Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Opie Shafts

[Nate]

Anyone ever here of a company called Opie for transmission shafts? The guy that's going be building my transmission recommended them.

 

[Bob Wagner]

Anyone ever here of a company called Opie for transmission shafts? The guy that's going be building my transmission recommended them.

here ya go nate. http://opieparts.com

 

[Nate]

Yeah that's the site I found too. I was just wondering about the company. I've never heard of them.

 

[JR2]

I don't think you will have a problem with his transmission, if I am not mistaken he builds his own Billet stuff and may be the supplier of some parts for DTT. I know his trucks make big power.

Go over to NW Bombers and look around, opie is active over there.

 

[Nate]

Actually just thinking of using the parts. The guy that's going to build my transmission (friend of mine) knows the guy that builds the Opie transmissions I guess and he's the one that told me about them.

 

[Nate]

No one else has used/heard of them?

 

[csutton7]

he's top notch---been around for sometime and makes quality parts---chris

 

[Fishin Guide]

Opie builds components that are used in transmissions.



be sure that you do not use a billet flexplate with his shafts as he will not warranty them if it is to be used.



I have Opie's shafts in my trans. The last time it was pulled, the splines were beat up pretty bad. My stockers didn't even look that bad. That was under 10K of use. BTW, the trans was pulled because DTT found some excess adhesive from the TC clutch in my pan. they opted to rebuild it instead of taking a chance there was more crud floating around.



My input had quite a bit of runout. I was very surprised by this.



Dave

 

[Jetpilot]

Opie makes the best components available for our transmissions. There have been some issues but they are due to other factors not the shafts or their design. We always use his parts with any transmission that goes onto our trucks!



Doug

 

[Fishin Guide]

Hey Doug,



I can understand a good design and poor execution. But what factors could there be that could cause runout? Obviously, a lathe or CNC shouldn't be able to create that, right?



Dave

 

[BILLVO]

Actually just thinking of using the parts. The guy that's going to build my transmission (friend of mine) knows the guy that builds the Opie transmissions I guess and he's the one that told me about them.

What is the name of the transmission shop that is going to build the trans?



I met Opie at the NHRDA drags in Billings last week and he said he works with a transmission shop in Idaho and 1 in Nebraska. He recommended I go with the shop in Idaho for my next transmission and to contact him to get the ball rolling when the time comes. But he never gave me the transmission shop name or location.



I have his contact info if anyone wants to visit with him. His web page is being updated right now and is not working.

 

[Fishin Guide]

Go to DTT and never look back. JMO.



Dave

 

[BILLVO]

Go to DTT and never look back. JMO.



Dave

Are they using his shafts, or are they not up to par in your opinion? Do you still have them in your transmission and which flex plate did you use? He recommended one but I can't remember what the name of it was. He said it was an aluminum one.

 

[Fishin Guide]

Are they using his shafts, or are they not up to par in your opinion? Do you still have them in your transmission and which flex plate did you use? He recommended one but I can't remember what the name of it was. He said it was an aluminum one.

No reflection of the shaft quality at all. I don't doubt that Opies shafts work. I have them in my truck. I would like to try a differnt input however as mine has a lot of runout. I am not gonna pay to pull the trans to have another shaft put in. So, if I break it, it'll get swapped. I have not broken any shafts including my stockers with over 500HP. So, I must not be real abusive to parts.



I am running the Reactor flexplate. The last one that DTT had at the time. I like it, but a billet steel plate will work equally as well as long as the web thickness is properly sized. I am not a fan of laminated plates as most of them have tons of runout and or warp. Although I have used them in my street cars, I don't like them in anything that can make this much torque and get traction.



A flexplate is designed to go in and out. That's the only flexing they should do. The Reactor plate doesn't even do that! Well, everything flexes, but it's almost none.



I just prefer DTT for the trans work. I do not know what shafts they are using. But the samples I seen when I was up there a few weeks ago were a piece of art.



Dave

 

[Nate]

The name of the shop is Bowman Offroad and Transmission located in Mtn Home, though Chris (owner) just knows Opie... he doesn't do work for Opie. I'm not sure who else in Idaho would. I know there's a couple shops that setup transmission for drag racing and sled pulling, but I had no idea who they are.

If you are interested in having Chris do the work, his # is 208 599 2971



As for the laminated flexplate, I talked to Dave Geoerend a while back and he recomended it.

I've found that opinions about transmission companies or parts vary all over the board. One guy will say a company/part is total junk while talk to another guy and it's the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[BILLVO]

Yep- the reactor is what he recommended. Does DTT make their own shafts also or get them from another supplier?

 

[Fishin Guide]

Yep- the reactor is what he recommended. Does DTT make their own shafts also or get them from another supplier?

No, they don't manufacture thier own parts. In fact, I don't think anyone does. Not like that matters though. They did make some key changes to meet DTTs specs however and the difference shows.



You can buy the Reactor plates on the web or at some performance shops. I do not know if DTT is still handling them as the billet flexplates have nearly made them obsolete. After all, how many diesels spin to 6K and above?



Opie does not warantee his shafts with billet flexplates. I don't know why. Here's a link to a statement he put out some time ago.



STEEL FLEXPLATES/IE Shaft Warranty - BOMBER Board



Oddly, when I was at DTT and asked about the whole billet flexplates breaking more shafts than other flexplates issue, they told me that was not the case. Although more shafts have been broken in recent months, they were with all types of plates.



I had theorized something had changed in the machining process of the shafts causing them to be more brittle than previous production runs. And with the amount of runout of the shafts, I was guessing it was heat treating issues. But I have no idea. I am not a machinist, engineer or metallurgist. I am just a guy that barely made it through highschool. So, my opinions can be somewhat simplified.



The other cause I felt was the ease of making bigger power now. With that said, the VP crowd has made as much it's gonna make for a few years now. The third gens have more HP/ TQ potential out of the box. So, you might think the added power is doing it.



All these are just guesses on my part. And it goes back to what I said about wanting to swap out my shafts. Not because I think the warrantee won't be there or they are great or junk. That's not the case at all. I just wonder if the runout is indicative of a possible manufacturing defect. I can only wonder as I don't have the tools to answer that one.



Dave

 

[Nate]

Does Opie makes their own shafts?

 

[Fishin Guide]

Does Opie makes their own shafts?

I'm not sure how Opie does his stuff. I had always assumed that they were sent out to a CNC center and produced. Otherwise, hw did they get through QC?



I have seen shafts missing holes, ring lands, areas not finished milled. I can only assume this means they were turned out by someone else as I can't believe Opie would put them into a box and send them out to customers.



Dave