Need Gear Recommendation
 

You have all helped me with my stocker, I am getting closer to the index.But need more help.what I have is.
76 Camaro
350 cid
287 NHRA rated HP
350 turbo with 275 First
5.13 gears
Mickey Thompson ET Slicks 9x30
we ran a 12.80 @ 102 yesterday
shifting @ 7k
went thru the lights @ 6500
60ft 1.71
I have the Cal Tracs bars and springs
Thank You all I am happy I finally got in the 12's

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

I'd consider going to a 2.52:1 low gear, and a 5.38:1 rear gear.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Alan I dont want to spend any money on this trans, would the 5.38 work for now I am thinking of a Pro trans later I am not sure I dont know what first gear ..

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

what type of converter?
Looks like you ned about .15 just in 60'
5.38 won't help that much

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Sounds like you're close, but try short shifting it about 6500 and seeing what happens. I usually don't turn a 327 that high through the gears. 5.38's to 5.13's isn't that different-5-7 % or so. You do need 60 foots in the 1.55-1.58 range, though. What class are you shooting for, and what index?

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Yeah, the 1-2 shift probably needs to be about 6200-6400, at most.

The 5.38 will help if you swap to a 2.52 low gear, what's going on here is you have way too much drop between 1st and 2nd, the car is not moving fast enough, and the RPM drops too far.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Think Mark is on it...converter or something else needs to be addressed. That 60 ft has to get better regardless of which index you're after.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Carb tuning is a big factor as well!

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Greg its is a 350 cid the class is I/SA 12.30 index,

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

converter is ATI 8inch Treemaster Salesman Charlie Plott
The 2 step was not hooked up, seems to do better when I flashed @ about 2800

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

look under the hood not the rear.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Is this where the shift light is set, where you're pulling the shifter, or when the transmission actually engages? These are three different times/rpms.

I leave with my hand on the steering wheel, and by the time I react to the shift light, reach the shifter, slap, and the trans hits 2nd, it can be 700 rpm past the shift light rpm setting. High gear is far less of a difference, but that 1-2 shift is critical. I use an Auto Meter Ultimate Playback tach, and offset my shift light(s) accordingly. This should be basic stuff, but I've met some people that have raced for a very long time that had no idea where they were *actually* shifting.

I agree with others that much of the ET you're looking for is in the first 60'.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

What about my tire the roll out is 96 inch

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Try some 92.5 radials.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

At that weight, you really need the 5.38.

What does the converter actually flash to?

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Alan, not dissing anyone here but most people don't know what their flash rpm is or how to find it out.
Trans in high gear, slow roll, mat the throttle and see what rpm the tach goes to. That is your flash rpm. Not to be confused with stall speed.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

I agree with Joe...

You have a good converter and the gearing is not that far off..

60 foot time is pretty slow....and RPM at the finishline is low....as is your MPH, and gearing it up is not going to help....

Either your motor is pretty weak or it is not tuned right....

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Gearing is fine, they are right, you need more HP. Look at you r chassis and make sure everything is moving freely. I found 3 tenths in the chassis on my stocker.

But I think you really need some Hp.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

I don't think you need a gear change. You are down on power and/or have a major tuning issue.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

That was going to be my point too, Myron... after I asked about the total timing, and where the cam is in at.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

My brother and I know that combo pretty well. My brother is the one responsible for the HP being at 287. And I now run a 74 vette with that same motor combo. As all of us know there are a ton of things that could cause your car to be off that much. I'm sure Charlie has you pretty close with the convertor. Michael Beard is right about the shift point. You can learn a lot from a play back tack. It would be easy just to say you are off HP but it would be nice to get more info on your engine. Any dyno numbers? Or any history on the motor? It sure sounds like you are off hp but you could have 4 or 5 things off a little that are costing you several tenths. The only reason at this point that I would change the gear ratio would be if I thought the ring and pinion was bad or set up wrong. The 538 may be faster in the end but if your 513 are set up right they will get you down the track a lot faster than your going. Make sure there not binding when the rear is warmed up. My Brother ran I/SA for the first couple of years in that combo and had 514 in the rear and went pretty fast with a lot less hp than he ended up with. Good luck

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Have you had the engine & your carb and headers on the Dyno yet?
If so, scan the Dyno sheet and post it.
Based on the MPH your down of H.P.

When I ran my '74 Corvette I/SA car back in the '90's one of the things I learned with my engine was that the car was much quicker when:
1. Held the car at the line @ 1,500 RPM
2. Flat footed it on the last yellow
3. Made the 1st to 2nd shift @ 5,100 RPM
4. Made the 2nd to 3rd shift @ 5,500 RPM

When I made the switch from a Turbo 350 to a Turbo 200 my car picked up .20-.25

Back then my engine was just a home built adventure and only made 378 HP. It ran ok, but would not come close to running with the guys that had there packages all iron out.
At that time, a good friend and customer, Jeff Stealy (Rest in Peace) was a First Class Stock and Super Stock Engine builder. His engines of my combination which was a 350 with 882 heads,were making 420+ HP.

