tranny upgrade advise

[78chevstepside]

Iam current in the process of installing a motor in my 78 c-10 stepside. Iam installing a 71 350 4 bolt block with 1.94 heads with flat top pistons, bored 30 over, double roller chain, roller tips, with a wolverine 280 cam. Iam backing this with turbo-350 tranny. I need advise on what kind , and how big of stall converter and maybe a shift kit and tranny cooler everyone would recomend. It curently has 2.73 gears with a limited slip rearend. Iam also running hedmen headers with h-pipe and 40series flowmasters.For carburation i will be running a 1406 edelbrock carb with a performer intake. Iam thinking i need at least a 2000 stall. this truck is a 2wd with a 4/6 drop with drop spindles new shorter coils with a flip kit and notched frame in the rear. thank jay iam also a new member

[swervin ervin]

Jay,

what's the @.050 duration of this came? Also, what is the listed operating range? I'm not familar with any Wolverine cams.

My feeling is, a cam around 230 duration @.050 range needs around a 2200-2400 rpm stall. Couple this with some gears though. I'm guessing this is the 280 part of the Wolverine cam, advertised duration, which will probably be around 230 @.050.

I have a CompCams XE268H cam in mine, which is a dual pattern cam. It's 268 adv. intake/280 adv. exhaust, and 224 intake/230 exhaust @.050. My converter stalls around 2200-2400, and I have 3.73 gears. It works really well.

With 2.73 gears, it may be a little doggy on you. If my assumptions above are correct, I would recommend a 2200-2400 stall, with 3.42 or so gears with the TH350. This will really get a heavy truck moving out of the hole. If you do a lot of highway driving, maybe consider something in the 3.23 range for gears.

I like Transgo shift kits myself. B&M kits are nothing more than a drill bit and valve body gaskets, mostly. I'm not sure what a Transgo kit would have for a TH350, but they have a ton of stuff for 700R4's. Expensive, but as my user text says, you get what you pay for.

I do like B&M coolers though. I have their biggest one on my truck. It seems to be working fine. I think a cooler is a great addition to a tranny. Not as much needed for a 350 as it is for an OD tranny, but still is a good idea. Cheap insurance IMO.

Just some food for thought.

[79BIG10]

On the cooler I found a 8 pass cooler from Flex-A-Lite from Summit for $46.99 Link If I ever get the money this is the one I'm going with. Madefor 26,000 GVWR so I know it will cool mine for sure.

[Tom]

280 degrees duration does usually mean around 230 @.050
If this is so, I see a mis-match of components that wont make you very happy when its all together. You selected a mid-higher rpm cam that will make peak power around 6000rpm and peak torque around 3500-4000rpm. Those rear gears wont like that. Then your adding a performer intake. Again bad idea. A RPM would be a vast inprovment. If nothing else getting the updated design of the performer, the EPS manifold.
Id put a 2700-3000rpm LOCKUP convertor behind that engine and add some 3.42-3.73 gears.

[MylilBowTie]

I could be wrong and I might be but I dont think he would be able to use a lockup convertor. I think it would fit and all that but I dont think that transmission is a lockup style.

2.73s are really bad to have with that cam but it will work with them just not like it was made to. I have 2.73s with a magnum 270, and a stock stall convertor. I can leave a 15ft mark with 1/3 pedal down and it just chirps 2nd gear without a shiftkit. I have still yet to readjust the valves or fine tune it.

[78chevstepside]

heres the profile of the wolverine cam advertised duration intake 280 degrees exhaust 290 degrees rpm range 2000 to 4800. cam timing .50 intake duration214 degrees exhaust 224 degrees. max lift intake 107 exhaust 117 iam reading the cam card. I realize a gear change may be in the future. I had a machine shop pick the cam. This isnt a dailly driver . well thanks for the respounce jay

[Tom]

O wow that cam has alot less duration then thought. Your choice of intake will work with that cam, and the gears wont be as bad as we said. Id go for a 2200-2500rpm stall convertor.

[swervin ervin]

I would go with a stock stall with a 214 intake duration cam, or no more than 1800-2000. 2500 rpm stall too much and not needed at all.

If it were me, I would go with a bigger cam. Something in the 224 intake duration range.

Mike

[78chevstepside]

hmmmm maybe i will just get a 2000 stall converter. Do you think a shift kit is really needed? I have the old motor and tranny out right now. I have been cleaning the engine bay and front suspension all weekend. That is a dirty job. I have the new motor all assembled carb to pan painted and detailed ready to install.I really like the input. Iam not real informed on transmissions well maybe not on much of anything lol. I wondering now if i should just get the 2000 stall and forget the shift kit. One more question any sugestions on upgrade for a stock hei?. I thinking of changing the weights for a faster vacummn advance? any insights would be apreciated. Also has anyone got any ideas on a starter and cylnoid(spelling) that will get along with headers? i have tried heat shields, going to a ford type they all didnt work . now iam thinkin brand new from gm. Thinkin maybe buying cheap rebuilds is the problem. WEll i have rambled on enough jay