>Having done this swap a couple times, let me tell you a secret. The
>driveshafts are exactly one inch shorter when completely compressed or
>extended. However they have about 2 1/2 inches worth of movement in them
>between compressed and full extension. Taken into account the fact that
>your engine and tranny have enough slack to be pulled forward or back at
>least an inch. I would personally not lose any sleep over using the old
>driveshaft if an overdrive shaft is not available. However balancing would
>be a good idea.
>
>Patrick
I'd mention that, when I installed an OD transmission in my '77, I
was not aware of the fact that the driveshafts were different
lengths. Thus I put the engine in, bolted it down, and went to hook
the driveshaft up, only to discover that only under extreme stress
would it actually squeeze into place behind the transmission. So I
wound up removing it and swapping the one out of my parts car.
So ... I would say that one *does* need to worry about shortening a
non-OD driveshaft for use in an OD car.
And I agree that balancing is a good idea.
Dan
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