Questionable decisions!

[DodgyDan]

Hello everyone and happy holidays!

I have a QQ: I'm using this 727 behind a 5.2 mag engine, I know these motors are internally balanced. I have this torque converter id like to use and not many other options (older looking one with a drain plug? in it and no weight is my other option)

Should i use this and knock the weight off it? Anyone ever removed a weight off the tq converter? is it hard without ripping the skin on the converter? Do i need to grind slow till spots are broke or can I just take some big ole pliers and yank er off?

Anyone have tips/tricks/experience in this area? Thanks for any and all input and enjoy the days!

Edit: wanted to add i decided to use this because it was super clean inside the bell until i spilled fluid, it was totally clean and dry!

 

[Oldmanmopar]

The torque converter is neutral balance with that small weight. Then the large weight is added for the external balanced engine.

What I have done in the past was carefully cut the large external balance weight off with a cut of wheel. Cut down into those 2 spot welds being careful not to cut into the converter housing, The area will get weak and you will be able to pry the weight back and forth until it comes off. Once you have the weight removed smooth the weld area with a flap wheel . You now have a neutral balance converter.

 

[JDMopar]

Once you get that weight off using the procedure Steve mentioned above, lay the flex plate from the 5.2 up against the converter to match the holes up. You will see that you have to oval one hole out to fit. If you aren't using the fuel injection that came on the 5.2, you may be able to use the flex plate from an LA motor, that matches that converter. If it were a 5.9 Magnum, you'd be stuck using the 5.9 Magnum flex plate because they are external balanced and the weight is on the flex plate vs being on the converter like yours is.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The torque converter is neutral balance with that small weight. Then the large weight is added for the external balanced engine.

What I have done in the past was carefully cut the large external balance weight off with a cut of wheel. Cut down into those 2 spot welds being careful not to cut into the converter housing, The area will get weak and you will be able to pry the weight back and forth until it comes off. Once you have the weight removed smooth the weld area with a flap wheel . You now have a neutral balance converter.

What he said ^^^^^

 

[DodgyDan]

The torque converter is neutral balance with that small weight. Then the large weight is added for the external balanced engine.

What I have done in the past was carefully cut the large external balance weight off with a cut of wheel. Cut down into those 2 spot welds being careful not to cut into the converter housing, The area will get weak and you will be able to pry the weight back and forth until it comes off. Once you have the weight removed smooth the weld area with a flap wheel . You now have a neutral balance converter.

There's only one weight on this converter, the other flap looking thing is a sticker that says "LS LOCK UP" which I also have no idea what that means! HA!

I figured I needed to get this off, thanks for the direction in this area! Seems I was on path!

Once you get that weight off using the procedure Steve mentioned above, lay the flex plate from the 5.2 up against the converter to match the holes up. You will see that you have to oval one hole out to fit. If you aren't using the fuel injection that came on the 5.2, you may be able to use the flex plate from an LA motor, that matches that converter. If it were a 5.9 Magnum, you'd be stuck using the 5.9 Magnum flex plate because they are external balanced and the weight is on the flex plate vs being on the converter like yours is.

This is correct and I have my flexplate off a 5.2 FI engine that I've marked to oval a hole on. I will also need to cut the trans a bit for the sensor to read it's triggers =)

Thanks all for the guidance! Much appreciated! Happy Hollidays!

 

[Oldmanmopar]

There's only one weight on this converter, the other flap looking thing is a sticker that says "LS LOCK UP" which I also have no idea what that means! HA!

I figured I needed to get this off, thanks for the direction in this area! Seems I was on path!


This is correct and I have my flexplate off a 5.2 FI engine that I've marked to oval a hole on. I will also need to cut the trans a bit for the sensor to read it's triggers =)

Thanks all for the guidance! Much appreciated! Happy Hollidays!

There should be a weight on the outside Diameter then behind the ring gear then. Even if not, removing the large weight will make it neutral balanced

 

[DodgyDan]

There should be a weight on the outside Diameter then behind the ring gear then. Even if not, removing the large weight will make it neutral balanced

I think this is the only weight on the whole converter, I will work on getting it off as I put the trans on a stand to adjust bands and reseal =) Thanks again for the infos on this! Much appreciated!

 

[JDMopar]

I honestly don't know if there's such a thing as a 727 lockup style transmission or not? They made a 904 lockup trans that was designated a 999, so it may be possible. Post a pic of the input shaft of your 727 and we can see if it's a lockup.

 

[DodgyDan]

I honestly don't know if there's such a thing as a 727 lockup style transmission or not? They made a 904 lockup trans that was designated a 999, so it may be possible. Post a pic of the input shaft of your 727 and we can see if it's a lockup.

Sounds good, I'll post a couple pics tomorrow

 

[Bodyperson]

There's only one weight on this converter, the other flap looking thing is a sticker that says "LS LOCK UP" which I also have no idea what that means! HA!

I figured I needed to get this off, thanks for the direction in this area! Seems I was on path!


