I've been thinking about upgrading my TKO600 as well, not so much for shift quality as strength. Both American Powertrain and Modular Mustang Racing sell a box they call good for ~900 hp, but from what I can tell besides some similar mods to what liberty is doing they are mostly just cryo and rem finishing the gears and claiming that strength upgrade. I also recently called LIberty, and the guy there said that cryo/rem is good for maybe an extra 100 hp ? but that there is no standard for "rating" a transmission by hp or lb/ft level (obviously you would need to know the weight and gearing and tire of the car to even begin to make this claim). So anyway I've been considering that since I have broken the 3rd gear cluster before.

But one thing I don't hear anyone mention about the TKO is the damn noise. My box sounds like a coffe can full of rocks anytime you "lug" it below 2500 rpms, which if you think about it, is like 50% of your street driving. Its very annoying. And every tremec I've had has done this behind multiple engines, some worse than others. Even though I could have LIberty or someone else upgrade this tko, I've been thinking very seriuosly about dropping the big bucks on a T56 magnum even though I have no use for the extra weight or gear. But I just feel like the T56 is a much more OEM style transmission with bigger and better designed internals.

Just curious if anyone else complains about the noise their tko makes ?

I put in a new set of gears at the same time I put in my 4 link, it howled like crazy. changed out the gears several times, then realized my driveshaft was to long. I shortened it up a tad and it got super quiet. I still have the 4th gear noise you talk about but was still figuring I needed to play with the rear end a little bit..But if this is a common noise then yes mine has it.

Update. Got my trans back today. I need to add some undercoating to the car so if I can get that done I will stab in the trans this weekend..

Then I will let you know how it shifts around 7k...Let see if my RAM bearing can stop leaking...Wish me luck!

Shifting the TKO
 

I have a TKO-600 behind a 383 LT1. The internal rail type shifter is spring loaded and I have found that if you simply pull straight back with your finger tips on the 1-2 shift it goes fine. Same on the 2-3 shift, if you try to grip the ball and guide the shift it will miss. If you just palm it forward it never misses third gear. This method was suggested by Grant R. at Kiesler.

Oh yeah! My 67 Nova has quite a cam in it and thus.......same thing.

How's it goin Chuck? You Prowlin the streets again with the new trans yet?

Ya Chuck, lets do this man. I'm sick of being the whipping post around this joint. :unibrow:

Liberty's number are going to be realistic because they've been doing racing gear boxes for a lot of years. AP has only been in business since around 2005 when I got them started by providing them a distributorship along with my Jag V12 performance line of product to sell. They are not racing people. They are sales people - nothing wrong with that if you get the truth!

The noise you are talking about is common with TKO. There are typically two types of gravelly noise - low rpm lugging where the TKO sounds like a school bus taking off, and a noise that is especially apparent in neutral with the clutch pedal not depressed. The latter is usually due to an incorrect preload of the taper roller bearings on the mainshaft and/or countershaft. There are other causes for noise, but these are the most common in the TKO.

Preston, if you are looking for the shift quality of the T56 Magnum, you should check out our KEISLER Rallye Sport RS 5-speed here.

TKO 600 Modifications
 

We don't advertise this, but we do offer the following upgrade services for TKO:

Modifications of Synchro for factory brass blocker ring - $200, and FREE to purchasers of our Tremec PF kits if you mention Lateral-G

Aftermarket blocker rings for 1-4 - brass with friction liner

Brass Fork Pads for 1-4

Proshifter with internal stops, tunable spring return bias (preset) - included with purchase of our Tremec PF kits

All of these things help the TKO, but are far from making the TKO a truly great shifting transmission for motorsports applications. The TKO was designed from the tremec mexico light truck/van transmissions, just for aftermarket. Trucks and vans have a very different requirement.

If I could stop screwing around with other things then yes...Now that i have the trans out I rewiered the car, now I've been reading your guys posts about what to do for a radio..hahaha

So no I have not tossed it back in there...I guess i should just to get it over with.

Read the whole thread and never got an answer LIberty TKO mods do the trick or T56
 

This was a good thread on addressing the shifting issues of the TKO600. Problem is the two members who had their TKOs modded never posted driving impressions.

Everyone says the T56 is a better shifting transmission. It is also much heavier and I'm not convince I need 6 gear behind a big torque big block.

I have a quicktime bell and dual Mcleod clutch set up for a TKO. I'm either buying a Liberty modified TKO600RR or selling the parts I ahve and just doing a T56.

Did the Liberty mods fix the shifting issues?
Does it shift as well as the T56?
Is the T56 shifting worth the extra weight, money and tunnel mods?

I went from an unmodified TKO600 to a Rockland blueprinted T56. Now, I never had any problems shifting my TKO600 up to 6300 rpms behind 700rwhp, so maybe I"m not hte best to comment.

HOwever, I actually feel like my TKO shifted better overall than my T56 which I realize is backwards from everyone else, but the T56 just feels heavier and notchier, and its breaking in now but 2nd gear took a good tug to make sure you got it in.

I'm not talking some huge difference here, just one datapoint that the shift quality between the two is mostly hype. Probably has more to do with how good your clutch release is than the trans.

Adding a T56 was a good 20 lbs plus I went from an alum bellhousing (unsafe) to a qucktime, which I had trimmed and cleaned up but still added 10 lbs.

I would be more worried about s trength behind your big block than shift quality. I broke a TKO600 3rd gear one time so it can happen. Haven't ran the T56 in the same conditions yet but I doubt it wil break. The TKO broke road racing on a hot day before I had a cooler, so that may have been a factor as well. 3rd gear is known as the weak spot on these.

tko600 extreme
 

Hey i have just mounted an tko 600 extreme from american powertrain in my 69 camaro and that i can recomended . this manuel gears is very good :) :) :)

How many miles do you have on it and have you shifted it North of 6500 rpm?

Hello i havent so many miles on it yet ,becouse i just install it but the trans works very nice no scratching or noise from the trans .i havent go higer or 5000 rpm on it ,but i think there no problems with high rpm shift.:yes: :yes:

Rev it to 7000 a few times and get back to us.

He he yes but most wait, break inn first:D :D :D