tranny upgrade

[mac495]

CAC

I have spent some time and $$ on the engine of my ole girl...she has a turbo 350 tranny, I would love to have a four speed but you know...

What I want to do is put a shift kit in, stage 2 or something..I want to know if any other CAC people have done it...If so how does the car react to it , I don't want the car to hammer the u-joints out every time she shifts...

What I'm looking for is a little more positive shift, cause right now with the 40 series flowmasters it sounds bla from one gear to another..

Thanks

[mike weyman]

the shift kit only works from first to second at w.o.t. sounds like a 2000 stall convertor is more the answer.
the kit will only klunk gears at w.o.t.but my old van with 350 h.p. would get second gear rubber at 55 m.p.h. (every third or fourth time would snap the universal).you won't get that response from the vette rearend ,but close.
the stall convertor will let the motor rev some before pulling away, letting the motor build some ponies first.mike

[78SilvAnniv]

Don't be too hard on the ol' TH350...they are nearly indestructable trannys that require minimal maintenance. I prefer the automatics, mostly because I am bad at coordinating shifting, but it is convenient for me to be able to focus on driving and not gas, clutch, steering, shifting et cetera...

My husband wants to put a shift kit in mine and I am resisting, mostly because I want my 78 to be a dependable daily driver and I don't want to stress out (replace) the u-joints any more than I need to.
My other argument is that the benefit we would see from a shift kit would only occur about twice a year when the husband drives during CAC cruises in the GA mountains. I don't think that warrants a shift kit when I am driving it normally the rest of the year.
Kenny also says that with the new top end work we have recently done, I should be able to grab rubber now. Never could before...unless the road was wet. :t

Now I have a question about shift kits, because I may lose this battle of wills with the husband over getting a shift kit.
Mike stated that the effects of the shift kit are felt at WOT only between 1st and 2nd gears. What are the effects of a shift kit during sedate in-town driving?
Heidi

[mac495]

Heidi

Thanks for the reply, well I guess we both have the same question...I don't plan on driving the guts out of the ole girl, and I don't want it to rip the tire off from every light...just want a little more positive shift under normal drive around town...Hope someone knows .I'm not sure changing the torque converter is the answer for me...

[cruzer99]

I had a GM shift kit and I loved it. It was a nice firm shift but not a hammer unless you jumped on it. The harder you got on the throttle the harder it shifted. I have also had them in my street rod (350 turbo) and it is great. Never have an auto without a shift kit!

[mike weyman]

If you didn't know it was there, unless you hammer it , you'de never know.
where a shift shines is from a dead stop at w.o.t., you put the tranny in first and hold it to the mat, she will shift by herself just before it blows the motor (lol). at the optimum time .
my old chev van (82 ambulance) with a 350 horse 350 would hit second so hard she would lay rubber at 55 mph,and pin you to the seat, about every 2 or 3 times it would snap the universal off.

It's like air conditioning, it's nice to have it when you need it. mike