Hurst Drivelines? Anyone deal with them for the 5-speed conversion?

[cdummer43]

Having trouble getting a hold of Steve Sparkman at Hurst Drivelines. Recently I placed an order for a 5-speed for my 74 Challenger and he stated that it would take two-weeks just to process and another week to ship it out to me... Well its been a month now and still the amount for the transmission has not been removed from my account and I have called multiple times to see what the status is on it.

Just wondering if anyone else on here has had a similar experience to mine. It's kind of hard to believe that someone with a large amount of money wanting their product would be disregarded like I have been and continue to be. Thanks for reading and hopefully your input.

 

[03HDFB]

Hey bro,
I know how you feel!!! My Up front work with them was great....Got the package within 2 weeks of my order.....But that's where it all went sower!!!
In the end....the best thing to do was go straight to thier tech side and work it from there. I got great results once I stopped trying to get ahold of Steve.
I did cut them some slack....due to the fact that they took on all of the remaining Kiesler short comings....but customer service should be thier main focus!
Good Luck Bud!
G

 

[cdummer43]

Well I canceled my order with them because I was just utterly sick of their crap.

Sooooo I went ahead and ordered from Silver Sport Transmission because they had everything in stock.

Got everything relatively quick, installed it all with the QUICK TIME bell housing and cant bet my mechanical linkage hooked up with out the Z-bar being on a huge downward angle towards the engine and transmission. So i thought it was my ball stud so I ordered the A-body one because of where I needed the Z-bar to go looked like that would solve it. So I over-nighted it to get here the same time my drive shaft was coming in. So I get the drive shaft and its 3" too long. They sent me some mustangs guys out of Idaho and mine went to his. Paid over night for that as well.

So I think "hey I'll get the linkage all setup so when the RIGHT drive shaft gets here I will install it and get on the road"..... Not so fast the other A-body ball stud made that angle even worse. So two over-night charges wasted for nothing that works and am seriously peeved beyond belief.

I call the tech guy at Silver Sport Trans and acts like everything is cool and I ask him about the bell housing and that's the only one that they carry is the Quick Time one and tells me I should call over there and see if I need any type of special parts to make my mechanical linkage work. (Thinking to myself #1 I have to do your job to make your mess right, #2 I am the very FIRST person to order a 5-speed from you for a 1974 Dodge Challenger)

All in all I took a week off of work to install this for one of the biggest shows in the state of Wisconsin and put on some miles and am stranded and have to look at everyone's cars in envy.

Wondering if you have any insight to help me solve the linkage problem or what yours looks like (pictures). I know going to a hydraulic clutch would probably solve this but I am already about $7k into this project and about to throw in the towel and let someone else do it for me or wait until next year.

 

[rbbruno3]

Try Paul or bill from American powertrain . They got me all squared away after keisler screwed me. I did go with the hydraulic clutch though

 

[03HDFB]

Well I canceled my order with them because I was just utterly sick of their crap.

Sooooo I went ahead and ordered from Silver Sport Transmission because they had everything in stock.

Got everything relatively quick, installed it all with the QUICK TIME bell housing and cant bet my mechanical linkage hooked up with out the Z-bar being on a huge downward angle towards the engine and transmission. So i thought it was my ball stud so I ordered the A-body one because of where I needed the Z-bar to go looked like that would solve it. So I over-nighted it to get here the same time my drive shaft was coming in. So I get the drive shaft and its 3" too long. They sent me some mustangs guys out of Idaho and mine went to his. Paid over night for that as well.

So I think "hey I'll get the linkage all setup so when the RIGHT drive shaft gets here I will install it and get on the road"..... Not so fast the other A-body ball stud made that angle even worse. So two over-night charges wasted for nothing that works and am seriously peeved beyond belief.

I call the tech guy at Silver Sport Trans and acts like everything is cool and I ask him about the bell housing and that's the only one that they carry is the Quick Time one and tells me I should call over there and see if I need any type of special parts to make my mechanical linkage work. (Thinking to myself #1 I have to do your job to make your mess right, #2 I am the very FIRST person to order a 5-speed from you for a 1974 Dodge Challenger)

All in all I took a week off of work to install this for one of the biggest shows in the state of Wisconsin and put on some miles and am stranded and have to look at everyone's cars in envy.

Wondering if you have any insight to help me solve the linkage problem or what yours looks like (pictures). I know going to a hydraulic clutch would probably solve this but I am already about $7k into this project and about to throw in the towel and let someone else do it for me or wait until next year.

