What do you guys recommend for a good TC? I don't think the stock 1100 is gonna cut it. As for stall range, I was thinking of somewhere inbetween 2200-2600. I don't know what size I'd need, what brands suck or not, etc. Car is my '85 Regal, 3500ish pounds. Engine is a '70 SP 350 (stock, crower level 3, 800cfm '78 sbb Qjet), and trans is a TH350 that will have a trans-go 350-1-2 shift kit with kickdown cable hooked up. Rear end is 8.5 w/3.42 out of a GN, running t type wheels (15x7s) with 235s all around for rotation purposes, this is going to be a daily drive in all but the worst weather. Budget is around 300. Any input is appreciated.
Best to consult Crower and see what stall they recommend. Jim from Tri Shield Performance on here has killer converters, you can consult him too, He did the convertor for my 350 GS, it was way more than 300 tho, but worth every penny!
I've got a Coan and a JW in my cars. Both places will supply you with a info sheet to fill out with as much info as you can. HP , Tq, weight, gearing ect. They use that info to build you the converter that works with your combo.You'll probably pay more than 300.00. However, dont cheap out on this part.
With a low end close to factory engine with just a cam change, one of the off the shelf converters would be fine. Something like this; https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bmm-20404/overview/ That is if you have a TH350 trans. Or if in you don't like this one here is a list of other choices that would be fine for a mild engine, just choose the stal speed Crower recommends; https://www.summitracing.com/search... converters&sw=Torque Converters&N=4294949298 You can even price shop on eBay when you choose the one you want. GL
The torque converter is one of the most important parts of your combination. Have one built with all the specs for the engine/car, by someone that knows Buicks.
For a daily driver I like the TCI Saturday night Special a LOT. It's a great converter for a mild street performance engine. You'd have to determine if it matches up with your setup.
This is the one have,granted my combo is different https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hup-gm25-bpo My rpm at 70mph is about 3300 rpm and 60 is about 2500-2700 rpm this is with 3:42 gears, a th350 trans. Josh
Don't cheap out on this. If you are happy what you did to the motor, get one purpose built for your combo. I would say JW does some good stuff here. I think a 2500 would make you happy.
As stated several times thus a key component, don't cheap out here. Just cause a 300 dollar works doesn't mean your getting out of it what you should. There are some area it's OK to save. Getting the right converter saves money. Cause by the time you buy a second one you didn't save anything. Ultimate converters builds our for our race car. But there are lots of good places, better places than tcu or b &m I have not used any not Jims converters but a lot of ppl I read seem very happy with them. Fri is another great higher end company, jw racing, Call seveal places and talk, see who's isn't always cheapest, but if not right do you get a free adjustment, what does it cost to replace/rebuild if needed. My ultimate wither now it's a stall adjust or split in half its only 150 bucks to get it back
I wasn't going for cheapest when I built mine 6 yrs ago I put it in it held up just fine. He's looking for a lower cost convertor I told what I have. It works for me I don't drag race (even so I live 3/4 of a mile from the tri-state raceway) I run it hard from time to time, do some power braking and enjoy the car from spring to fall. A person can spend high dollar and it be junk not saying this the case all the time but it does happen. Not everyone is going every ounce of HP out of there car. If I did that I wouldnt have what I have. My money doesn't just revolve around the car, I have other things were money needs to go and does go.Sorry some of you don't like my .02 cents. Josh
Josh, that's great that you are happy with your converter. It sounds like it is doing what you want it to do. That doesn't mean that you might not be night and day impressed with a purpose built converter. We really don't know, and neither do you. There are so many factors that determine stall speed that buying an off the shelf converter is a gamble. You feel that you hit a home run, that's great. I can tell you that if you buy a converter that is built specifically for your car, it will not be junk. All of the quality converter companies that purpose build a converter include a re stall if the customer feels the converter is not spot on. What you get from a converter builder depends on the accuracy of the information you give them. I'm sure there are guys out there who will tell you they weren't satisfied with a particular converter that they paid a lot of money for, but there might be more to the story, just saying. I went from a switch pitch converter to a custom built 10" unit from Ultimate Converters. I supplied them with the Dyno sheet for my engine and an accurate weight for the car (I have weighed the car a lot), along with gearing. One of the things that complicated my converter needs was the Gear Vendors Overdrive. I needed a converter that would stall where I needed it to, but be efficient enough where it wouldn't be too loose on the highway. I don't think I could have done better by trying to pick one off the shelf. I realize that my needs differ substantially from yours. The bottom line is the torque converter is one of the biggest factors that determine how you car actually drives on the street. Not everyone needs a higher stall speed, and lots of cars would "DRIVE" better with a stock converter. While more stall may make your car quicker off the line if you have the traction, having a converter that does that at the expense of efficiency (too loose) gets old really fast. My drive ability increased dramatically with my new converter. I know it picked me up at the track as well even though I could not see it that much due to the poor atmospheric conditions that day. Everyone is entitled to their .02.
