Advice on converter selection

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mccoymail

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Hey Guys - Looking for some suggestions on my setup (wife's setup actually).

Freshly rebuilt 318 with a Hughes whiplash cam in a 71 Dart.
Sounds awesome and runs great. Stock heads but i did just acquire a set of 302 heads that i will port this winter and swap.
Performer RPM with a summit 600 street and strip carb
904 tranny
3.55 suregrip 8 3/4 rear

My question is that my converter is old and tired. What stall would be good for this combo? Again, this is my wife's toy and she wants good sound (which it has), and a little tire smoking on occasion.

Any and all suggestions would be great.
 
Summit Racing Part Number: HUP-24-25HD
that for a 727. must be one for the 904 also.
 
I would suggest calling a reputable converter company and telling them what you have and what you want. The converter is perhaps the single most important big purchase for your car. A good company can make a converter that can flash on demand to a given RPM for your application, while still providing adequate lockup to keep extra heat to a minimum and not kill mileage too bad. To me, it's more important to get a GOOD converter for a street car, because you want some semblance of efficiency and economy. Expect to spend at least close to 400.
 
Rustyrod. That is some advice I will take. Thanks. Any suggestion on who to call?
 
I have same gear back, 14" wheels and a hot rodded 273 commando with a solid 495 lift comp cams. I've been through 3 different converters. The stock one, a 10" 4000 stall tci super streetfighter and now I try a 2500 stall B&M. I like to change things around so Im not afraid to get my hands dirty and try "weird" combos out. With the 4000 stall the commando was insane for lack of a better word. But it was of course horrible on the street. But just for racing and for fun it really let that 273 hit right in to the power band. I'm pretty satisifed with the 2500 stall b&m now also. It's a little of both. I guess the right way to go is have one made, but since I tend to change things around often its hard to have a perfect one made anyhow. Hope I make sense. Good Luck!
 
mccoymail said:
Rustyrod. That is some advice I will take. Thanks. Any suggestion on who to call?
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When I worked for the transmission shop, we used PTC and Precision of New Hampton. PTC was more for the really hot street/race stuff and Precision was more for the milder applications. I think the prices of each would be close to the same, so I would lean towards PTC.
 
Sorry, duplicate post.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I would suggest calling a reputable converter company and telling them what you have and what you want. The converter is perhaps the single most important big purchase for your car. A good company can make a converter that can flash on demand to a given RPM for your application, while still providing adequate lockup to keep extra heat to a minimum and not kill mileage too bad. To me, it's more important to get a GOOD converter for a street car, because you want some semblance of efficiency and economy. Expect to spend at least close to 400.
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Good advise, and if you want, send me a private email along with your home email, and I'll send you the spec. sheet we used when I worked for a converter company. The information you fill out will assist the converter manufacteur "BUILD THE RIGHT CONVERTER FOR YOUR APPLICATION".
Past personal experience, and feedback from others, a 2500 stall converter is usually the best choice for the street, unless your camshaft maker has mentioned a different stall.

TRANSMAN
 
a local trans shop that does it all, especially race, said he likes Hughs converters. Said 2500 best for street. 3000 to high usually. But you ask your trans shop. Or go with the custom converter. Thats sound way cool. Said B&M is not good quality. Stay away from them.
 
If you want it to run get a 3500 it will stall at around 2800 and idle in gear with that cam without wanting to tear the drive shaft out when put in gear. All 340's stalled at 2600- 2800 from the factory.

The same converter in a big block will stall at 3000 to 3300. Converters are rated with high torque Engines. Low stalls in a truck are 2500 they stall at 2000 to 2200. That converter in a muscle car you will need 410 gears and it will still be a dog. Good for pulling a trailer though. Been there and know first hand. checked stalls on many muscle cars back in the day. I would always use a 340 converter in a 440 car. tremendous performance gain for little money at the time.
 
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