New torque converter

[409T]

My wife has been asking if I could fix her T so it wouldn't take so much effort to hold it at a stop light. I bought a 10" converter that was rated for 3200 rpm stall from Summit and swapped out the 11" that was in there. I hadn't used a converter with that high a stall speed before, but it really worked well. The 1900 lb. T has a pretty much stock 327 with a TH400 and about 3.50 rear end gears, and now it only takes the weight of your foot to hold it at a light.

 

[oino]

lol. damn, you just reminded me I need a torque converter. Another part added to the list.
Thats what I want my car to do. Wonder if a 3200 would be ok for me. I'm also running a TH400, but with 350 and 2.88 gears in the rear.

 

[donsrods]

We swapped out the 2500 convertor in my Son's rpu for a 3000 and it made a world of difference. It not only drives better but no creep at lights with a radical cam. My other Son has a 3000 in his T bucket and that thing launches like gangbusters. When I am following him and he leaves a light I have to really push my 27 to keep up, and he is running a lot less motor than me, and I am running 4.30 gears compared to his 2.79's. The right convertor makes a huge difference.

Don

 

[409T]

lol. damn, you just reminded me I need a torque converter. Another part added to the list.
Thats what I want my car to do. Wonder if a 3200 would be ok for me. I'm also running a TH400, but with 350 and 2.88 gears in the rear.

I think you'd like it.

 

[RPM]

Yea I got a 10" 3500 in mine and I like it.

 

[sstock]

Yea I got a 10" 3500 in mine and I like it.

3500 in mine too, no creep or drivability issues

 

[blyndgesser]

Does a higher stall speed wreck the fuel economy all to hell?

 

[RPM]

Does a higher stall speed wreck the fuel economy all to hell?

No your right foot does that. It all depends how you drive. It does not take much to move these lite weight cars.

 

[The Hustler]

No your right foot does that. It all depends how you drive. It does not take much to move these lite weight cars.

 

[The Hustler]

I have a TH350 and have no idea what converter is in it, but it does want to creep at a traffic light. The tranny will not upshift through the gears until I hit a pretty high rpm. (no tach) 1st to 2nd at about 40 mph and 2nd to 3rd at about 50 mph. That does not seem normal. The engine is sbc 350 with a mild cam and a 750cfm Holley. What should I do? Is it expensive to replace a converter labor wise? And what can be done about the high shift points?

 

[Screaming Metal]

The high shift points could be your modulator, could be the shift point programmed by your valvebody, or both. Some modulators are adjustable, and so are the valvebodys. Do you have the kickdown linkage hooked up???
Sounds to me like someone put in a B&M kit, and put in the Street/Strip mode. The strip only mode uses a plug in place of the modulator.
What we need is Jerry from England to drop in and give us the skinny!

 

[Gerry]

Spot on. First check the vac line from the engine to the modulator (if it has one ) for leaks. Then pull the vac line from the modulator and look up the end of the pipe for a screw. If it has one back it off 1/2 turn, reconnect the line and give it a try. Better?? then keep adjusting it till you get a good shift. Be careful though, if you adjust it too much the other way you will loose pressure and get flairs (slipping). KD on the 350 is just that. I dont run one and most on here have done away with it as well.
Cant really help with the VB as its hard to know whats been done to it. Spring pressures, holes been opened out or blocked. Had A C4 VB in an English Devon, that took us 3 weeks to figure out and then only by sending a pic to John senior at JW racing. In the end got one from them built to our specs. If in doubt, borrow or buy a standard VB and start from there.

 

[railroad]

In addition to the higher stall converters, working better with the engine, they are lighter, sorta like reducing the flywheel weight and any hotrodder knows that feeling.

 

[sstock]

I really can't see a down side to a 3500 stall convertor in a Tbucket. The car is so light, it pulls away with minimal rpm from a light, really doesn't flash into you get some load in the engine. Plus the bonus is --it doesn't creep at a traffic light either.

 

[The Hustler]

Spot on. First check the vac line from the engine to the modulator (if it has one ) for leaks. Then pull the vac line from the modulator and look up the end of the pipe for a screw. If it has one back it off 1/2 turn, reconnect the line and give it a try. Better?? then keep adjusting it till you get a good shift. Be careful though, if you adjust it too much the other way you will loose pressure and get flairs (slipping). KD on the 350 is just that. I dont run one and most on here have done away with it as well.
Cant really help with the VB as its hard to know whats been done to it. Spring pressures, holes been opened out or blocked. Had A C4 VB in an English Devon, that took us 3 weeks to figure out and then only by sending a pic to John senior at JW racing. In the end got one from them built to our specs. If in doubt, borrow or buy a standard VB and start from there.

Spot on. First check the vac line from the engine to the modulator (if it has one ) for leaks. Then pull the vac line from the modulator and look up the end of the pipe for a screw. If it has one back it off 1/2 turn, reconnect the line and give it a try. Better?? then keep adjusting it till you get a good shift. Be careful though, if you adjust it too much the other way you will loose pressure and get flairs (slipping). KD on the 350 is just that. I dont run one and most on here have done away with it as well.
Cant really help with the VB as its hard to know whats been done to it. Spring pressures, holes been opened out or blocked. Had A C4 VB in an English Devon, that took us 3 weeks to figure out and then only by sending a pic to John senior at JW racing. In the end got one from them built to our specs. If in doubt, borrow or buy a standard VB and start from there.

 

[The Hustler]

Thanks for the advice, I tried baccking out the screw in the modulator, with no success. I guess I'll have to go to Aamco.

 

[railroad]

Thanks for the advice, I tried baccking out the screw in the modulator, with no success. I guess I'll have to go to Aamco.

Make sure you have vacuum on the line going to the modulator. It should be plumbed into manifold vacuum.

 

[Screaming Metal]

And just because theres a line going from A to B, make sure it can hold vacuum or pressure. I've seen 100's of ones where the line was cracked, slipped off, cut or just plain stopped up with crap.
Sound like it could be a simple fix. Take it to a trans shop you trust if your unfamiliar. Modulators are cheap, its nothing to change one, even the adjustable kind. Run some new hose up to the motor and run full manifold vacuum to it....
As Gerry said, with a VB, it could be anyones guess. Go for the simplest first, new vacuum line, the the modulator. Then try to adjust it out. I'd do that before taking her to a trans shop....might save yourself a few dollars if its simple.

 

[Wild Mango]

Save up your beer money and get a TCI Manual Valve Body. End of drama. Want to smoke her up, select 1. Tooling round town, leave it in 2. Hit the freeway pop it into D when you ready and rock on. Sunday at the strip, burn her out in 2, pop it into 1 and stage and just as the bottom green light starts to glow let 'er rip and shift when you decide.

 

[Screaming Metal]

Save up your beer money and get a TCI Manual Valve Body. End of drama. Want to smoke her up, select 1. Tooling round town, leave it in 2. Hit the freeway pop it into D when you ready and rock on. Sunday at the strip, burn her out in 2, pop it into 1 and stage and just as the bottom green light starts to glow let 'er rip and shift when you decide.

What He Said!!!!! Wanna shift like a Std? And just think, you don't even need a clutch!