This is correct and I have my flexplate off a 5.2 FI engine that I've marked to oval a hole on. I will also need to cut the trans a bit for the sensor to read it's triggers =)

Thanks all for the guidance! Much appreciated! Happy Hollidays!

I have lock up one out of a cop car that says HS. You do the math

 

[DodgyDan]

I have lock up one out of a cop car that says HS. You do the math

Do what math? Lol! I dont know these very well, or very much about automatic transmissions in general, I'm learning as I go and understand a lot about them but never encountered this before. Had already assumed it meant Low Speed (maybe low stall)? but still dont know what that means. Would probably be good for highway i suppose.

Still working on grabbing pics of input shaft, super busy here!

 

[Bodyperson]

Do what math? Lol! I dont know these very well, or very much about automatic transmissions in general, I'm learning as I go and understand a lot about them but never encountered this before. Had already assumed it meant Low Speed (maybe low stall)? but still dont know what that means. Would probably be good for highway i suppose.

Still working on grabbing pics of input shaft, super busy here!

Ya, I don't know either. I assume High stall and low stall. LOL. Do the math is my way of saying you figure it out and let me know the answer.

 

[DodgyDan]

Ya, I don't know either. I assume High stall and low stall. LOL. Do the math is my way of saying you figure it out and let me know the answer.

 

[Bodyperson]

lock up torque converter

 

[MopaR&D]

727s had 2 different size converters, 11" and 12"; smaller is high stall, bigger is low stall. If LS stands for Low Stall it's gonna stall pretty low behind a 318/5.2, like 1700 rpm or less. Which is fine if the engine is stock but if you change the cam it will definitely want a higher stall speed.

Both 727s and 904s got lock-up converters in the late 70s. They can't be interchanged with non-lock-up converters and have to be matched to lock-up transmissions. There is a way to tell the two types of transmissions apart but I don't remember what it is of the top of my head, something with the input shaft iirc.

 

[Bodyperson]

727s had 2 different size converters, 11" and 12"; smaller is high stall, bigger is low stall. If LS stands for Low Stall it's gonna stall pretty low behind a 318/5.2, like 1700 rpm or less. Which is fine if the engine is stock but if you change the cam it will definitely want a higher stall speed.

Both 727s and 904s got lock-up converters in the late 70s. They can't be interchanged with non-lock-up converters and have to be matched to lock-up transmissions. There is a way to tell the two types of transmissions apart but I don't remember what it is of the top of my head, something with the input shaft iirc.

Ya the lock-up has a flat notch on them. It doesn't hold up real well in high powered applications.

 

[DodgyDan]

Heres some pictures of what I'm working with, found that it's actually a 904 not a 727 - would it be better to work with a different transmission? I will take a better look at my other options now that I'm working in this direction.

I'm not doing anything to this 5.2l at the moment, just popping it in and running it refreshed with new chain and seals/freeze plugs. I havent cleaned this trans, it being clean inside the bell and the fluid looking good is why i had chose it, no other reason

 

[MopaR&D]

Heres some pictures of what I'm working with, found that it's actually a 904 not a 727 - would it be better to work with a different transmission? I will take a better look at my other options now that I'm working in this direction.

I'm not doing anything to this 5.2l at the moment, just popping it in and running it refreshed with new chain and seals/freeze plugs. I havent cleaned this trans, it being clean inside the bell and the fluid looking good is why i had chose it, no other reason

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It should work fine, a shift kit would help it last longer but not critical. Auxiliary cooler is a good idea too. 318s came from the factory in A-bodies with 904 transmissions and those later lockup 904s have stronger internals than earlier ones. FWIW I have a 1965 904 behind the 400-hp 360 in my 70 Duster and it's basically stock inside but has a 2600-stall converter, deep aluminum pan, big aux cooler and TransGo TF-2 shift kit. I've beat on it hard for years and it's held up great.

 

[DodgyDan]

It should work fine, a shift kit would help it last longer but not critical. Auxiliary cooler is a good idea too. 318s came from the factory in A-bodies with 904 transmissions and those later lockup 904s have stronger internals than earlier ones. FWIW I have a 1965 904 behind the 400-hp 360 in my 70 Duster and it's basically stock inside but has a 2600-stall converter, deep aluminum pan, big aux cooler and TransGo TF-2 shift kit. I've beat on it hard for years and it's held up great.

Awesome, I'll push forward with this then =) I'm going to put it on a stand and change all the seals, even the shifter shaft seals and adjust the bands so I'll look into some sort of a shift kit - is there any you'd recommend? I see you mentioned using the "TransGo TF-2 shift kit" but that might be beyond what I need?

I plan to run an external cooler as well, not even to sure what im doing for a rad yet, or fans, or a cooler for the trans, all that still needs to be mocked up once i get the motor in, wired and brakes/fuel pluming done. =)

Thanks again for everyone's help and thoughts on this, it's truly apprciated and the reason I love this forum, the members are beyond wonderful and super helpful!