XRV8 Gremlin

Bob Hull of Bellingham , Washington made up a kit and did a write in AMO publication American Motoring and Gus Averill from Kelowna, British Columbia both made up kit to put the 700R4 automatic 4 speed on an early AMC Gen 1 AMC V8 . There is discussion here on the forum on the subject I believe in the transmission section. I can put you in contact with and and probably Bob Hull too. I just have not heard or seen Bob Hull since that article thou. PM off forum. LRDaum

amcenthusiast wrote: Thank you LRDaum for your charitable information contribution and good will towards this effort of breathing new life into AM's '56-'67 Rambler V8 engine. May I also suggest considering an AM iron case Warner Gear/FMX hybrid auto trans fitted with a Gear Vendors under/overdrive unit made for Ford FMX. More info on how to build Ford FMX six speed od trans for Rambler V8 on my XRV8 Race Parts webpage: http://amcramblermarlin.1colony.com/favorite_links.html For more information on flow bench porting '56-'67 Rambler V8 heads please contact AMC Forum member 'jcisworthy' (feel free to PM of Email me for more info)

The only problem I have with the Gear Vendors option isn't mechanical or philosophical; it's $$$...as in, about three times the price of a rebuilt 700R. But from what little I drove a vehicle with a GV [DNE2 back then], ['84 F250 with 6.9 diesel/C6], I liked the flexibility it gave me.

The "six speeds" with an OD unit is dubious though... in most cases 1+OD is so close to 2nd and 2+OD is so close to third that it's just not worth the hassle of shifting. I had a BW OD unit wired to manually select once in a 62 American with a flat-head six (T-96). The only trans AMC used with a split-shift setup was the Twin-Stick. Not just an ordinary three speed with OD, there was a big jump from 2nd to 3rd if you didn't use OD between (2+OD as 3rd). You need that gap to make the shift worth while. The small difference with OD and 1st and 2nd might be worth the effort for a real heavy vehicle like a motor home, but not in a light passenger car. Wouldn't help acceleration either, would take too long to shift the extra gears, though the GV unit should shift a little faster than the old BW. 

The AOD conversions is very interesting, but you have a $300 adapter and a $300 special torque converter.  If a stock type (preferably lock-up too, even if you had to use a manual switch for lock-up) converter could be used it would make the conversion a little easier. I don't know what one of the guys who made the GM adapters would sell an adapter for, or what is needed as far as a converter, but they are probably close to the $600 amcenthusiast has listed for the AOD conversion.

GV used to sell a divorced unit, but that would be cost more -- a typical GV unit is $3000 now! The divorced unit (assuming they still make it) might be a bit less since there is no new output shaft or housing required, but then you have to fab a support crossmember. Sounds like the AOD conversion is the winner as far as costs go.

Why is it you can't use a lock-up converter? That would make it a bit more efficient when cruising. I don't know how the AOD works, but I have a switch for the lock-up on my AW4. The AW4 won't lock the converter in first gear no matter what though, only 2-4. So I can leave the switch on and shift. I have a manual gear controller instead of the computer -- put it in drive then turn the dial switch to change gears up and down. Been driving like that for 14 years now with no issues. For best acceleration I can turn the lock-up off and only use it for a high gear (200 rpm drop), but for normal driving I just leave the lock-up on. The AW4 only engine brakes in the top two gears -- 3 & 4 in "D",  2 & 3 in "3", never in first, so when in D you can shift down to first at any speed. I go down through the gears in case I need to take off unexpectedly. If you're going 35 or so and have it in first, and something happens where you need to get out of the way, the engine has to rev very high to move the car. Safer to be in 2nd. If you forget to go to first before trying to stop with the converter locked it will buck a bit then stall -- just like trying to stop a stick without using the clutch. Easy fix -- switch down to first before stopping, or just before it starts to buck (easy to hear/feel motor pulling against brakes). Ready to take back off!

...rather pleased to say the engine runs very good -to say the least.

Only one minor problem was that the idle stop screws kept backing off and the engine would idle too low (about 500 & very lopey/'chugging')  so I put idle mixture screw springs on them:



-Finally got around to putting drag radials on it to get some traction:





The wheels really completed the powertrain; now it has traction.

I chose Vision Nitro, but I would recommend Ultra Wheel 'Comet' (Summit calls them 'Warrior RT') to anyone else.

I had to drill relief holes so the wheels would bolt on without removing the rear wheel brake drum location bolts... they were not a 'direct fit' without massaging the mounting pads of the rims.

The rear wheel rims are 15 x 8 with 4.5" backspace (zero offset) with Nitto 275/60R15 Extreme Drag Radials. -they fit ok but if you draw a line directly from the side marker lamp to the wheel opening, that's where the tire will rub... only now and then, with aggressive driving. I expect that 255/60R15 would fit excellent into the rear wheel wells but this engine needs 'all the tire it can get' in order to make the car safer to drive.

The front wheel rims are 15 x 4 -19 offset with 165/80R15 tires. -they feel great with manual steering (I like it, very much)

I'm very pleased to say the car still handles great with front and rear sway bars.

So far I'm running about 43 psi. in the front tires (rated 44 psi.) and about 23 psi. in the rear, noticing how wide the tread imprint contacts the road (the Nitto drag radials seem to 'want' lower psi. in order for the contact patch to 'sit right')

...with these 28" tall rear tires & 3.31 rear gear, 5000 rpm calculates to make 140 mph & this engine will do that 'no sweat'.

I have not tested the car's top speed... 150?

The car has a great 'musclecar feel';  it's so light, handles great, and the engine makes so much torque it's a blast to drive.

This is definitely my favorite car, I've ever had.

Thanks to all at AMC Forum for letting me show my project here.






Edited by amcenthusiast - Jul/24/2020 at 9:17am