3500 stall or 2400

[tjc]

Gear vendors recommends a 3500 stall and my trans guy said no way, he recommends 2400/2600. I have a 68 long box 454 .030 over, 9.3-1 compression, small cam, turbo 400, and a 3:42 rear posi. Anybody running a gear vendor setup?

[James the III]

2400/2600 is fine..
a 3500 will work also as it won't slip much until you are WOT or pulling a load..
Many have the wrong idea,, a 3500 stall doesn't mean the engine freewheels until 3500 it only means loaded down and wot it's stall
They don't slip a ton below that rpm.. unless loaded up..
Sure you need more cooler as it will build a little more heat,, and slip a LITTLE more than the 2600 one.. but it only really build heat if loaded down or wot.
The recommending 3500 stall most likely is from them having the idea that the truck is more toy than used as a truck..
I.E. a 454 power truck that be used for cruising and fun... not towing and a loaded up bed all the time..
if it is the latter , I'd go even lower than 2600 rpm..

[garyd1961]

You need a stall to match your cam. Gears and weight will affect the stall also. I took a 383 out of an S10 with a 3600 stall and put it in my 70 C10 and it just wouldn't work. Way too much stall, sounded like my trans was slipping all the way through the gears.
With a small cam and these heavy trucks I would go with the 2400/2600.

[ryanv70c10]

I wouldn't think you need any type of stall converter with you combo. A 454 and a small cam should make tons of torque, why waste it?

[crazy longhorn]

My little bro, has a tight ten (3200 stall), behind my old 383....on the street, you can not even feel it shift? Can the throttle, & it will snap your neck, any gear! The 2500 lb S-10 has a 9" ford with 3.89 gears, & a Maxwell built 350 turbo hydro. Its a 12.5 ride down the track, even with the mild street cam that I ran. The weight that you are dealing with, I would suggest a mid 2's on the stall(2400-2600), as suggested longhorn

[James the III]

Originally Posted by ryanv70c10

I wouldn't think you need any type of stall converter with you combo. A 454 and a small cam should make tons of torque, why waste it?

Yup, a stock 1600-1800 stall would be fine..
but a 2400 stall converter isn't all that bad..
But yup a 454 with small cam.. why give up any of that low rpm to slip..

one must remember the converter rated stall speed (on the shelf converters)
are with a basic 250-300hp 350. A big block 454 will stall the same converter higher because the torque it makes .. So at 2400 stall converter behind a 454 can end up stalling at 2800 or more..
Now custom built made to order converters.. a 2400 stall will stall at 2400 if you don't fib on the tech form..

[tjc]

Maxwell's is building my turbo 400. Thanks for the recommendation Longhorn.

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by tjc

Maxwell's is building my turbo 400. Thanks for the recommendation Longhorn.

No trouble....its a bit of a ride for you,but I am sure you will be happy with the trans Longhorn

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by James the III

Yup, a stock 1600-1800 stall would be fine..
but a 2400 stall converter isn't all that bad..
But yup a 454 with small cam.. why give up any of that low rpm to slip..

one must remember the converter rated stall speed (on the shelf converters)
are with a basic 250-300hp 350. A big block 454 will stall the same converter higher because the torque it makes .. So at 2400 stall converter behind a 454 can end up stalling at 2800 or more..
Now custom built made to order converters.. a 2400 stall will stall at 2400 if you don't fib on the tech form..

James brings up a good point....shelf converters @ said stall, are not totally accurate, on a high tork engine. I ran a "said' 2300 stall verter behind a 455 Olds (big valve heads/torker/800 Dp carb/Engal cam). The duration on the cam was 230@.050....in my Longhorn, that Olds flashed that converter to 3200 Longhorn

[Wrenchbender Ret]

A high stall converter is hard to drive at lower speeds. You have to give it lots of throttle to get it going & then it lurches forward or reverse.

[James the III]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

A high stall converter is hard to drive at lower speeds. You have to give it lots of throttle to get it going & then it lurches forward or reverse.

WHAT.. maybe in that 89.00 converter..
I've driven 3500 rated stall and 4500 stall on the street and never had that problem.. Sure if I brake stand it at a light it flash up to close to 2500 before it outpower the brakes and move the vehicle or start turning over the tires.
or. at wot..
but other than that it drove like a normal vehicle with a 1800-2000 stall oem converter.

[Stepside Jim]

I am currently using a Gear Vendors unit in my '57 Chevy truck 396, th350.

I originally began with a 3000 stall converter. Driving around town, worked great. Going down the highway, worked great, til I went up hill, slowly I noticed the stall coming in. The stall was noticeable and slightly annoying.

I backed it down to a 2400 stall, I lost some low end stall but I had better highway manners.

Last year I went to a turbo 350c, I know, many will say what a piece of crap, I was willing to give it a try. I put all the good internals from the regular th350 into the th350c, then installed a transgo shift kit along with the 2.75 first gear ratio. I also have a manual switch to operate the lock up converter.

This combination gives me approx 4.10 first gear ratio, then a 2.91 ratio all from a 3.73 ring and pinion. What a full range.

I also went back to a 3000 stall lockup converter.

You want to know how much the converter slips at highway speeds? Get rolling along at 65 mph. engage the gear vendors, feel the rps drop, then lock up the converter, wow, what a drop in rpms.

I don't have a tach, but my ass meter tells me, a 3500 stall will really slip under load at highway speeds.

[James the III]

Originally Posted by Stepside Jim

I am currently using a Gear Vendors unit in my '57 Chevy truck 396, th350.

I originally began with a 3000 stall converter. Driving around town, worked great. Going down the highway, worked great, til I went up hill, slowly I noticed the stall coming in. The stall was noticeable and slightly annoying.

I backed it down to a 2400 stall, I lost some low end stall but I had better highway manners.

Last year I went to a turbo 350c, I know, many will say what a piece of crap, I was willing to give it a try. I put all the good internals from the regular th350 into the th350c, then installed a transgo shift kit along with the 2.75 first gear ratio. I also have a manual switch to operate the lock up converter.

This combination gives me approx 4.10 first gear ratio, then a 2.91 ratio all from a 3.73 ring and pinion. What a full range.

I also went back to a 3000 stall lockup converter.

You want to know how much the converter slips at highway speeds? Get rolling along at 65 mph. engage the gear vendors, feel the rps drop, then lock up the converter, wow, what a drop in rpms.

I don't have a tach, but my ass meter tells me, a 3500 stall will really slip under load at highway speeds.

The rpm drop on my 2000 ish stall converter in my SS is drops the rpm.. when the converter locks up..
I don't think it's all that much of a drop in a 3000 stall tight converter..
Many converters brands are not tight by any means..

The th350c got a bad rap because the early lock up converters.. to put it kindly sucked.. Not staying locked and shattering or locking and not unlocking.. can't remember but I think the "c" had less steels and clutches in the packs than a th350 as by then v8's were gutless 165 hp wonders