I love my Richmond tranny

clutchdust

Millionaire Playboy
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
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In transition
Whenever I drive the vettes I practice clutchless shifting. Of course the c5 has the MN6, which I believe is a Tremec, and I put a Richmond 5 in the '81. I've noticed the c5 is much more tempermental when I do this. It really needs to be rev matched and is very unhappy (and lets you know it) if you don't do it right. Consequently I don't do it quite as much in the c5.
The c3 on the other hand, is cake to shift. I just blip the throttle to pop out of whatever gear I'm in and on the way down I just shove the gear lever into the next gear, there's a little clunk and it just sucks it in. Down shifts are only slightly harder. May just be a five speed, but I love that. I think in the last 100 miles I've only used the clutch about 6 times.
May have to change my user name.
 
I tell you a krazy damn thing with me and any stickshift....import 4-6 cyl or V8....

wasn't untill age 35 or so I owned a stickshift car....and so learned to shift so smooth the ex thought it was a automatic, in traffic....

soon as she mentioned that, I started driving like a hotrodder....figgers...

in my '72 vette here, the first actual V8 stickshift I ever owned....I very quickly went from second to forth....only a L48 336 rear....I"m lazy.....

NOW with the same 336 rear, I enjoy the auto upshifts that slap shit out of the backside....home built 200 4r...

courtesy TRANS GO.....

:clap::clap::drink:
 
I got my 68, LSx, Richmond 6 speed out of winter storage the other day. I took a 45 minute detour through the wine country here in MO home. The Richmonds are a bit "chunky" to shift, but fit perfectly in my 68 and with my driving.
 
I'm thinking about moving up to the 6 speed later on. With my 3.07 rear gears, I do OK with the 5 speed right now but cruising on the highway would be pretty nice with an OD. Right now I turn about 2600 at 80. Not too bad, SBCs will live just short of forever at that engine speed. But it wouldn't be bad to drop that down to 2200-2300. But I'm not at all disappointed in the 5 speed. I haven't tried a car with the Tremec, but if I was buying new I wouldn't even consider the Tremec over the Richmond 6.
 
I'm thinking about moving up to the 6 speed later on. With my 3.07 rear gears, I do OK with the 5 speed right now but cruising on the highway would be pretty nice with an OD. Right now I turn about 2600 at 80. Not too bad, SBCs will live just short of forever at that engine speed. But it wouldn't be bad to drop that down to 2200-2300. But I'm not at all disappointed in the 5 speed. I haven't tried a car with the Tremec, but if I was buying new I wouldn't even consider the Tremec over the Richmond 6.

I love my Richmond 5-speed with my 3.08 rear gear, but like you I wish I had o/d. My plans to remedy this is a 4L80 trans. I know..a damned auto...but it will costs less to do than either a Tremec or Richmond 6-speed.
 
I'm thinking about moving up to the 6 speed later on. With my 3.07 rear gears, I do OK with the 5 speed right now but cruising on the highway would be pretty nice with an OD. Right now I turn about 2600 at 80. Not too bad, SBCs will live just short of forever at that engine speed. But it wouldn't be bad to drop that down to 2200-2300. But I'm not at all disappointed in the 5 speed. I haven't tried a car with the Tremec, but if I was buying new I wouldn't even consider the Tremec over the Richmond 6.

I love my Richmond 5-speed with my 3.08 rear gear, but like you I wish I had o/d. My plans to remedy this is a 4L80 trans. I know..a damned auto...but it will costs less to do than either a Tremec or Richmond 6-speed.

4L80 is heavy as hell and bulky and EXPENSIVE with any controller

I went 700 for the motor home project, built myself, with TimAT's help....his long suffering hours on the phone talking to a tranny idiot....

4L60 is same as the 700 but needs the controller....

IMO, I went 200 4r that I did myself in the garage...local core and parts..and Trans Go kit....

and for a shark, i'ts a bolt in swap, basically....
 
G, you must be getting old!

I am....geezz....but no 2004r or 700r4 is gonna last long behind my motor. A good build on the 4L80 and it should hold up for years. Besides, it may help everything behind it last a little longer.
 
I'm thinking about moving up to the 6 speed later on. With my 3.07 rear gears, I do OK with the 5 speed right now but cruising on the highway would be pretty nice with an OD. Right now I turn about 2600 at 80. Not too bad, SBCs will live just short of forever at that engine speed. But it wouldn't be bad to drop that down to 2200-2300. But I'm not at all disappointed in the 5 speed. I haven't tried a car with the Tremec, but if I was buying new I wouldn't even consider the Tremec over the Richmond 6.

I love my Richmond 5-speed with my 3.08 rear gear, but like you I wish I had o/d. My plans to remedy this is a 4L80 trans. I know..a damned auto...but it will costs less to do than either a Tremec or Richmond 6-speed.

