Hey guys, after a lot of research I'm getting ready to order up a Yank SS3600. One thing that I am still confused about is the additional things that I need to get with it.

Right now I have in mind the SS3600, the B&M 70264 cooler and I want to get a trans temp gauge in the car so I'm doing a digital Autometer with a single pillar pod as well. Anymore things I need to add in? I keep reading that some people recommend to get shift kits, deeper pans, etc., but I just see so many different opinions. My car is stock other than bolt-ons and a tune, it has only 29k miles on it if this means anything.... Thanks for any help.

 

The one thing you didnt mention? A tune. A good tune. It will make your car feel night and day different, and also eliminate some issues with installing a converter like a pesky misfire code popping up and shift fault codes disabling the transmission. I recommend firming shifts through the tune in your situation as well.

 

If I was doing a stall, I'd put in a built transmission and a heavy duty flex plate at the same time. For me, a tranny jack helped out a ton. I bought a cheap one from harbor freight. I don't have a lift. In addition, make sure to measure clearances as many times it is suggested that you add spacers between the stall and the flex plate.

 

Might as well do a truck deep pan with filter and an SFI rated flex plate. I got a truck pan with a drain plug for $30 off amazon and got the summit brand SFI flex plate. Depending on your budget you can skip that 70264 cooler and get a bigger one with braided lines, a truck starter, and a torque arm relocation crossmember since it'll be apart anyway.

Get a pair of sticky tires while you're at it lol.

 

Oh yeah, definitely getting a good dyno tune. Its the only way to take advantage of what's been done to it. Thanks man.

I'll have to research more into deep pans. One thing I haven't considered is my car has BMR springs all around. I was reading that some guys with lowered cars were having some clearance issues with those pans.

What cooler would you recommend? I was also looking at the 70266 (20,500 BTU) and 70274 (29,200 BTU), but kept reading so many positive comments on the 70264. I am researching tires as well, I'm thinking of finding a pair of nice chrome 16" Z28 wheels and have a radial mounted on them to throw on when I go to the track.

 

I don't see a need for the built trans recommended above at only 29k miles, stock/bolt-on power levels, and shift points at ~6k rpm or so, unless of course the trans happens to be having issues anyway. The deep truck pan is nice, especially for the drain plug option, but the biggest benefit is keeping the fluid temp more stable and cooler for longer - if you use a good aftermarket cooler and have the cooling fans cut on earlier, you might not see much improvement from the deeper pan but it's certainly not a bad idea.

Being that you have an '02, the flexplate upgrade is a good recommendation. The '98-'00 flexplate is stronger and usually wouldn't need replacing in an application such as yours, but there are folks with '01+ cars who have broken the weaker stock one even with a stock converter and mostly stock car.

 

Thanks for the input, I can't see needing a built transmission either with the mileage. I'm leaning more towards just doing a big cooler and passing on the deep pan for now. I really don't feel good about the ground clearance with my car being lowered in addition to some of the roads around here.

Wow the 4L60E flexplate is that weak? I wonder how hard you have to drive to break it at stock'ish power? I know that I'm not hard on my car as the majority of time I use it to just cruise and take to local shows, probably barely put 1000 miles on it a year.

 

Normal or even spirited street driving, especially with a stock stall and near stock power, wouldn't be a big concern; drag strip type use is the more common condition under which some folks have reported breakage even with stockish cars. With the converter upgrade on an '01+ car, it's certainly not a bad idea to consider a stronger flexplate at that time since the labor is already being done.

But again, not all stock flexplates for these cars are created equal. The '98-'00 version is stronger and usually not an issue even for stalled cars that see occasional track use. I never broke mine running for several years in the 1.6x 60-foot range on drag radials plus 3500 stall. The '01+ version is a lighter duty/inferior piece though.

 

I'm on BMR springs. Im running a summit aluminum deep pan with no issues.

I would do the stall a good cooler,trans pan and a tune and call it a day.

 

Great thread, I am doing (bringing to my trans shop b/c there is no way I can do it) my Circle D 3200 & 70264 on Wednesday. I am a bit nervous since the car runs perfect but can't wait. Re-tune immediately after, Gl with yours.

