th400, with 454ho, and 4.57 gears

[camino454]

Hey!

I run a 1980 El Camino SS with a 454ho crate engine from GMPP, with a 850cfm DP holley, th400 transmission, 1000-2000 stall, 9 inch ford with 4 link Suspension and coil over shocks and wish bone, Gears i run is 4.57 gears and my Tire size is 30.6 tall and 13.5 wide, And i been told by a few racers that this is to low for my bbc that i will have gear Bound or something like that, and i have ran my camino down the 1/8th mile strip at less 28 times getting her Tuned in best et is 7.75@90.33mph with heat soak, and Sucking Brake Fluid, But hope to make some more passes since i got that fixed!

So my question is, Is the 4.57 gears holding me back on the 1/8th mile on my setup?? or should i get myself some 4.11 gears??

Thanks
Benjamin

[Coloradoracer]

Gears are fine. 1000-2000 converter???? You need a converter that is matched to your combo. Without looking at the specs for the motor I'd say you need something in the range of approx 3500 rpm stall, but that is just a guess.

[Supershafts]

Can't answer this really, whats the motors power band? whats the car weigh now?

[camino454]

Yeah i know it needs a Better stall but i gota run what i have right now, i'm saving up for a 3200-3500 stall, my camino with me and a full tank of gas weights in at 3360 pounds

Spec's on my engine is

Gen6 454ho Crate engine
Camshaft 211/230 dur @ .050 510/540 lift, It does have a Nasty idle just like GMPP says it would
4 bolt main Block
dimple Rods with 7/16 bolts
cast iron heads 118cc Combustion chambers, 325cc intake runner's, Rec.port heads 2.19 intake Valve with a 1.88 Exhaust 8.75:1 compression
Aluminum Dual plane
Vacuum advance hei Distributor 51,000 volt in cap/solid core 8mm wires
2 inch spacer Aluminum
850cfm DP Home put together with Proform main body, And Holley Fuel Bowls and Metering block
2x3 1/2" Hooker headers, I run open headers all the time

GMPP says 425hp 500ft lbs of tq

3250-5250rpms But i have read David Freiburger Hot rod write up about these engines i should be making alittle more then 425hp right out of the Crate

Let me know what you guys think
Benjamin

[af2]

Put a 3500 stall in it and hang on. The one you have is basically stock stall.

[camino454]

Put a 3500 stall in it and hang on. The one you have is basically stock stall.

So af2 your saying run the Hughes Performance 3500 stall GM35?? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HUP-GM35/

I was thinking Hughes Performance GM30 3000 stall ... http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HUP-GM30HD/ 3000-3500 stall

i was thinking about getting the 3500 stall, but was thinking would it be to much right now, for my setup..

Next year i'm going to be running a Edelbrock Air Gap Dual plane intake on this setup.

Thanks!
Benjamin

[Coloradoracer]

For drag racing applications, you generally want a converter with a stall speed very near the torque peak of the motor. A 3500 rpm stall converter would really wake up your combo. For 1/8th mile racing, a converter that is slightly too loose is way better than one that is too tight. You can get away with a tighter converter in the 1/4 mile, but not as much time for things to work on the shorter track. You'd be surprised at how much difference a good converter will make. As for which one to get, save your money and have one built for your combo. Yes, they are more expensive, but you get what you pay for, and with a lesser converter, it might not be correct for what you have, and may even not be rated for the torque your engine produces. Something else to remember is that just because a converter is advertised to have a certain stall, that doesn't mean that's what it will do behind your combo. Converters are very torque sensitive, and the generic ones are usually rated for stock output or lightly modified engines. What you are running could be considered well above stock, and a generic 3500 stall converter might actually flash to substantially higher stall speeds with your stuff.

[camino454]

For drag racing applications, you generally want a converter with a stall speed very near the torque peak of the motor. A 3500 rpm stall converter would really wake up your combo. For 1/8th mile racing, a converter that is slightly too loose is way better than one that is too tight. You can get away with a tighter converter in the 1/4 mile, but not as much time for things to work on the shorter track. You'd be surprised at how much difference a good converter will make. As for which one to get, save your money and have one built for your combo. Yes, they are more expensive, but you get what you pay for, and with a lesser converter, it might not be correct for what you have, and may even not be rated for the torque your engine produces. Something else to remember is that just because a converter is advertised to have a certain stall, that doesn't mean that's what it will do behind your combo. Converters are very torque sensitive, and the generic ones are usually rated for stock output or lightly modified engines. What you are running could be considered well above stock, and a generic 3500 stall converter might actually flash to substantially higher stall speeds with your stuff.

i dont wanta have over 550-1000 dollars in this stall if it wont work next year when i put the Duel plane intake on there... because i will be having alot more tq then now! and my hp will be around 506-515hp tq almost 590ft lbs, I just dont wanta get Tighted up in a Converter that will not work later on, know what i mean.... because i will be buying a other stall that the other one will not work get what i'm saying...

i'm going to fill out Hughes Performance tech card and see how much for them to build me one or if the GM35 3500 stall will work for my App. Money is Very very Tight and i would still like to have some fun with it!

[Coloradoracer]

One thing to keep in mind, if you get a custom converter, they can easily be reconfigured for different combos by the original builder, and usually for a modest fee. Either way, you're still money ahead. Something else to think about as well is getting the converter built for what you plan to do. While most won't recommend that, it can save you money later, and you'll still have something better than what you have now. If you want the best performance for your hard earned dollar, it's the only way to go. While the cheaper generic ones might work for a while, they also may not. Would you want to spend $250-$300 now, only to spend it again later, or save a little longer, get the RIGHT one for what you have for about the same price, and not have to worry about it??

You have a pm

[camino454]

not really and i wasnt going to get a off beat i was going to run a Hughes...

[af2]

I would call Hughes and have them give you a part# using the HP and Torque ratings you provide. A 3500 stall would be the lowest I would go.

[camino454]

I would call Hughes and have them give you a part# using the HP and Torque ratings you provide. A 3500 stall would be the lowest I would go.

OK thanks all!