4L80 is heavy as hell and bulky and EXPENSIVE with any controller

I went 700 for the motor home project, built myself, with TimAT's help....his long suffering hours on the phone talking to a tranny idiot....

4L60 is same as the 700 but needs the controller....

IMO, I went 200 4r that I did myself in the garage...local core and parts..and Trans Go kit....

and for a shark, i'ts a bolt in swap, basically....
The 4L80, with converter, is about 180lbs. About 80lbs. more than a 2004r.
Now add my combo. up...40lb scattershield, 40+lb flywheel 18-20lbs. for the clutch assembly and the Richmond trans, 90lbs. Looks like a draw to me. I can get a 4L80 core for $200, the controllers are now down to $500, and the rebuild with a good kit <$1K if I have someone build it. I can easily get that for my Richmond set-up.
 
I'm thinking about moving up to the 6 speed later on. With my 3.07 rear gears, I do OK with the 5 speed right now but cruising on the highway would be pretty nice with an OD. Right now I turn about 2600 at 80. Not too bad, SBCs will live just short of forever at that engine speed. But it wouldn't be bad to drop that down to 2200-2300. But I'm not at all disappointed in the 5 speed. I haven't tried a car with the Tremec, but if I was buying new I wouldn't even consider the Tremec over the Richmond 6.

I love my Richmond 5-speed with my 3.08 rear gear, but like you I wish I had o/d. My plans to remedy this is a 4L80 trans. I know..a damned auto...but it will costs less to do than either a Tremec or Richmond 6-speed.

4L80 is heavy as hell and bulky and EXPENSIVE with any controller

I went 700 for the motor home project, built myself, with TimAT's help....his long suffering hours on the phone talking to a tranny idiot....

4L60 is same as the 700 but needs the controller....

IMO, I went 200 4r that I did myself in the garage...local core and parts..and Trans Go kit....

and for a shark, i'ts a bolt in swap, basically....
The 4L80, with converter, is about 180lbs. About 80lbs. more than a 2004r.
Now add my combo. up...40lb scattershield, 40+lb flywheel 18-20lbs. for the clutch assembly and the Richmond trans, 90lbs. Looks like a draw to me. I can get a 4L80 core for $200, the controllers are now down to $500, and the rebuild with a good kit <$1K if I have someone build it. I can easily get that for my Richmond set-up.

Sounds good old man, ......:clap::clap::cool:
 
I have the Tremec TKO II 5 speed tranny with an .82 OD gear and 3:25 rear gears. I do 70 mph at about 2200 rpm's with greatly reduced noise and vibration levels too. I had a Richmond 5 speed before the TKO II. The OD gear makes all the difference in the world. You all might want to check out Keisler's website. I heard that they have a new tranny with OD and lower costs too.
 
Talking about Keisler's, there's a ongoing thread on CF about trannies they might have shipped with a known defect.

looks like they're taking care of the problem.....this one seems to take them a little longer to respond to, somebody at CF was talking about months ..... they're usually pretty good on customer service, I've had nothing but great experience with them when I bought my TKO600, even after the sale the service and support (Richard) was great.

Now, looking at the leak location.... would I want to send it back and wait for a replacement or just epoxy or solder it myself..... ???...... I'd have to pull the yoke anyway so why not just fix it...

Would be nice if they could offer you something if you fix it yourself, the tranny fluid that you loose isn't cheap .... I think the synchromesh fill-up was like $50...ouch.....
 
Talking about Keisler's, there's a ongoing thread on CF about trannies they might have shipped with a known defect.

looks like they're taking care of the problem.....this one seems to take them a little longer to respond to, somebody at CF was talking about months ..... they're usually pretty good on customer service, I've had nothing but great experience with them when I bought my TKO600, even after the sale the service and support (Richard) was great.

Now, looking at the leak location.... would I want to send it back and wait for a replacement or just epoxy or solder it myself..... ???...... I'd have to pull the yoke anyway so why not just fix it...

Would be nice if they could offer you something if you fix it yourself, the tranny fluid that you loose isn't cheap .... I think the synchromesh fill-up was like $50...ouch.....
Since Vettemod people seems usually more DIYer and tech savvy than average CF population, I admit this is almost a non issue there. In such case I would probably have done the tweak myself rather than waiting for month.
I just posted for the sake of information, just like I stirred up things myself in the very thread for the sake of consumer defense :devil::hissyfit:
 
I have half a mind to get an OD tranny, but if I do it will be the Richmond 6 with OD. I know a lot of people with the Keisler and they're all happy with it, and that's cool and all. But I know full well I like the Richmond, it seems to be way less engineering than the Tremec to fit in. Don't really need a kit. Just notch the trans tunnel for the shifter and the tailshaft mount and put the thing in there.
 
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