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what transmission with a 502ci?

wilfrid

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2006
Messages
9
Location
chamonix france
Corvette
1965 silver vert BB
I have a 502ci inside my 65 , originaly powered by a 396ci.
With such power and torque, I am afraid breaking my transmission down.
I have a 4speed muncie, a 3.08 ratio differential and new spindles from zip.
What would advice the 502ci owners in this forum?
Thank you for your help.
 
wilfrid,

I'm using a Richmond 5-speed with a Richmond gearset 3.08:1 and heavy-duty diff cover. I also had a larger diameter/thicker-walled driveshaft built with no-grease universals.

I'm still afraid to launch it full bore with the amount of rubber I have. The next weakest link in the chain, I think, is the half-shafts. I get it rolling and then punch it. ;)

:w
 
wilfrid,

I'm using a Richmond 5-speed with a Richmond gearset 3.08:1 and heavy-duty diff cover. I also had a larger diameter/thicker-walled driveshaft built with no-grease universals.

I'm still afraid to launch it full bore with the amount of rubber I have. The next weakest link in the chain, I think, is the half-shafts. I get it rolling and then punch it. ;)

:w

I also have a 502 in my 65. It's hooked to a Centerforce II clutch driving a Keisler TKO 500 first generation 5 speed. Even though the tranny is rated at only 475 HP .. The rear Diff yokes were changed to Heavy duty Rockwell bolt type cap units. A Tremec Engineer at Carlisle told me the TKO 500 would be fine with the 502. That is as long as I don't due any POP the clutch pedal from the floor starts..!! In my case the tranny went in before I decided to do the 502.

I would suggest if you consider a Tremec you due the heaver model. And ...by the way... Your tires are the saftey valves. I'm running 215X75R 15's.

I have jumped on it on a roll at 5 pmh and all hell broke lose from wheel hop to side ways driving for a bout 50 feet.

Conclusion.... If it's a street warrior..you should be fine.

:beer
 
Thank you

Thank you for your experience and recomandations. It is helpfull and reassuring!
I will move to the TKO and stronger yokes. I still beleive the spindles are still a weak point. When I purchased the car I had to change them as the bearing was loose from the shaft. I attribute this to the excess of torque.
Have tour heard about heavy duty spindles?;shrug
 
Thank you for your experience and recomandations. It is helpfull and reassuring!
I will move to the TKO and stronger yokes. I still beleive the spindles are still a weak point. When I purchased the car I had to change them as the bearing was loose from the shaft. I attribute this to the excess of torque.
Have tour heard about heavy duty spindles?;shrug

Wil,

You will need these,,

http://www.internationalaxle.com/sy...ID=4858&category=Y&PageID=123719&SiteID=34334

Stepinwolf
 
I have a 502ci inside my 65 , originaly powered by a 396ci.
With such power and torque, I am afraid breaking my transmission down.
I have a 4speed muncie, a 3.08 ratio differential and new spindles from zip.
What would advice the 502ci owners in this forum?
Thank you for your help.
Guys..........if the number that denotes the cubic inch displacement of the engine in your car starts with a 5 or higher, then I would probaby recommend a Mack or Peterbuilt transmission! LOL! Good luck finding the right one to stand up to all them ponies!
Andy :w
 
Guys..........if the number that denotes the cubic inch displacement of the engine in your car starts with a 5 or higher, then I would probaby recommend a Mack or Peterbuilt transmission! LOL! Good luck finding the right one to stand up to all them ponies!
Andy :w

Well Stepinwolf is Building a "572" BB Midyear for a Customer... that's 620 HP Factory Rated. So imagine the challange there.:D
 
Well Stepinwolf is Building a "572" BB Midyear for a Customer... that's 620 HP Factory Rated. So imagine the challenge there.:D

VNV,

Bad news for the 620 rated horsepower. Last week I was surfing the web, and read where one of the Chevy mags, took a stock 572/620 and ran the héll of of it on two ( 2 ) different engine dyno's within a couple of days. Guess what, in both cases the HP and TQ were more then 10% over the factory rating.

I was not able to get back to the site, but I will keep looking for it, and will post the address, as soon as I can. Kinda of reminds us of the sixties, when the " General " underrated some of their high horsepower engines to shut up the insurance companies.

Some other news tid-bits from the frozen North.

Just bought a brand new crate 350 Ram Jet for another of my projects. and O yeah, and in case I forget, I also just bought three more Corvettes, 63R, 64C, 77t-top, including almost 50K worth of Corvette parts.

It's going to be one héll of a busy Summer. :boogie

Stepinwolf


crate.jpg
 
Well I guess I won't see you a t Carlisle this year... :D
 
If the Muncie in your '65 is original, it's probably a wide-ratio and, of that vintage, it's also got the small output. You already know your 502, if you drive the car anything close to aggressively, is going to break that trans.

The question remains, what's the best trans upgrade.

What kind of tire are you going to put on the back? If your fenders aren't flared, your choices are very limited as far as a rear tire which will get the car to hook. Basically, there' aren't any. That will suck much if you're going to race the car at all and even will make it hard to drive on the street in any manner approaching sporting, however---there is a silver lining, because all that pup is going to do is smoke the tires (unless you flare the fenders and put something big and sticky on the back), you don't need to worry that much about driveline as some here would lead you to believe.

If you're not going to flare the back fenders and put big tires on it, here's what I'd do--actually, two choices

1) The configuration we used so long ago on the old Vette Magazine "BBfH" project car would probably work pretty well...the Richmond six-speed, a 3.08 ratio, a properly prepared rear axle, the O.E. 3-in. halfshafts and a 2.5" drive shaft. Now, that said, with a C2 there may be problems with driveline tunnel clearance and trans upgrades having big outputs and larger diameter driveshafts.

2) a TREMEC TKO conversion from Classic Chevy Five Speed. They market several of these and one of them is specifically for a C2. This might work best with an axle ratio change...say 3.36 or 3.55.

Now, if you *are* going to flare the fenders and put sticky tires on the car, beyond what's already suggested above you're going to need to look into uprated rear axle and driveline components.

Also, you'll get to a point that converting to an automatic trans, such as a 4L80-E, might be a better choice, especially if you're going bracket drag racing.

Lastly, if all this sounds expensive and too much of a departure from stock, you could keep the Muncie. If you do that, I'd have it overhauled with the best parts you can find then, once its back in the car, I'd be careful with drag racing style standing starts, WOT acceleration in 2nd and 3rd and shifting at WOT. Do that and the four-speed might last a little bit.
 
Mark,

If I'm not at the Carlisle show, or you don't see me at the Friday night " Rillio's " dinner, you might want to look for me at the closest funeral parlor.

Stepinwolf

Well glad to hear your gonna make it..:D
 
Well Stepinwolf is Building a "572" BB Midyear for a Customer... that's 620 HP Factory Rated. So imagine the challange there.:D
Yeah, he better paint it with epoxy paint, because if he doesn't, the first time he really launches it, all the paint is going to slide back and fall off!
Andy
:w
 
Yeah, he better paint it with epoxy paint, because if he doesn't, the first time he really launches it, all the paint is going to slide back and fall off!
Andy
:w

Everything that has to do with the car has already been powder coated, and then cleared. That way nothing will fall, chip, or get knocked off. :D

Stepinwolf

powder.jpg
 
Everything that has to do with the car has already been powder coated, and then cleared. That way nothing will fall, chip, or get knocked off. :D

Stepinwolf

powder.jpg
JEE-ZUZ does THAT look nice!!!! Can't wait to see it all together!
Andy
 

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