Stall speed for converter question

[Phoenyx]

Here's my advice. Forget about your converter and just get some gears. Put in some 3.73s and that thing will pull instantly off the line. Your engine will feel like it has twice the power it has now. Also, what size tires are you running? That affects your gears too.

My Malibu has the stock 305/TH350, but I put in a set of 3.73s and it made a world of difference. And I have no problem beating rice, stangs, and those HEMI trucks.

I'm gonna steal a quote I seen on this forum recently, "Build your car from the rear end and work your way forward."

I have built up quite a few cars over the years, and I gotta say that's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard.

 

[Carsten]

When i understand you the right way , when i go from my 2.29 gears to 3,43 for example , the stall will go down ? YES, ever drive a stick/manual. Using custom442s idea, leave from a traffic light in first, now do the same thing but put the car in third then pull away. You are going to rev it higher and slip the clutch more to get it going. Higher gears do the same thing. Right now you are leaving in "third" better gears will be more like leaving in "first". Hope that explains it better.[/b]
Problem is that the car goes from standing at lights from 2000 to 3000 like a 50 hp Honda and then beginns to get fast and from 3500 on it gets really fast. So that was my idea to get a 3000 stall converter in it.Right idea but you need to do the rear gears FIRST or you will kill your transmission from excessive heat
Cruising on the highway sees about 2500 to 3000 rpms , due to we have no speed limit over here.I loved driving the Autobahn, kinda sucked have a small Renault. Nothing like driving with the car matted for 30 minutes at a time :lol:
So a stall of 3000 would be no problem as i will put in higher gears later on .
Need to know the tire size to help on rear ratio.
Carsten

Tire size is 275-60-15 Tach ends at 85.... 😀 😀 😀
I understand you , because my other car is a bug which has a close ratio 4 speed gear box and had over 200hp and i could start with the car with 4000 or 5000rpm from the line...
It is on youtube , too under my name there The79OldsCutlass.

 

[shotgun]

YIKES, 2.29 and 275/60 15!!!!!!!!! Are you planning a trip to the Salt Flats??? :lol:

Here is some food for thought, these are rough numbers and ignore aero drag.

In 1st gear your convertor is not "locking " until 30mph, 50mph in 2nd and 75mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 2.29 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 86mph, 143mph in 3rd and 218mph in third . :shock:

Change to 3.42 and your convertor does not "lock" until 19mph in 1st, 32mph in 2nd and 49mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 3.42 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 58mph, 96mph in 2nd and 146mph in 3rd.

Change to 3.90 and your convertor does not "lock" until 17mph in 1st, 28mph in 2nd and 44mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 3.90 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 50mph, 84 in 2nd and 128mph in 3rd.


Put some 3.73 or 3.90s in it with the tall tires you are running.

Add a "high rise" dual plane manifold next.

Then start playing with the convertor.

 

[mebe007]

a dual plenum intake will def healp with the bottom end. 3.73 is a good street gear. 3.90 will spin your rpm upi really high in my opinion

 

[Chevyman85]

I agree. I went from stock 2.41 gears to 3.73 and I had the response your looking for. It made the car feel like I gained a 100HP. You gain a lot from gears and they are relativly cheap and easy to install, compared to a converter. If your going to do them anyways later on, do them now and see the difference. The only thing you will loose is top end.

 

[custom442]

Something no one mentioned before, look up the specs on your cam. Check the rpm range where it makes power. For example, my XE282 from compcams is effective between 2200-5800. So I'd be losing out if I went with a 2,000-2,500 stall. Theres a lot of things to consider.

I actually disagree with some of the other posts. It's hard to tell because we don't know where your engine is making the most torque. But a higher gear in a th350 you'll be able to utilize more of the torque curve in first gear for the street. For example, although a 4.10-4.56 is damn fast in an 1/8th mile and in your seat (to around 100 mph), you could very well have the same (or better) 1/4 mile time with a 2.90-3.10 because your stalling higher (with a well matched converter) and 1st gear is effectively useless with a real low gear.

I say get around a 3.00 gear and maybe a 2500-3000 stall (this advice would be different with anything other than a 3spd). You'll jump hard off the line from a stoplight with less effort/money to be had on the rear suspension. And 1st gear will be hella fun to downshift into around town. The problem still would be converter slippage, only suggestion there would be to invest in a lockup converter. Somebody else might chime in here which would help... if I remember right only certain year model th350's can be fitted with a lockup converter? Or is this not right?

All this depends on your driving style/preferences

 

[mebe007]

you dont really lose top end with a lower gear you just get to your top end faster.i know when i picked my converter i calle hughes and edlebrock both. they wanted to know weight of car, tire size, rear ratio, final drive ratio, intake, and cam specs. they recomended me 2500to 2800 stall with my setup listed in sig. hopefully it works well. i havent driven the car yet as i am not finished. i did take it down the street one day to keep breaks clean and with the stock 2.73 i couldnt feel it shift at all. the gears kept the rpm below stall speed so it was slipping, but when i picked the stall i told them 3.73. the gears have now been switched to 3.73. a phone call to the cam company and torque converter company will go a long way

 

[Carsten]

YIKES, 2.29 and 275/60 15!!!!!!!!! Are you planning a trip to the Salt Flats??? :lol:

Here is some food for thought, these are rough numbers and ignore aero drag.

In 1st gear your convertor is not "locking " until 30mph, 50mph in 2nd and 75mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 2.29 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 86mph, 143mph in 3rd and 218mph in third . :shock:

Change to 3.42 and your convertor does not "lock" until 19mph in 1st, 32mph in 2nd and 49mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 3.42 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 58mph, 96mph in 2nd and 146mph in 3rd.

Change to 3.90 and your convertor does not "lock" until 17mph in 1st, 28mph in 2nd and 44mph in 3rd.
Top speed with 3.90 gear @ 6000 rpm: first is 50mph, 84 in 2nd and 128mph in 3rd.


Put some 3.73 or 3.90s in it with the tall tires you are running.

Add a "high rise" dual plane manifold next. WHY ??

Then start playing with the convertor.

OK... It is the way that the engine does not go over 4600..4700...4800 in 3rd gear :-( I do not know how fast because of the tach ends at 85mph...
I think i will open the rear / diff to have a look if it is that "long" and count ,because as i tested the car the last days , it made about 60 mph in first and over 85 in 2nd.. You can see that in the videos i made. So maybe it is already a higher number gear ratio in it. But i can not find any number on the rear and even still do not know if it is an Olds or Chevy style rearend...So that wil be the next step...
I was offered the 2 converters i listed the last days for a good price , so that was why i am asking. Converters over here are priced somehow the double as in the usa , so i think i have to buy one of them now , for the future...
Thank you for the help...

 

[Carsten]

 

[Carsten]

Lifted throttle because the car made some funny things , moving like a little boat in a storm on the ocean...