Converter. Trans brake questions.

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Cope

Fusing with fire
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I have a chance to do a labor trade for my trans builder and I'm gonna take it.

Total cost should be @ 3 grand.

So I'm thinking new trans time for the 360 dart.

RMVB and trans break about a grand right?

Converter also about a grand.

Then some parts and labor should put me and him just about square.

So I know I should call a converter company but i dont wanna lie that I'm buying their product.

So help me pick a new stall.
29 inch tire.
4.88 gear
360 cubic inches.
Twin 450 Holly on a tunnel ram.
cam shaft comes on right about 2K and is done around 6

Cruzing around town usually puts me around 25 28 hundred RPM.

I DONT want to be cruzing around with my converter slipping all the time but I would like to launch with enough RPM to realy be pulling fuel and have good signal through the carbs.

I'm thinking 3,000 stall by just kinda picking a number out of my ***

What do you think?

I guess I could try and get him to just go the rebuild and valve body then pay me a grand but I get the feeling he wants this to be a straight trade.

Now on to the trans break.

This is a mostly street car, stoplight race car. It will see some track time tho.

So trans brake, over kill or why not have it and not use it rather than want one and not have it at some point?

If I'm not using the TB it makes no difference if its in the trans or not right?
It wont affect day to day driving or cause problems in the trans correct?

Anything I'm not thinking about that I should be?

Thanks for all your time a d advice.
 
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There are converters out there that don't slip as much as they used to . You still need as much of a cooler as you can . Tranny breaks can be fineky on the street . For every second the tranny break is applied the tranny temp goes up 8-10 deg . In racing the tranny break is on only after the car is staged . Keep that in mind . I have heard of them activating on the road and destroying itself but I can't verify it .
 
I have a good cooler.

The TB wouldn't be used for / on the street.
Just for the occasional track day.

Most times I'm just foot braking, sometimes I launch with the 2 step and line lock when I realy want to get it.
 
I've had several good converters that flashed between 4800-5400 and never noticed them slipping while cruising around. The B&M 3200 was a different story.
 
My other thought about converters is, if the flash number is that close to my cam running out of power I'm not spending any time with the converter working?

If I'm shifting around 5,500 RPM I dont want a converter flashing at 3,800?

Keep in mind i know nothing about high stall converter or trans brakes.

I just know this guy wants a cage, his car will be seen by lots of people. He's down to trade so why not have him build me something?

Right now I'm running a stock 318 converter. It stalls about 1,200. My 2 step is set at 1,100. With the line lock and 2 step on I can hold the button, mat the throttle, release the button on green and leave hard.

But why not up that stall to 3K and realy get some air moving?

Having the TB would just be for the once or twice a year I hope to see the track.
 
transbrake..........600 dollars...new converter 1300 dollars...
 
I wouldn't get a transbrake for a couple trips to the track. There's guys running way faster than you ever will off a foot brake. The key to running fast is consistency. Adding a transbrake only adds another variable with no real benefit. The way you stage, tire pressure, suspension set up is all different.

The one thing that is always worth spending money on is a top notch converter. A quality converter will basically drive like a stock one until you really hammer it. It takes a certain amount of torque/hp to overcome the coupling effect. The highest stall converter I've ever driven was a 5500 stall speed. You could drive it like a normal car. I've also driven cheap 2500-3000 converters that felt like a bungee cord, and would cook the fluid.
 
1300 is what i paid for a Race Converter....not a off the shelf 3000 stall converter...
 
select the right converter for your combo first before the T brake. 4800 !
 
select the right converter for your combo first before the T brake. 4800 !

So that would be my 2 step set at 4,600.
And shifting at 5,500.
Cruzing st 2,800...

Will that even work?
Or am I just burning up my trans?
 
How a higher stall converter works goes a lot deeper than what rpm you leave the line at. Just pretend these numbers are accurate. You have a 4000 stall speed, your shift point is 6000rpm, and first gear at 6000rpm is 60mph. You leave the line at 4000rpm and start accelerating. At 40mph you will still be turning 4000ish rpm. The car accelerates brutally fast as it tries to catch up with the motor and converter. As the speed of the car catches up with the motor, the converter will let the motor run away from the car some more until you hit your shift point. The converter basically is like a bungee cord. The car is hanging from one end, and the motor is pulling on the other. It's difficult to explain in words. I'll see if I can find a video. I really don't think most people have ever driven a car with a top notch converter.
 
So as always I should just tell the guy I want a trans with RMVB AND TB built for racing then see where we end up cash wise and buy a custom converter?

I was realy hoping that for our 3 grand trade i could end up with something that would last me for a while and do the odd strip duty.
 
I can't figure out how to link it. Google 5500 stall converter. It's a video by some guy 417stroker. It shows his speedo and tach. Watch the car accelerate and the rpm doesn't change. He's using all his power at 5500rpm to accelerate the car to the speed the car would be going at 5500rpm.
 
What rpm is your peak torque ? That's the answer you need
 
Or you put that old man automatic away and step up to the plate and shift gears like a real man! LOL
You're always busting my nuts about having an Edelbrock so here's where I take my stand lol stop trying to do things automatically and shift like a man! LOL
 
That video by 417stroker....I think I just figured out that it's Clinteg from this forum. Small world.
 
Or you put that old man automatic away and step up to the plate and shift gears like a real man! LOL
You're always busting my nuts about having an Edelbrock so here's where I take my stand lol stop trying to do things automatically and shift like a man! LOL

Real race cars run auto.

Fun cars run manual.

I've got a fun car. 2007 WRX, with the COBB AP tuner, short shifter (5 speed), flat foot shifting and enough power to white smoke all four when I set the two step higher than traction.

Bust away tho.

Your the one guy who I deserve it from.

And you know I got ya, I still want to build you something.

I hate to think that I failed.
 
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I'm not busting your balls. but I think your combo has to be a just a tiny weeny lazy on the bottom end with a 1200 stall.
bring out the real beast with a real converter. I think it's gonna be in that 4500-5000 range.
then you can really hang on. lol
 
The rpm stall will keep it closer to the peak torque range during the shift.
 
I still dont understand.

Imagine that I'm super dumb and explain it.

I thought that at a set number. (Let's say 3 grand stall. )The TC Was not slipping. At a RMP below that it was slipping?

At cruze (2,800) am I still slipping?
 
Real race cars run auto.

Fun cars run manual.

I've got a fun car. 2007 WRX, with the COBB AP tuner, short shifter (5 speed), flat foot shifting and enough power to white smoke all four when I set the two step higher than traction.

Bust away tho.

Your the one guy who I deserve it from.

And you know I got ya, I still want to build you something.

I hate to think that I failed.
The big V8 is a fun thing to grab gears with.
within the next couple years I hope to start a ground-up restoration on my 41 Studebaker so fabrication will be Paramount at that point. Definitely going to be a lot of one-off stuff going in there. I'm sure I'll be calling on your fabrication skills before that one's finished. Thank you.
 
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