Anonymous

OK, I have decided abandon the OD tranny.
(Good bye street car, but .....it must be done)

Turbo 350 seems fit to do the trick, but I don't want to have to upgrade for a second time down the road when things get faster. (wishful thinking?)

The Turbo 400 seems OK, but I don't want to add more weight and parasitic losses to boot.

That leaves me with a Glide, but I am not sure I will have the power to move the car down the track especially off the bottle (which is how I bracket race).

My car is a Heads & Cam w/N20 - 100 to 150 shot. (when needed)
450 rwhp N/A - 550 to 600 rwhp N20 (plus the huge TQ that goes with it)

Race weight is 3500lbs and if I go with the Glide or th350 I will lose a few more lbs..
I know I will pick up some ET, by having a trans brake.
I have 3.73 gears in a Moser 12 bolt.

After doing a search, I have found a couple of people agreed that a lower hp car like mine could pull a Glide but that the converter would be critical.

Guy's with experience please advise. Thanks.

WS6TransAm01

iTrader: (13)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha

YOU JERK!! Telling me you have a street car and I am a race car. Now you whont even be able to pretend. And now you will have an excuse for trailoring your car to the track when faster cars drive there and back.

I'd say go with a TH350, it will handle all the power you will have in the neer future and for time to come. It will be reliable and you will go fast w/o sacrifising too much other than the ability to drive long distances. I know you have been having non stop headaches from your 4L60E, this will be a good upgread for you, and you will be ready for the fall rental season!

Good Luck

Alex

NRC-Motorsports

do the glide essp seeing as how the juice is there allready,and on motor the car will go fairly fast essp with 450 horse,espp with the right convertor, and if the convertor is correct the car will run just as fast without the brake and less stress on the drivline,
but if your gonna juice it the convertor will be a little tight for an NA car, you have to come up with a happy medium,that suites the way you use your car.bob

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Dude, I just talked to you last night, you mentioned nothing about this LOL.
I'd still rather see ya stick with a 4L60E if possible but fully understand the need for the swap (I vote TH350) as well if ya do it.

next

iTrader: (9)

No matter what you choose make sure you budget for a very good converter as that will make all the difference in the world.

I vote for the glide but think you'll want more gear out back (4.10 on a 28" tire and 4.30 on anything bigger).

coop5885

iTrader: (2)

ive got a th350 in mine right now. It is pretty much junk. I put a cheap converter in it and it ended up killing the tranny. Im getting ready to build a 400 with a brake and getting a new converter.

for my new set up(T88, big injectors, and alot of boost.) I choose aginst the 400 for a couple different reasons. After talking to several tranny builders they said they could build the 350 i already but it was going to cost quite a bit more than a 400 for the same power. they also very highly reccommened NOT putting a brake in a 350 for the power level im gonna be at. I also had quite a few people tell me that my car would be to heavy to have a glide(3600+ lbs).

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

What you'll be using it for and how much should dictate the answer.

TH350 can be built to handle 600+ ponies, I had one with a few tricks things including a TH400 drum to eliminate sprag roll, and she held up 4 years on a 375 rwhp car that still sees plenty of street time and bracket racing.

Glides are easier to stick out of the hole against a TH400 becuase of the 1st gear multiplication. Driving them on the street isn't all bad, but you'll spend more to built a prepped guide over a TH400 (aftermarket gearset for a glide is close to $1000, and I've seen 430 rwhp cars that bracket race with transbrakes break stock ones in 1-2 years).

A Turbo 400 weighs more and chews more power than a glide, but also has 3 gears versus 2 for a little easier driving on the street IMHO, but not life and death.

As also mentioned above, converter selection is key, but a converter that makes the most of the spray will be "tight" on the motor alone. You just need to decide what you'll be using it for and how often.
And no overdrive doesn't mean not a street car IMHO. There are still millions of pre-80 cars and trcuk riding around with no overdrives because the factories never offered them! Granted overdrive is nicer for mileage and rpm wear, but not a requirement.