Sorry so slow buddy....I've been working on a distributor issue I'm having with mine...Haven't Been on line in awhile! Yeah....I know your frustration my friend.
Ok.....The only way to make the quick time bell work...is to contact the guy from quicktime....he offered to make mine right when I had the same issues (You'll see that in my thread) but I didn't have time to take (2) weeks out of my schedule to do so. I passed his info onto another member here....I can't remember who though...perhaps
they'll jump in. I went the faster route...Hydro...with a billet resivour. In the end.....I think it was a beter choise due to the clutch and pressure plate I chose....Pretty stiff. Other than sending it to quick time....You'd have to mke some good measurements, Cut the mount ear off the qucktime, weld a new one on, mark and tap for the
ball mount. I know is sucks!!! I wish you luck.....and hope you still have some $ in your wallet!! Keep the faith....when you're done....It wll be so worth the misery...
what a blst the car is to drive now!

Gregory

 

[cdummer43]

yeah we measured and made a bracket that we can just bolt in and HOPEFULLY it will solve my problem. I was looking at your thread and saw that the clutch fork won't fit in the opening either which I also took a look at today and of course it does not fit! I am going to do some grinding on the bell housing to get it to fit properly. My only worries are that seeing as how much this has been fighting me I am sure something else will go wrong, but I am also keeping the faith that it will be easy sailing from here on out. I will get pictures of my car up once the project is complete and all shined up.

 

[03HDFB]

"Snipped" I will get pictures of my car up once the project is complete and all shined up.

Sweet.....Looking forward to seeing some pics....and hear what you have to say once you hit 5th gear. Now....It took about 200 miles...before the tranny really
settled in an the gearse loosened up....It reall shifts smooth now! I promiss.....you will have a grin on your face when you roll out on the freeway! I'm running
3.91 out the back right now....But am truly leaning towards dropping the 4.10's in now.....I've got plenty of gear in the tranny now!

 

[cdummer43]

Try Paul or bill from American powertrain . They got me all squared away after keisler screwed me. I did go with the hydraulic clutch though

I see they actually make a cast aluminum bell housing for small block to the TKO, I might be sending that quick time POS back.

 

[Racer57]

FYI.... I have a TKO500 in my Cuda. There wasn't enough clearance to get the tailstock up as high as the original. At about 70mph (5th gear, 3:55, 2,000rpm) I had a vibration due to the driveline not having the proper angle. So far I have put airshocks on the car which I wanted to do anyway and that raised the tranny which took about 75% of the vibration out. Next I'm going to place 2degree wedges under the rear axle to raise the front of it a little. I'm trying to get 3 degree down on front which I now have and 3 degree up on the rear which is still a little off but not because of tranny swap.

 

[03HDFB]

I see they actually make a cast aluminum bell housing for small block to the TKO, I might be sending that quick time POS back.

Yeah...They do make a Cast Bell.....But Hurst could not guarantee it wouldn't have issues either....since its ford based!
I know you want to hang onto the Z bar....I did too....But I'm very happy I decided to go Hydro.....Well worth the extra coin
and no hassles. I'm sorry I can't remember who I sent the Quicktime info to...Its the Owner of Qucktimes info...He will make it right!
Not only make it right for whoever sends him thier bell...but will change his fab model so all the rest that he makes...are right.
Hang in there Buddy!

 

[rbbruno3]

Gregory, you sent that info to me. The guys name from Quicktime was Ross McCombs, and his # is 641-660-2807. Like I said I went the hydraulic route too.

Yeah...They do make a Cast Bell.....But Hurst could not guarantee it wouldn't have issues either....since its ford based!
I know you want to hang onto the Z bar....I did too....But I'm very happy I decided to go Hydro.....Well worth the extra coin
and no hassles. I'm sorry I can't remember who I sent the Quicktime info to...Its the Owner of Qucktimes info...He will make it right!
Not only make it right for whoever sends him thier bell...but will change his fab model so all the rest that he makes...are right.
Hang in there Buddy!

 

[Bigblue73]

Hurst makes a cast small block bell housing that works perfect with the stock clutch linkage and the Ford based TKO. American Powertrain makes a cast Big Block bell housing that works. There are options. I've been involved with Hurst when they were Classic Mopar 5 Speed (started in 2006) There are differences in the design of these kits so do your diligence and ask questions. I've put a lot of miles on my 5 speed and it is the best thing you can do to our cars.