well, technically, everything is a gamble. (flat tappet cams, using 40+ year old iron for purposes it was never originally intended for, driving on the interstate with all these crazy ass people in the world now (texting and driving? really?), eating red meat, and the list goes on) Steve Caruso (you know, the guy who made the Crower level 3 so popular here on this website) used his stock TH350 converter with his Crower level 3 cam (not sure if he still does) and said it did just fine. His Buick 350 is competitive with some Buick 455's at the track and he uses the same gearing (3.42). I've heard good things from customers who use Hughes Performance 2000 or 2500 converters, but have never used one myself. It would fit in your budget, and don't worry about not dropping $1,000 on a special built converter. Some of us aren't swimming in money here. I would say using a Hughes Performance 2000 converter (less than 200 bucks) would be just fine with the Crower level 3 cam. (For reference, Crower lists the level 3 cam in a Buick 350 as having a 1800-4500 RPM powerband when installed in the default location for 66* IVC. Steve said it pulled super strong from 2000+ when installed default. Maybe get the 2500 converter then--should have a 2200-2300 actual stall, if it bugs you that much that you have to have it stalling higher than it needs to for street driving.) You could make it a trailer queen (with the Crower level 3 cam, haha), and get a 4000 stall and 4.56 gear and use it for nothing but 1/8 mile runs. That's my 2c.
Oh yeah, I forgot another important factor here: traction. With a Buick 350 having over 9:1 compression using a Crower level 3 cam, you're going to make power without even trying. Your car weighs 3500 lbs. (according to the books, more like 3300-3400, depending), which is lighter than a 2 door 350 Skylark in '68, which were pretty light. Factor in the 3.42 gears you'll be using, and mechanical torque multiplication is going to be through the roof vs the gears you had in there. Even with a stock stall, you're going to have trouble getting it to hook unless you plan on using very sticky tires. Ask Steve about this, who is your best go-to source for this combination.
If your just running street you might be fine with something off the shelf. But I would look at small block rated convertor specifically. Something up to 2500 would be ok. I have used b&m and tci on my 350 rated up to 2800. And they only ran up to 2400. You would be better off with a custom , especially if your going to race it on occasion. But if you intend to get a better one with next trans rebuild, then you can try your luck with the cheaper convertor
This is just a peppy daily driver. Literally. Mon-Fri, winter, fall summer, spring, rain, heat etc. I don't need anything too crazy, don't need a $500+ conveter... yet. My old 76 350 will get AL heads, true 10.25:1, all that stuff and that engine will go back in my Regal (with a 200r4 maybe, that or a beefy th350) and a custom converter to match when the time comes. Apologies if it sounds like I'm completely disregarding your guy's advice. I do appreciate you all chiming in, but as I'm on a fairly tight budget, and most likely won't take this car to a track more than maybe 2 or 3 times until the other motor gets done, I think I can get by with an off the shelf unit. If it sucks, you all will be the first to know. lol
Can't remember where I read it, but memory seems to be recalling a review or some such on a Hughes Performance 2000 converter, with them saying most people see stalls ranging between 1600-1800 RPM with small block engines. Engines tested were said to have 325-375 ft. lbs. of torque. It's commonly stated that 'rated' or 'nominal' converters will have stalls 300-500 RPM below the rating for 'small blocks' while a mild big block will stall around the nominal rating. Higher compression big blocks will stall a few hundred RPM above the nominal rating. There's a lot that affects it, but these are some general guidelines to go by. Rest assured, you won't need some radical, expensive converter for your needs. If you were building a track car and wanted to be competitive, sure.
This particular combination will surely make around 375 ft. lbs. at least (Steve's engine dyno'ed in at 380 ft. lbs. and that's with 6* retard setting! He uses an all iron engine (no headers)), so 1800 RPM stall from a 2000 converter isn't too unrealistic of an expectation. This would be spot-on for the turn-on point of the Crower level 3 cam @default, and you'd still have traction issues without anything done to the suspension using 235 tires. Stall would be low enough where drivability wouldn't suffer. Steve also said he got 20+ MPG @70 MPH using 3.42 gears, TH350, and his 350/level 3 cam. Pretty good for an all-around street machine that you can depend on. Which to me, spells out fun.
