I hear that Romy!! That's the conclusion I've come to. I've been wasting too much time "planning" & "saving" for this build that I want, when I could have just did the bare essentials and been behind the wheel this whole time. But at the same time, as far as the parts that I still have left to buy, I would like to get parts that will work for me now (even if it's overkill) that I can still use down the road when I upgrade this setup. Ahhh, decisions decisions...shift kit and a 2500 stall converter wouldn't be a bad idea tho. But if I can get away with using either one of my stockers (a '70 & a '75), then I'd like to save the green and go that route. Any thoughts? Also Romy, do you remember what brand or other info about your converter?
Kaivan, I would have to agree with Devon... Thanks for the cudos! I'm tryin to do my best with the details and pictures of my progress, but lack of time and/or money always seems to get in the way. I will be posting up some more pictures and updates of the progress soon, so stay tuned!!
70lesabre455 - I just stumbled across this thread and read it through from the beginning (all 6 pages!). Looks like a great project. I do have one question though. In a few of your pics, I think on 2 different engines, you have the torque converter bolted to the flexplate. I'm assuming that the tranny was pulled without removing the 3 bolts that attached the converter to flexplate. I'm curious as to why this was done? You certainly can't install it that way, as the converter has to engage the pump properly. And (I could be mistaken) I had heard that removing a tranny this way can damage the front seal surface, front pump, etc in the trans. Just a thought/question.
Charles, It's a B&M converter. If I remember right, I was told the torque will effectively change the stall speed to a lower rpm. The guy who built my engine said that with 550 ft-lb of torque a 2500 rpm stall should actually be more like 2000. Another possible option for you would maybe to put in a modern (by comparison) 4 speed. I think I'll go that route eventually...the last time I drove my 455 car, I got about 10mpg on the highway! Granted, it's out of tune, but that still sucks!
Thanks for the support Matt! To answer your question, yes and no. :laugh: If the engine & tranny were in the vehicle and I disconnected the tranny from the engine and then pulled the engine without unbolting the torque converter, then there would be the chance of me damaging the pump or seal. I bought this engine & tranny as a package deal, so when I pulled the two apart, I did it on the garage floor on rolling mover's dollies and pulled the tranny straight off the torque converter which prevented any damage being caused. Good question though!
Hi Charles, This is indeed a great thread! I read through all the 145 posts after bumping into it yesterday, exciting stuff :TU: I have also being thinking of doing a good going through on my stock 73-455. It sure is tricky to decide what level to go for if you like most people have limited funds and other “holes” to put the money in as well , I sure recognise that situation. My engine restoration is only on the planning stage so far, so I will follow yours with great interest and chime in if I can be of any help Wish you the best of luck with the project and the job-hunt! :beer
With a given torque converter, an engine that makes more torque will stall the converter higher. A heavier car will stall the converter higher than a lighter car.
Hey Per, thanks all the way around! I could use some good luck about now! :grin: I'm taking the block and heads to the machine shop tomorrow. Local shop near my hometown and pretty damn good prices too! To remove/install cam bearings...$30; To deck the block...$70; To face off the heads...$30each; To remove broken exhaust bolts...$10each; To do a valve job...$120each head I need to be on the look out for some cheap or used, good condition Stage 1 sized valves or bigger. But for now I'm just going to have the cam bearings removed/installed, deck the block, face off the heads, and maybe remove the broken exhaust manifold bolts. With any luck, I'll have it all back by late tomorrow or early Friday. Anybody know if I can change the jets on my Edelbrock 750 to bigger jets?
Larry, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that the heavier the car, the higher the stall...ergo, a 2500 stall converter in a 455/400 setup in a GS or Skylark works as a 2500 stall, but put the same converter & setup in a LeSabre or equivalent weight car and it would work as a 3000-3500 stall...I'm sure I'm not accurate on the numbers, but I'm just trying to make sure I understand the concept.
That being said, what stall is a stock torque converter? If it's like 1000-1500, then that'd be good because then it would work like a 2000-2500 stall converter in my heavy beast.
Vehicle weight changes like this will probably only net a couple hundred rpm difference at best, not 1000. Devon
First, there really is no such animal as a 2500 RPM Converter, at least not one you can buy off the shelf. Off the shelf converters have a stall range. They will stall a bit differently in depending on the combination. Your example above is not what I mean. There won't be that big a difference, but the more engine torque produced, the higher the stall speed will be for that converter. If you install the same converter in a small block, and a big block, the big block will stall it higher because of the increased torque. The difference would be more like 2-300 RPM I would think. Gearing will also have an effect on stall speed. If you want a converter that will stall as close as possible to what you want, you should have one built by a reputable converter manufacturer. They will want to know everything about your build for good reason. The more information you can provide, the better. A dyno sheet helps a great deal. Stock converters usually stall in the 1200-1400 RPM range. Again, you can't expect that kind of increase.
Thanks Larry, good to know!! I really have no clue as to what stall I should "want" for my setup, or any setup for that matter. I'll likely just stick with the stocker for now and see how it works once I have it all back together and running. If it seems like it needs more stall (which I would have no idea how to tell), then I'll look into getting a custom one. Thanks again though, the more education I can get on the subject, the better off and happier I am! :beer
The only reason to use a higher stall converter is when you use a high performance cam. A high performance cam shift the power range of the engine up. Stock motors may have a power range of 800-4500 RPM. In general, you want the converter to stall about 500 RPM over the beginning of the power range. Stock converter stalls 1200-1400 RPM. If you are using a stock cam, forget the converter, it will be fine.
I'm leaning towards going with TA's 290-94H cam. They advertise that it gives an increase of 30 HP and a moderate sound at idle. Here's the other details of the cam for reference: Stock 1.55 Ratio Valve Lift: .476" INT/.486" EXH Duration at .050: 226 INT/235 EXH Advertised Duration: 290 INT/294 EXH Lobe Center: 112 Power Range: 2200-5200 Overlap at .050": 6.5 With that cam in play, would I be ok with the stock converter or would I definitely need to get a new one to avoid damaging something? If anyone has a suggestion for a cam that would work better with my combination, please let me know!! :beer
One possibility to remove the broken exhaust bolts on our own might be to use tools like shown on the pict below (I have no idea whats it called in English?) You need to drill a hole big enough to get the tool to bite by screwing it in counter clockwise and small enough to not mess up the thread, then with some luck the bolt will loosen and can be taken out Could save you some :dollar: if it works
Thanks Per, I actually have one of these tools that I picked up from Sears. Only problem is that I have run into problems using it before; like breaking off the threads, breaking off the tool, etc. It's worth a shot, I just really don't want to use a heli-coil on and exhaust manifold bolt...
Without a pillar drill with a board where you can have the head safely fixed during the drilling I wouldnt go for it either...
That torque converter looks like a switch pitch unit - 7 welds around snout. Anyone else think so, see post #14 first page.