Tony Edler

 

[03HDFB]

Awe yeah...Thanks a ton for pinging in! I've had quite a few parts come flyig thru my floorpans...thru the years of Drag racing....I truly
feel much safer with an SFI certified Bell....Like the quicktime. I've personally talked with Ross....very nice guy......and truly willing to make what we want
for our cars. I do hope there's someone out there that as the time to take advantage of his willingness to help....it will be good for all the rest of the folks
that buy his bell later.
He offered:
Send the factroy bell along with his...He would fix his so the Z-Bar works and return...On his coin for all shipping too. About a 2 week turn around he figured
for me....shipping from the seattle area. Once he has the info. fro the factory bell...he would change his fab model....so the bells he makes from then on...
would be right. Un fortunately I payed it forward t some local mopar guys in my area....I gave them all my take offs'....Suspension, Brakes, Brand new Tranny, Linkage
shifter and driveline......they are happy boys!!
Good Luck!

 

[Bigblue73]

I honestly don't know what changed in the bell housings from Quick Time. I'm almost positive that we had customers using the supplied bracketry to mount the factory z-bars. One question - Did any of you receive a bag of insert rings with your Quick Time Bell Housing. I know from Hurst's stand point that they talked to Ross while he still owned Quick Time about removing some of the rings and unnecessary parts. I will tell you that the extra parts caused to many phone calls. Maybe the brackets are now left out?

 

[cdummer43]

I honestly don't know what changed in the bell housings from Quick Time. I'm almost positive that we had customers using the supplied bracketry to mount the factory z-bars. One question - Did any of you receive a bag of insert rings with your Quick Time Bell Housing. I know from Hurst's stand point that they talked to Ross while he still owned Quick Time about removing some of the rings and unnecessary parts. I will tell you that the extra parts caused to many phone calls. Maybe the brackets are now left out?

Had the same issues with mine but at least they had markings on the parts to designate what body style they were to be applied with. Never got a hold of the owner but I did just fabricate that bell housing i have to get the clutch fork to fit through the hole and actually had to extend the clutch fork with some solid welding from my father.

 

[cdummer43]

Got everything up and rolling finally, and have taken the car on a couple nice long jaunts around the state of WI and into MN. 22 mpg is so much better than 15 out of the 727!

I was reading somewhere that someone was experiencing some vibration around 70 mph, as am I, just wondering if anyone knows how to get a handle on that. Anything under 65 she rides like a dream and can hardly tell shes running with the windows down and the music up!

 

[cdummer43]

FYI.... I have a TKO500 in my Cuda. There wasn't enough clearance to get the tailstock up as high as the original. At about 70mph (5th gear, 3:55, 2,000rpm) I had a vibration due to the driveline not having the proper angle. So far I have put airshocks on the car which I wanted to do anyway and that raised the tranny which took about 75% of the vibration out. Next I'm going to place 2degree wedges under the rear axle to raise the front of it a little. I'm trying to get 3 degree down on front which I now have and 3 degree up on the rear which is still a little off but not because of tranny swap.

Where would one figure out if the driveline is off to cause the vibration that I was also experiencing. I thought I got the wrong flywheel when it started doing that!

And where might I come across the wedges as well?

Much appreciate the info!!

 

[03HDFB]

Where would one figure out if the driveline is off to cause the vibration that I was also experiencing. I thought I got the wrong flywheel when it started doing that!

And where might I come across the wedges as well?

Much appreciate the info!!

Great to hear you got it on the road. When I moved my spring perches...I set my pionion angle at 3 Deg with the car on the wheels and loaded with weight....I'm sure you can find the wedges just about anywhere....Summit, Jegs, Les Schwab Etc.

 

[Racer57]

Do a search for "traction bar wedge kit" , Here's an example.....
http://www.jegs.com/i/Lakewood/620/...3&cadevice=c&gclid=CJjQ0_KQ1MACFRQdaQod51kAjA

Get a digital level and place it on the tranny side of the U-joint, on the driveshaft and on the differential side of the differentials U-Joint. You want 3 degree up on one end and 3 degree down on the other end. Otherwise you get a vibration due to harmonics.

 

[cdummer43]

I think possibly since I slammed my car on the ground might have something to do with it as well as you will see in the pictures. I am going to pick up an angle finder tomorrow to get it dialed in. Here are some other pictures as I promised.