Hello Buick fans. I've got plenty of time to search for a new transmission for my 72GS350 while on deployment here in Afghanistan. I currently have a TH350 and 2.56 gears in the car. I've already purchased a set of 3.42 gears from a forum member and have plans to install them when I return home this fall. The idea was to purchase a 2004r transmission, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to buying from Extreme Automatics. I have a 10" converter from JW that is less than a year old in the car now and its my understanding that it cannot be used for a 2004r transmission. Looking at the Extreme Automatics website, the only converter they have listed for the 2004r is a 9.5" street/strip version which I think is a bit too much for my application. My car has a warmed over 350 with headers, ported heads, TA284-88H cam, etc. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where I may find a converter that is best suited for a weekend cruiser/occasional daily driver? I don't want the torque converter to be the weak link. Also, any recommended stall speeds? If I understand correctly, a 2800-3000 stall converter means that the car will not move until I raise the rpm to 2800+ while in drive. Is this correct? I want to be able to drive it regularly, with the occasional burnouts when the "show off" gene takes over. I won't be taking it to the drag strip, as there aren't any close by me nor is it my thing. Any help is appreciated.
If you bought the converter from Jim Weise, PM him and see if you can exchange it for a 2004R converter. It doesn't hurt to ask. Jim can get those converters also.
Spoke to Jim about the converter a while ago. He suggested selling the one I have and that he could get one made for the 2004r transmission. Seems like the route I will take as I have nothing but good things to say about his product and customer service. Anyone have any experience with extreme automatics transmissions? Their website seems pretty legit and they sure know how to market their products well.
Just picked up a stage II 2004r from Lonnie over the weekend. He and his crew are great guys and while I haven't installed it yet, it is a nicely finished product. The warranty and pricing is the best in the business. Ill be sure to give plenty of feedback once its in the car
Very nice Dauntless! I'm looking forward to your results. I plan on a stage one purchase, as my motor is mildly built. I went with 3.42 gears as I've read they pair up to the 2004r well. More out off the line power with better highway mpg all in one. Win win for me! I'm hoping to save a bit on fuel over the TH350 I have currently. What stall torque converter did you chose? I'm still not clear on which stall speed will be best for me. Did you chose a lock up or non lock up converter? EDIT: disregard, I found the thread you posted. I'll be following your progress! Good luck!
I chose a stage 2 because I am hard on my vehicles and I want to retain the flexibility to run a power adder or swap to a 455 in the future. The stage 1 offers more than enough coverage for my current powerplant but I felt I'd rather spend the $500 now versus having to rebuild a stage 2 if I go bigger in the future ---------- Post added at 03:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ---------- I use a revmax 9.5" converter. It is listed as a 2800rpm stall but behind my stock motor it stalls at 2600-2700rpm. If your motor is mildly built then your cam choice will dictate which stall speed is best for you. I do have a lockup converter and it is the best way to go if you are not building a track only car. The .1 second or less it may effect your et is surely worth the 200+rpm benefit on the highway.
I have one of JWs 9 1/2" 2800 stall stage 2 convertors in the twin turbo car and just cruising around it works just great. No, you do not have to reach 2800 RPM for the car to move. You can tell it's looser than stock but once you get moving it's not much different really..
Jay, can you help me out on understanding the difference in the sizes (inch) of torque converters? Are there any pros or cons to a 9.5" like you have as opposed to say a 10 or 12" converter? And when they say it "flashes" does that mean under light acceleration it will perform normally (read slightly more loose than stock) as opposed to if you were stopped and floored the car, would the rpms jump to 2800 swiftly and launch the car like a rocket? Am I on track here?
so as the end of my deployment draws near (less than sixty days!!) I have reached out to Lonnie at extreme automatics about my 2004-r build. He listed some options and pricing and there are some things I'm not clear about. I decided to go with a reverse manual valve body because I wanted to eliminate the TV cable altogether and shift the car manually all the time. He asked if I wanted engine braking or not. Is this referring to the car slowing down on its own when you let off the accelerator? Also mentioned two torque converters he had as options if I wanted to go with one from him. He said he can do a 12" gran national converter but it would be less efficient, or a 9.5" that would "cut 18lbs of rotating mass off the back side of the crank and take advantage of new converter technology making a very efficient converter". Can anyone explain the pros and cons of either of these, as well as what a user could expect in the difference in drive ability of each? I do t understand how one converter is more efficient than another and how that helps or hurts performance. Lastly, with a smaller converter, are there any issues with heat build up? I have the stock trans cooler on my car with the two hoses that screw in to the passengers side of the trans, so nothing extra special that would go above what came with the car. Is that something else I'd have to upgrade?
I was talking to my trans builder the other day and he has some BFR code (GN) cores to build. The new one he built me is behind my supercharged 455. He makes some mods that no one else does that I don't understand. I just know that this trans is outstanding. His day job is working at GM tech center building GM prototypes and startups. PM me if intersected. ---------- Post added at 11:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 PM ---------- I use a 9.5 Edge converter with a 2800 stall and lockup clutch. Works great on the street. You would not notice it in normal driving. I would guess that Lonnie could do the same. Not sure if I would be interested in all manual shift on a street car. TV cable is not that big of deal, has worked great on millions of GM cars. Another good builder is Vince Janis. Warning. A lot of big "name" trans and converter companies are way overrated or just plain bad anymore. My builder had a basically brand new TCI trans in for a rebuild. And be safe over there!
Why? I started this one originally and my questions pertain to the same topic. You took the time to read my post and reply, seems others with info may do the same. I brought this thread back to life purposely with my post so that any who had information on the subject could get the background story. Thanks..
Efficiency is very important for a street driven car with a cammed engine. What you want is a converter that feels normal until you mat the pedal. Lots of guys will spend a lot of money on a hot engine and then buy an off the shelf converter based on advertising hype. That is rolling the dice and ill advised IMHO. Driving a car with a converter that is too loose may get you better performance at the track, and when you are on it, but in normal driving it will feel like the transmission is slipping, and that gets old really fast. You want a converter that is built tight for the street, but will stall where you need it to at wider throttle openings. That is efficiency, and you want that. To get that, you need a converter builder that knows what he is doing, and is familiar with Buick engines. The builder will want your engine dyno sheet as well as car weight and gearing. Then you get a converter that is built for your combination. That costs more, but you get what you pay for. My recommendation is the same. Call Jim Weise at TSP. He has a really good converter guy, and Jim knows Buicks. He can build you the right converter. Smaller converters are inherently higher stalling, and less weight is always desirable. The engine will rev faster with a smaller converter. You can add a cooler by running it in series with the stock cooler, and that is advisable with a higher stall converter. Not a big deal and easy to do.
Thanks for taking the time to explain that Larry. I took your advice have spoken with JW and after talking with him, agree that he is the best route for my converter needs. The info I had posted here is what Lonnie at extreme automatics had said in his email and I wanted to run it through you guys for a no sh*t explanation in plain English. I appreciate you doing that for me!
For the few extra bucks I would definitely get an auxiliary transmission cooler for your car. My 2004r swap increased my engine temps and the cooler so far has brought the temp down even in the Florida summer heat. Sean, Larry and others that chime in on various threads have been doing so for some time and their advice can save you lots of time and $$. Trust me I know from personal experience! Thank you for your service, stay safe!
