b&m holeshot 2400

[baxsom]

I am going to do a torque convertor swap on my 72 454. The local shop said a B&M holeshot 2400 will be perfect.

Its not a bad price for the converter so is it a good one that I wont have to replace in 6 months. I know that there are more expensive out there but I dont want to pay a lot of I dont need to.

If I need to then ok fine.

Its a stock 454/th400.
3.55:1 gear ratio
thanks

 

[yellow77]

Ok, donning my flame suit, but if your engine is stock, then you dont need a 2400 rpm stall converter, the 454 makes tons of bottom end torque which is what gets you off the line. All you will probably do is burn much more rubber, and reduce highway mileage.
If you do put a higher than stock torque converter in, then please put in an auxiliary transmission cooler. The higher stall converters cause a lot more heat to be developed.

Either way, enjoy your vette, I love big block chrome bumper cars.

Cheers

Richard

 

[baxsom]

ok thanks for the input but you didnt really answer the question. its not wether or not i need one. the new converter is going in regardless of it is a necessary item or not.
i just want to make sure the one that is going in wont explode the first time i power brake it off the line.

 

[Rodney Gold]

I use one in my 454 el Camino , survived a yr of drags and violent street launches - th400
The high stall puts LESS strain on the drivetrain cos in general , you get less traction , bear in mind it will stall higher behind a BB

 

[Evolution1980]

...the new converter is going in regardless of it is a necessary item or not.

Why :confused ...obviously, you can do what you want, but......that aside...

The Holeshot 2400 should withstand your engine's torque without much issue. I reckon our Tq output is about the same, and I have no issues with mine. That being the case, I would recommend a trans temp gauge before you go with a trans cooler. You might be surprised to find that the trans temps don't actually get that hot and adding a trans cooler when it's not needed can actually be detrimental. Explained: the trans fluid has an optimal operating temperature. Thus, having it too hot is just as bad (almost) as having it too cool. The only time my trans fluid gets into the "hot" areas is after doing LOTS of holeshots and holding it in first and/or second gear. Sometime I'l burble around in first gear just for kicks...the sound, the surges, etc. But as soon as I let it hit third gear or shift itself as necessary, the temps come back down rather quickly. So no need for a trans cooler for me. You'll probably find the same.

Take note of what your average driving RPM's are. That's about the area where your stall rating should be. OEM stall speeds are typically lower because that's the RPM range where the average driven car spends most of it's time.

 

[Rodney Gold]

You wont get a great launch if you hold the car on the brake and rev up to the stall speed as you wind the car up and tbne suspension doesnt get a chance to work. The only time this works well is with a transbrake.
The better option is to nail the throttle at rest and let the motor flash up to the stall. downshifting gets a little more exciting with a 2400 rpm stall too , especially if you have a shift kit installed.

I have a 2400 stall TCI in my "hotted up" 350 vette and that along with 3.55 gears and the ability of the vette to get the power down results in quite explosive and violent launches on the street or strip - I dont feel that the car has a stall in it when driving normally , still creeps at stoplights and doesnt feel "slippy"

 

[Koop]

I forget if mine is a hole shot 2,100 or 2,000. Either way, if I stall it the car doesn't hook up it just smokes the craap out of 'em! Of course your BB probably makes more TQ than my small block, but I haven't had any trouble with it other than the bolts loosened up once and had to be retightened. I run 3.08 and a TH400 and nowhere near enough rubber (235 60/15's).

Didn't someone tell me If your not making enough TQ and HP that to high a stall is going to rob you?

Good luck

 

[Evolution1980]

Of course your BB probably makes more TQ than my small block...

If his 1972 is stock, then you're making in the neighborhood of 50 ft/lbs more than he is.

Didn't someone tell me If your not making enough TQ and HP that to high a stall is going to rob you?

I don't have the knowledge to say if that's a 100% true or false statement. If anything, it sounds ambiguous at best.
The stall is measured in RPMs. Respective to that, you have your peak Tq (and HP) at a given RPM or a range therein. If your peak torque comes in before the stall rating, then yes, you are wasting some due to the losses happening inside the torque converter. Remember that the stall speed of a TC is essentially the point at which it is engaged 1:1 and there is no loss ("slippage") occuring. Slippage is also what heats up the fluid. That's why I have said about matching the stall speed to your normal/average RPM's. And that's why passenger cars have lower ones and street/strip cars have higher ones.

 

[Koop]

I think it goes like this. If you put in to high a stall and you don't make enough power, your 60ft time is going to suffer. With 425HP and 465TQ I was told the hole shot 2000 was the highest stall I could use to optimze launch as I didn't make enough power for a higher stall. Besides, if I stalled out to 2,400 and launched it would be some time next week before I hooked up. I've been consdering some cheater slicks for laughs.

 

[Evolution1980]

I think it goes like this. If you put in to high a stall and you don't make enough power, your 60ft time is going to suffer. With 425HP and 465TQ I was told the hole shot 2000 was the highest stall I could use to optimze launch as I didn't make enough power for a higher stall. Besides, if I stalled out to 2,400 and launched it would be some time next week before I hooked up. I've been consdering some cheater slicks for laughs.

Don't know that I agree, but as I say, I'm no expert. If you are talking about drag racing, then you would (should) likely be powerbraking it anyways, hence the reason for the higher stall. If you aren't powerbraking at the line, then you are losing time (fractional) regardless of the stall speed.
For drag racing, I believe the stall speed should be just under your peak RPM for tq. This allows you to come up on it and be fully engaged when you do hit your peak. ...or something like that.
Koop, I believe that the peak torque of the ZZ383 is somewhere in the 3000-3500RPM range. If you're in it for the drag race, a 2000 stall would be awfully low. I can see where the info you were given might make sense to an extent, but my unprofessional opinion is to disagree with that notion.

 

[Koop]

The guy that set my car up is pretty sharp, I'll ask him to run the reasons for stall by me again. I wanted a higher stall but he said no, it would slow me down.

 

[Evolution1980]

The guy that set my car up is pretty sharp, I'll ask him to run the reasons for stall by me again. I wanted a higher stall but he said no, it would slow me down.

I bet he says something along the lines of, "The quicker your TQ fully engages, the quicker you get off the line. Hence, the reason for the lower RPM rating of the stall speed. You are transferring more power to the tires 400 RPM sooner." when comparing a 2000 stall to a 2400 stall.

Yes, let us (me) know what he says.

 

[73shark]

Aren't you get torque multiplication up to the stall point?

And if your stall is higher, don't you lose street driveability due to the looseness?

 

[Rodney Gold]

Power braking when drag racing is bad , it does not allow the cars suspension to work and you lose traction big time , you cannot wind the car up when launching , you need a transbrake if you want to get the engine up to stall speed without compromising th suspension reaction.