Hey everyone! I'm new to these forums and was wondering if I could find some help. I'm looking to swap a TKO 600 and 8.5" Chevy 10 Bolt into my 68 next month and I was wondering if anyone here has done the same thing? I would like to have the driveshaft built and ready put in so I don't have to wait a week or so after everything else is ready. I'm sure of few of you have done this same swap and might have the driveshaft length written down somewhere. Thanks!
Redbird, I can't help you with the measurement, but welcome to the site. I have a TKO 600 but a Chev 8.2, been looking to get an 8.5 or something else that is stronger than the 8.2. What car did your 8,5 come out of and did you modify it to fit yourself?
It's an 8.5 out of a second gen firebird, its not in the car yet, but I'm planning on cutting off the old mounts and welding on new ones in the correct place.Whenever the transmission gets here I'm putting in both at the same time. I've heard that when swapping from an 8.2 BOP to an 8.5 you need to shorten the driveshaft an inch. Maybe I just need to have them make me a driveshaft an inch shorter than what they would make for the stock axle.
I bought mine as a kit from Keisler engineering, now owned by Silver Sport Transmissions. They made the driveshaft that fit for my engine, car and rear. I'd be willing to bet if you contact them and tell them what you have they will be able to build you the driveshaft you need, I'd also suspect they would tell you what length you would need if you wanted to make one locally. If it were me, and I couldn't find anyone who has done the same mod as you, I'd wait until the tranny and rear are in place, then measure and have one built. That way you will get exactly what you need.
I forget what the u-joints were when I got mine, but as the joints are smaller in the Chebby 8.2 than the BOP 8.2 I had to get a hybrid joint, with two large bearings and two smaller ones. I didn't realize my bird had a chebby rear in it when I ordered the kit. Duh!
Well I actually ordered my transmission kit from Silver Sport Transmissions and they're so behind from Covid that I probably won't see it until the end of July at the earliest. They said they could make a driveshaft ahead of time if I had the stock axle and otherwise I have to give them a measurement. It's gonna suck waiting two weeks for a driveshaft after finishing everything else but if it's what it takes to do it right I will have to. Thanks!
Hmmm, if you have a stock BOP in your car now and an 8.5 sitting on the garage floor, can you measure them to get the difference in length from the end of the yoke to the centerline of the axle? If indeed the 8,5 is one inch longer than the BOP 8.2 they could make the shaft one inch shorter like you suggested. Would be wise to confirm the one inch first. Also tell them the size of the U-joint so they can weld in the correct yoke onto the back of the driveshaft.