 

I have the Tru Cool h7b which is the same as the b&m 70274 but costs less with 6an lines. Having a spare set of drag wheels is a good idea, but once you want to have fun on the street you might change your mind lol. I have Hoosiers on some 16" wheels for the track and Toyo tq's on my zr1s for the street cuz I like to hook all the time.

 

Ok yeah, makes sense. What kind of flexplate would you recommend? Maybe buy a new '98-'00 GM unit. I was also looking at the Hughes as well but I read that a lot of people say stay away from the cheaper stamped style flexplate. TCI seems good but VERY pricey and I don't want to go too overkill if I don't have to.

Ok good to know, I wonder though in an application like mines will the deep pan be worth it to buy in addition to just running a big cooler, I rarely will track it and mostly just cruise the car around.

Thanks man, beautiful T/A and I'm sure it'll come out awesome. Should be lots of fun.

Did that size cooler fit pretty easy? What are your trans temps like? I was looking at the 70274 as well. And yeah the only thing stopping me from running a DR all the time is I like to hit the backroads sometimes and don't want to lose that ability.

 

Tagging this thread. I plan to do a stall and cooler in the near future. I also plan to do the truck pan while I'm at it. My car is an 00, but had a new trans 20K ago. I too am curious about the flex plate (while my trans guy is installing the TC). I'm also following the word about tires.

 

This is my list when I did my yank3600ss 1200 miles ago and everything is great! B&M 70274 (cools very well for me upstate NY) SFI flexplate(do it right while trans is out) ARP flex plate bolts/tq converter bolts, trans temp gauge, frost tune( pretty impressed with frost) My trans had a lot of miles so I chose to buy a p.b. Stage 1 which comes with the deeper pan! Your gonna love driving your car more then ever once it's installed! Night/day difference Your def gonna need some dr's! I went with the nt05r's and I'm very happy with them!

 

I got a big Derale cooler along with the summit aluminum pan on mine. No need in ruining a good transmission over the small things. I'm also using a 4k stall

 

I don't know if GM still sells the older version as a service replacement for the older cars or if the newer, lighter duty version has superseded it. Many people have been happy with the TCI but if cost is a concern then even a good used '98-'00 version would be an upgrade from your stock one.

If this is mostly a street car that might see limited track use, I probably wouldn't worry about it for an '00.

 

For me it fit easily, but I have my AC out so it's mounted to the radiator. It might be a little tight if it's mounted on the condenser. My temps are awesome, I hardly see 165 and that's driving around town a lot with the converter unlocked.

Maybe a tire like the Toyo R888 would be good for you. It's sticky like a drag radial but has a stiffer sidewall and is designed for cornering. I just think that street tires and a high stall converter don't mix well, you can punch it and the tires will break loose very fast.

 

The TCI #399753 flexplate is $251 on Amazon (cheaper than Summit/Jegs). I've never heard of anyone breaking one or having problems with one. Probably last 20+ years through many engines.
However some of the cheaper flexplates sold by Yank and CircleD have gotten good reviews too. So ask your converter vendor for a suggestion.
The TCI also needs longer converter bolts.

On the subject of Harbor Freight trans jacks - skip the $99 one as that is just an accident waiting to happen. Get the $160 one which is hydraulic and lets you tip and tilt the trans as needed. With an easy-to-find 20% coupon that comes to only $128.

 

I just did stall and cooler about 3 weeks ago. I have the Tru cool h7b which is the same size as the b&m but it was only $70. I have the deeper truck pan, braided ss lines and mounted the cooler dope style on the passenger side bumper area. I have an autometer trans temp gauge and single pod like you were looking to get, I have the sensor threaded in the test port on the case which reads 15-20 degrees hotter then in the pan from what I've read.

With my circle d 4500 stall, i cruised around town for about 2.5 hours, my gauge never showed over 190 degrees and the converter was unlocked the whole time. Usually it was sitting at 180, the only time it got to the 190 was when I did a little pull. Also using my stock flex plate.

 

I would recommend a street tune... Not just a dyno tune. I am running the BMR springs on my Vert... I run a truck pan, cooler, and Yank SS3600... It is perfect!!!! NO complaints. I am also running long tubes and clearance has not been an issue. you'll fall in love all over again with your car. Post up your thoughts once installed.