the counter. "Thank you" I said as a fumbled for my sunglasses. Outside the air was as thick, the heat was intense, the kind of heat you can only experience on blacktop, where it radiates from all directions. CC66, there it was bright red, one of only four colors an Italian car can really be.

Getting into the car I began to acclimate myself with all the bells and whistles, for someone that drives a 1969 Mini Cooper everyday the number of flashing lights and dials was impressive, and slightly overwhelming. The window buttons are not on the door and after a few moments searching I discovered them on the center console. For a car that is so small some buttons (such as the passenger side window) are kind of a reach for the driver. Thankfully this car was equipped with the steering-wheel mounted radio controls. The car seemed to get mixed reactions as a drove into town, some people would thumbs up, others from their towering pickups would shake their head as if to shame me, still others looked at me as if I were Al-Qaeda descending on their city.

The body color dash panel is a nice touch, it gives the car that 1960's feel that they were going for, however, I just know some aftermarket company is going to come up with a simulated carbon fiber snap on cover for it. If you buy a 500 please avoid the urge to install wood or carbon fiber anywhere on it. For some reason, Fiat has decided to market the accessories under the MOPAR name here in the US. Because when you think MOPAR you think small and European. So far they have mostly come up with chrome fuel doors, mirror covers, decals, and the normal racks for all the extreme sports you will be doing in your Fiat. Don't worry they already coming out with MOPAR seat covers, shift knobs, and wheel centers for your Fiat.

The seats are trimmed in cloth and vinyl, they are comfortable and supportive, for an inexpensive car have a good range of movement. The back seats fold nicely, but with the seats up you have just about enough truck space for a fat Basset Hound. With the seat down you have more room than the MINI, and about the same as the new Mazda 2/Ford Fiesta.

Driving all over Dallas I found myself looking at maps since there was no built in Navigation. I know that the dashboard layout does not lend itself to a navigation system, but MINI figured it out. Instead of doing it the right way Fiat has teamed up with Tom Tom, with a special edition Tom Tom dock that is mounted on the top of the dash, the system takes up about half of the windscreen and looks like a dirty thrift-store t-shirt under a Armani suit.The Navigation system is a $400 option and for that money your better off just getting the standard $149 Tom Tom with the large window blocking suction cup mount and spending the rest of that money on 512 $0.49 red burritos from Del Taco.

That does bring up the price, while the basic model does start at $15,500 the pricing quickly spikes up from there. The top of the line Fiat 500 Lounge C (C is for Cabriolet) will set you back $23,500 and that's before you add the options. You want heated fronts seats and an auto dimming mirror that will be $450. Leather $1,250. A wifi hot spot in the car? give'em $499. Special order color $849, a red white and green racing sticker down the side? $399 so it all adds up pretty quickly. All said you can kit out a Fiat 500 to just under $30,000...and that is before you start adding your MOPAR parts to it.

So...ummm...yeah...$30K....Fiat 500....hummmmm. If you really have you heart set on an Italian Convertible for around $30K, I would suggest a previously loved Maserati Spyder, Qvale Mangusta, or go British and pick up a gently used Lotus Elise. With the Lotus you get the best of a Fiat... its small, impractical, flashy, and gets good gas mileage. But you get one thing that the current Fiat can't give you....the Lotus is also fun to drive.
So how does the Fiat 500 drive, well the as tested Fiat 500 Sport, came in at just over $19K, the car is a "sport" because it has a button that says so on the dash. I think it is just the overdrive button most automatic cars have that disengages the overdrive. But this one says Sport so therefore it makes the car more sporty. It also gets the sporty alloy wheels and some other styling upgrades. However, the 101hp and 98 lb-ft of torque do little to inspire a sporty driving experience. (The Turbocharged Abarth model is needed ASAP.)

The sport model would have benefited with steering wheel mounted shifters since reaching for the shifter to do the +/- "Sport" shifting gets old quick and I ended up just putting it back in drive. The dash board mounted shifter is just far enough out of reach to feel uncomfortable, a feeling I got in the manual transmission version as well. I kept looking for the low between the seats, well placed shifter of my classic Mini Cooper that allowed you top push and pull the gear changes. This feels more like a toggle switch that has to be pulled at an odd angle. Fiat may have designed the shifter this was as keeping both hands on the wheel is important when you are driving the 500 at speed. Take a corner and the car feels like it is going to pitch over and roll, the back end bounces and misses no opportunity to take flight. This translates into a unsettled and uncontrolled feeling in any corner that is not perfectly smooth and level. The four-wheel discs do allow to brake later, keeping momentum is important in the 500. I was hoping for more of an original Golf GTI or Classic Mini Cooper feel in the handling department, but the only go-kart similarity the 500 has is the wheelbase.

Perhaps we are asking too much from the 500, it is about 6 grand less than a comparable MINI, and while the MINI has a racing heritage and pedigree, the standard 500 was never known as a performer, it took Abarth who doubled the cubic inches, and reworked the entire suspension and chassis to make it a worthwhile racer. The standard Fiat 500 is serving its purpose the original was intended for, a cute, affordable (if you go with a base model), city car that can deliver MPG in the high 30's. It has a good A/C system, good fit and finish, it looks the part, but the "Sport" is a bit misleading.

It will take some time to see if the new 500 has more than just the cuteness appeal, once those who buy the car as a fashion accessory are done shopping will the drawbacks make the 500 this years SMART-CAR?

About the Author

Michael Satterfield has worked in the automotive industry for over 10 years, the majority of that time focused on Internet Sales and Marketing, in 2007 Michael founded Satterfield Group Int. a consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses in the automotive aftermarket. Also in 2007 Michael launched Morgan's & Phillip's, a retro clothing company that produces licensed apparel including official Shelby, Barris, and many other iconic American brands.

E-mail Michael directly at michael@satterfieldgroup.com

Thanks for visiting!