Frank, There is no point in guessing. Converter manufacturers are very good at what they do. If you simply call a company like TCI, and give them all the information on you buildup, theyll be able to tell you which converter to buy. There are alot of variables that determine stall speed. Engine torque, rear gear, and car weight are the the big ones. What is good in one car may not work in your car. BTW, that avitar of mine. That was done in low stall (1800 RPM)(switch pitch) at 2500 RPM in 2nd gear, Of course, that's a 462 Stage1:laugh:
I started putting the 6A box in tonight so I won't have it running till next week when my distributor comes in. I will test it after I get it running and then will pick a stall. I'm thinking min. 2800 or around 3000. I don't want to make a mistake with this. I think the answer to your question is 2800 though. Thanks
Frank, here's something for you to read when your bored... http://www.tciauto.com/tech_info/torque_converters_explained.htm Larry's right, in a way. Don't guess, but its not a perfect science either unless you have DYNO #'s. So call [insert company here] and let THEM make an 'educated' guess. BTW, I don't know if you know this, but if you buy an 'off the shelf' torque converter say a TCI Street Fighter 2800, that 'stall' is taken from a Chevy SB that makes (for example, don't quote me on these #'s. They arn't real, just out of my head.) 300 lb ft at say 4000 rpms. If your SBB is making MORE torque (AND IT IS:Brow: ) at a lower rpm, it WILL CHANGE that so-called '2800' stall to maybe as high as 3800:eek2: :jd: That's why dyno #'s would really come in handy!:Smarty: Otherwise your going to have to GUESSTIMATE your torque #'s and TRUST the company you pick to choose the right one!
(Update) I found the problem, the stall. I installed a 6a box and a billet distr. The car ran better and had a better top end. But still wasn't all there on the bottom end. Installed a B&M 2800-3200 stall and Oh sh*t did it wake up. It went from a sluggish launch to smoke 'em them with the rear end slidding sideways. It feels like a different car. I'm happy with the way it's running now.
I am going to run my 72 Skylark 350 with a .30 over 10.2-1 compression, a TA 118 cam kit, performance valve job with pocket porting, I am having the cam degreed at 110, hooker headers, stock 4 bl intake with a rebuilt 750 quad. I Plan on running the stock TH350 with a 3.08 posi, I have a stock HEI with an MSD 6 box. Will I need to run a stall converter? I have a chance to buy a working TH400 switch pitch trans for $50 would this be worth it? What else will I need to do? Tim
You will have to move the crossmember back to the other set of holes in the frame, find a th400 driveshaft or get yours shortened. Check the flexplate, make sure it has the 2nd set of holes to bolt up the converter as the pattern is larger on the th400. I think $50 is a bargain especialy if you know it works. Not a huge project but a bit of work involved.
I was worried about the stall being to high when I put my car back together last year at 2600. Well it ended up being around 2300. A big mistake. So I had to put in this new stall. Do it right the first time and go with the higher stall. Believe me it's well worth it and the car runs better. With the 118 and 3.08 I would go no lower then a 2800min-3200 stall or the switch pitch.
I am going to dyno my engine when it is done so I can tune it and check the power curve. This should help me determine what stall I need. What about the switch pitch trans, what do I need to get to hook it up so it works correctly, like wiring, kickdown cable etc. What cars can I look for to get the parts? Tim
