New torque converter

by SSTOOLMAN Tue Feb 18, 2014 10:05 pm

In my 73 SS I am running a 355 dinoed at 374 HP and 392 torque. Quick fuel 750, Crane Cam 234 intake 244 exhaust .488 and .509, turbo 400 and 3:08 rear end gears. I am currently have a stock torque converter that has to go. I do a little of stop light to stop light but thats about it. I am more of a car show circuit driver but do get a little crazy with my buddies to and from the shows.
I am thinking about a B&M Hole Shot 2400 stall... The way i drive and for the money ($300) it looks like a good deal. I would like to go a little higher but with the 3:08 rear end I think I will be peddling it with a 3000 stall.
What do you think?? Question

by Joe73 Tue Feb 18, 2014 10:24 pm

I think thats a good choice on the street.

by chevellelaguna Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:13 pm

That stall with a 3.08 gear would be a nice combo for the street. I ran a similar combo and it was peppy but smooth. Right now with a 355,th350,3.42 and a 3,000 stall there's no "easing" it off the line. Rough on the neck at every stoplight ya know?

by bracketchev1221 Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:47 pm

I think a converter like that will definitely help you. Plus it gives you room to grow if you choose to go to a lower gear like a 3.73. I plan on using one in that stall range in mine with a 3.42 gear.

by SSTOOLMAN Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:24 pm

Thanks for the help! Now I feel good about the 2400 stall. With my cam I have a high idle speed and the stock converter pulls when in gear, more annoying than anything. ( this didn't happen with the old motor) I get a hard clunk shifting it into gear also, again idle speed.
I think this converter will improve drivability
and power off the line. Twisted Evil

by Joe73 Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:33 pm

Cant get the idle down? How big is the cam? I've installed 292 and 305 duration cams and have a reasonable 900 ish rpm idle.

by JB2wheeler Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:27 pm

I have a whopper of a Comp cam in mine and put a 3,000 stall in it and when I would pull up to a stop sign and try to make a right turn I would have to give it a whole bunch of gas before it would move and when it did move it would be burning rubber until I backed off the gas. I switched to a 2,100 stall and now it works fine. JB

by Joe73 Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:26 pm

I dont know. I've installed comp cams biggest hydraulic flat tappet cam, which is 305 duration, and did not have any idle issues. Next bigger cam from them is solid lifters. I've also installed 292 duration cams and I can get low 900 rpms with it.
You should be able to get your rpms into the low 900 range and not have driveablility problems.

by SSTOOLMAN Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:12 am

Smooth idle speed is about 975 thats not the problem, the stock torque converter would drop it down to 600 rpm when in gear, that is my drivability problem. it would bang into gear when you take it out of park and pull and shake at the stoplight. I am hoping the 2400 stall will solve this.

by Joe73 Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:32 am

Ok. Your in the ballpark. I thought you had an idle speed much higher than that. I think youll do good.with a 2400 stall. And definitely more fun to drive.

by bracketchev1221 Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:41 am

The cam is not huge, but I would agree that 600 is too low to idle. I am guessing the compression is a tad on the low side causing a lower idle vacuum. However, I would play with the distributor just to make sure that your mechanical advance is not coming in early and that when you drop it in to gear, the advance goes away and idle speed drops. The converter will loosen up the car at traffic lights and when stopped, so that should let you see a higher idle in gear. Don't be afraid of stall numbers though. There is a misconception about converters. Higher stall converters will slip more when accelerating, but good converters don't make it overly noticeable. I have run 4500 stall converters on the street and the cars drove fine. But it was an ATI converter built for the combo. A catalog built converter most times is just made to be a universal fit and sometimes are not very efficient. So they get their stall speed based on being inefficient. I can drive my Chevelle around the pits at the track with a 5500 stall converter, spool and 16X32 slicks and it drives like any other car.

by SSTOOLMAN Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:17 pm

Well the motor is going back in 1st week of March so the new converter will go in then. Cant wait for Spring. Laughing

by switchbiker Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:55 pm

bracketchev1221 wrote:...However, I would play with the distributor just to make sure that your mechanical advance is not coming in early and that when you drop it in to gear, the advance goes away and idle speed drops.

^^This. I just got done solving a similiar problem with idle speed dropping a bunch, threw the timing light on it and realized the advance curve was varying from free idle to in gear by 10 degrees and killing the in gear idle to the point of stalling. Also noticed it was coming into full timing 36 degrees at only 2000 rpm. Stiffer springs installed and it finally runs right in gear and the base timing is stable from free idle to in gear.

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