smalldrobanner.gif (3353 bytes)
MSD IgnitionFree Catalog


Hey Mike,
I have a question regarding the GM Turbo 350. I have a Pro Street '57 Chevy PU. It has a stout 383 SBC that dyno'd at 442 HP. I am also now running a 175 HP shot of nitrous on it. It has a narrowed GM truck 12-bolt, 4.56 gears with ladder bars and 31.5 x 18.5 slicks. I built the Turbo 350 with 3200 TCI stall myself with all new TCI guts. It has run the occasional Friday night cruising and several passes on the quarter-mile with absolutely no problems.

I am getting ready to purchase a transbrake for it and was wondering if this will be too much for a 350. The only trannies we ever worked on in school were Turbo 350's and I have plenty of spare parts available, so it would be very convenient to be able to stick with a 350.

Will this work or am I running on borrowed time? I have no problem with a seasonal rebuild, but don't want to be oiling down the starting line every pass either. I'm also thinking about going with a 4200 rpm stall. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Dan Moody

Dan,
I think that your money will be better spent on a 400 transmission. With the amount of power you are starting to make and the weight of the vehicle, the 350 will be short lived. Consider getting one (like our Ultimate 400) which has the transbrake and is built for use in Pro Street vehicles.

The converter that you have now can be used with the 400. The best thing to do for a converter is to have one custom built to your engine specs. The builder needs to take your cam size and engine specs along with your dyno sheets and build the converter to stall at peak torque of the engine.

It is better to build for future horsepower than to under-build and have to reinvest later.

I hope this helps with your decision.

Mike Stewart is owner of Mike’s Transmission in Lancaster, California. He will answer your questions about automatic or powerglide transmissions.

Email: Mike@racingnetsource.com

Mike

 

 

 


Got a MSD Tech Question?

 

Copyright 1999-2001, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source