Derek

fast01

iTrader: (16)

If you want to keep OD and don't mind turning to the blue oval for help (you may have already with a 9") there's always the AOD. I know that there are at least two companies out there that offer a full bore AOD with a brake that will hold insane amounts of power. These units, I understand, are real popular with the turbo Buick guys. One company in particular, CK Performance Transmissions, a site sponsor, builds them to bolt right up with a mere shortening of the driveshaft. I'm pretty sure a guy on here from Long Island as well is running one. Do a search and you should find something. Or give CK a call and pick his brain.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

No not that Anonymous guy, he's got a 12 bolt, I don't think he likes the idea of Ford type parts in his GM LOL.


Is that Jeremy? I think he had one at some point, he's had A LOT of transmissions over time actually LOL.

NRC-Motorsports

only thing ill address here is the wieght thing,that is not true now a days,i have a stock cased glide [with an ultrabell bell housing]and i have had the same tranny in most of my cars [its like 12yrs old,and the average wieght of my cars is 3800lbs plus,and i have never hurt the glide,true not real fast cars low 10 sec cars,but heavy, we use them in most customer ,s car and they mostly wieght in at 32-3600 lbs,i also use 350,s but its about 900 for all the good drums and clutches,but the glide would be a better choice,essp as you progress,if you see you drive it more than race it the 350 takes up the same space and bolts right in ,in place of glide,but on the spray you,ll have a 2.52 first gear[kinda steep]as appossed to a 1.76 gear.but convertor and cam are what make the car go, bob

TS6

iTrader: (41)

You should be able to get a 4L60E to live in that car.

For the ultimiate setup, you could get the TH400 and gear vendors OD. Lots o' $$$!

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

I agree.


And lots of weight too unfortunately.

tektrans

iTrader: (23)

I've got a th350, 4:10's and 29" MT's I drive around in. I can drive about 25 miles @ 2800-3000 rpm on the highway in at the most 90 degree heat (did that recently coming home from Cartek.)
I vote for the th350 with/converter lock up.
Mine does not lock up so if you get one that does the streetability will be that much better. I wish I would've gotten one that locks up but it was alot more money and at the time it was for nitrous so I really didn't need it to lock at the track.
Now I'm NA.
With 3:73's, you'll be fine with a th350, on the street and the track.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

That will add even more weight and chew even more HP to run, but definately another option.

Big Mike

iTrader: (4)

Don't kid yourself you are running a 7 second setup.

WS6TransAm01

iTrader: (13)

Hey,

Just thought about something. What about a 700R4? They are similar to the 4L60E, from what I understand, ?Overdrive? and you can get it with a manual valve body, that will take care of the PCM shifting issues wouldn't it?

Fire67

iTrader: (3)

A 4L60E IS a 700R4, just electronically controlled instead of vacum modulated. In fact, GM now calls the 700r4 a 4L60 without the E... Also, the 700's need a kickdown cable to downshift, where the PCM handles that with the E's.

So, while its def a viable option, your still faced with the same weaknesses

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

The additional wt, and the higher parasitic HP loss, will be easier to deal with, considering the added reliability.
The 400 in my turbo BUICK is nearly stock, and has a brake. The car makes 850 FWHP,[274CI, GTQ-76, 27# boost] weighs 3710#, w/ driver.
W/ the 3.42 gear, and the 28" tires, the short times are still low 1.40's....
The trans was run over 300 runs, plus alot of street miles..[It's a sure enough street turd!] Never a problem. A freshen up revealed minimal clutch wear, and the rest of the hard parts were reused.

Anonymous

Thanks for all the input guy's.

Yeah the 700R4 is no good, same thing.

Big Mike - Shhhhh - Don't give it away.

Old Geezer - I thought those 200-4R's were really strong?
I considered one of those then decided against it.
But if I had one I probably would have kept it. (I owned a GN at one time too)

So you all know, I am really leaning toward the Glide?
It just seems to have more of a future?
I really just want to know how much ET I would be giving up to a TH350 until more power comes along?

Anymore input from guy's running Glides?

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Well, my car happens to glide nicely across the pavement though I'm still running a 4L60E, does that count?