Other things to look at are brake drag.... you should explore everything, front to back, and make the car roll (push) with as little effort as possible.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

No dyno yet, timing @ 39degrees, I will check the converter flash and as for brake drag coming back from the run , I could coast a good distance, but I will start checking the suspension and brakes as well, Thank you all so much. I know with all your expert advice I will get there. I will keep you posted, Any comments on the tire I should run.
Cam is a Bullitt
GRIND CHS311/315H106+4
> MASTERS H311/262 H315270C
> DUR @ .050 263/270
> LIFT .390/.410
> LSA 106
> INT C/L 102

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

See if you can borrow a set of 28inch Slicks to test this..

Dan

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Interesting !!
My M/SA 1969 Impala ran a 350/255 with a Turbo and 3800 Stall Conveter.
Shift points were near identical.
Used 5.13s and 28 inch tire.
Woodro Built the Engine
Ran a best of 12.80 in WPB, Florida weather.
Before Woodro ran barely on to 3 tenths over the Index, mostly hot weather.

Always wondered how it would have done on a cold day?

D

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Just put me under the bus because I had the HP hit.... LOL Lonnie I sent you a private message. Lots of good advice here, but I have been there and done that. Give me a call. Gary Parker

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Isn't that a lot of timing?

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Dan, Lonnie and Glen, though I have never tried (yet) shifting at 5100 and 5500 seems low for a small block that doesnt make tons of HP? You would be putting the load on the motor at that RPM and even a good SB would not be able to carry that load/weight? Use the multiplication of the gears, converter and trans to do some of the work.

Mr Parker have you ever shifted that low in your bad *** corvette? Will call you in a few days to catch up.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

I lived in the Kansas City area back then, hot, sticky,humid...always bad air. In my Corvette I ran 4.88 gears and 28 x 9 MT Slicks.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

[QUOTE=Joe DeMarzo;364299]Dan, Lonnie and Glen, though I have never tried (yet) shifting at 5100 and 5500 seems low for a small block that doesnt make tons of HP? You would be putting the load on the motor at that RPM and even a good SB would not be able to carry that load/weight? Use the multiplication of the gears, converter and trans to do some of the work.

QUOTE]
I know it sounds crazy Joe, but we tried shift points all over the place,I learned that with my engine, this worked. It would run to 7000 rpm in the lights, but we often wondered if I had put a 4.33 gear in it that it would have been even quicker.
Of course, that was then, and I had stock heads, not he 'good':rolleyes: stocker heads and intake. Back then there was 30-40+ more HP in the good heads and intakes :).

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Joe No never shifted that low and I'm not going to. Things have changed a lot since even the 90's. I would also have to ask Glen if he had a play back tack. I refer back to Mr Beards committ on what we really are shifting at without a play back tack . That was the first thing I learned when I put a play back in my car years ago. I was off at least 300 rpms on the 1st to 2nd shift. With the way I had the big block set up I would have to shift about 500 rpms ahead 1st to 2nd.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

...

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

No easy answers here,Dave
The 9" GM is a common core from the 80's ...therefore they can be built a lot cheaper...That's why you see those deals out there.
Certain 9 " combos are capable of multiplying more torque than an 8", but you've really got to know what you're doing to match the performance throughout the entire quarter mile.

The 8" stuff are re-pops based on the old Opel design, so they cost more going in.
You really don't need a custom designed billet or fabbed stator for a Stocker.
Those are more for the high hp apps. or high RPM Comp style 7".
The RPM and stall may go up, but not necessarily the torque multiplication.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Hey Mark did you get your phone charger? Glad you answered his question. I looked at it and said it's the same as getting a pair of street header on ebay for 300. Or spending more money on a good set of race headers. You get what you pay for. ( Most of the time) Why buy parts twice. Buy the best only once and you won't be sorry. A cheap convertor 350. A good convertor 850. Loosing heads up in the third round because you saved 500 on a convertor PRICE LESS!!

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

I did. Thanks again.
Hope to see you and that bad a** Corvette soon . Very impressive.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

...

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

An 8" ATI converter is an all new converter, it is not built on used cores. The stator is not billet, but it is a new casting, ATI bought the original tooling, and then changed the design to remove the sharp corner between the stator fin and the ID and OD of the stator. The ATI stator has fillet radius joints, to prevent fin breakage. The advantage to the ATI stator is the shape of the fins, which are curved and shaped like an aircraft wing or propellor blade.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Mark hope to see you this year at Indy. And hopefully I will be able to make a full pass by then. Dave if 350 is all you can spend on a convertor you may want to ask on this board if anyone has a good used 8" that they will sell you. This can be an expensive game. It's just cheaper to spend what money your going to once. Barry

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Barry & Alan, Thanks as well. Good info & advice.

Re: Need Gear Recommendation
 

Lonnie

THE BEST THING TO DO IS TALK TO GARY PARKER.

HE DA MAN WITH THAT YEAR CAMARO......

BEST THING TO DO BEFORE SPENDING A TON OF $$$$$$.