th400 guys and weekend cruising
07-01-2012, 06:30 PM
#1
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th400 guys and weekend cruising How many guys have a th400 and actually drive them around A LOT.
what is your setup and how much power do you make?
I have a mild cam setup with 3.23 gears with 275/50/15 tires and boosting the car but the setup is not in yet. SOme say I will be fine driving it with the trans and others will say it will blow the tranny. Which is true?
what is your setup and how much power do you make?
I have a mild cam setup with 3.23 gears with 275/50/15 tires and boosting the car but the setup is not in yet. SOme say I will be fine driving it with the trans and others will say it will blow the tranny. Which is true?
07-01-2012, 06:40 PM
#2
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I don't understand the question....people have driven for unknown amount of miles on 350th/400th/PG's with no real issues in stock form...sure some needed rebuilt due to wearing out from no maintenance/and other issues.
Just because it's behind an LS motor, it doesn't mean it will fail quicker.
As long as the tranny temps are kept in check, along with fluid and filter changes, it should live happy.
Now it should have been built to handle the power you'll be throwing at it to start with also.
Just because it's behind an LS motor, it doesn't mean it will fail quicker.
As long as the tranny temps are kept in check, along with fluid and filter changes, it should live happy.
Now it should have been built to handle the power you'll be throwing at it to start with also.
07-01-2012, 06:47 PM
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it will support 1200hp easily. A lot of people just say that running it N/A will blow the tranny up and make it not last long at all. It will just destroy the trans because im running it n/a with a 3.23 gear and a mild cam on a 113lsa
07-01-2012, 06:55 PM
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Trans temp will kill any transmission. I run a cam/spray set up with 4.10s/28s and drove it round trip 60+mi to the track a few times and it was fine...annoying, but fine. On a boosted set up with a 3.23 gear it wouldnt be bad at all. If its just a week end cruiser, I wouldnt think twice.
07-01-2012, 06:55 PM
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Like posted above keep it cool it should live a long and healthy life. You have to remember these 400s came behind big blocks and usually paired with steeper gears like 3.73s and 4.10a
07-01-2012, 07:49 PM
#7
I've had no problem driving mine... I love the 400! 650+hp, 3.70 gears, 275/50-17 tires, B&M cooler. Drive it an hour and a half to the track, all around town, highway, etc. Cruises about 3,000 RPM with the 6L80 I cruised about 2,600RPM so not much difference really.
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07-01-2012, 10:46 PM
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I drive mine all the time. I drove it from Florida to NC and back to FL before. Just get a big trans cooler and change your fluid out every year and you will be fine.
07-02-2012, 10:57 AM
#10
Exactly, having a guage for the TH-400 is considered mandetory for regular street driving.
As for the amount of power the trans can take, it all depends on what parts are in there. TH-400 are strong but has limits and depending on the set up and use some go right to the Power Glide, but some want 3 gears.... all depends on what you can handle.
As for the amount of power the trans can take, it all depends on what parts are in there. TH-400 are strong but has limits and depending on the set up and use some go right to the Power Glide, but some want 3 gears.... all depends on what you can handle.
07-02-2012, 03:44 PM
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Trans temp will kill any transmission. I run a cam/spray set up with 4.10s/28s and drove it round trip 60+mi to the track a few times and it was fine...annoying, but fine. On a boosted set up with a 3.23 gear it wouldnt be bad at all. If its just a week end cruiser, I wouldnt think twice.
07-02-2012, 07:59 PM
#14
I don't understand the question either. Over history didn't several hundred thousand GM cars and trucks drive millions of miles with TH 400's? On the street too. Oh my!
My only guess for people telling the OP something completely stupid like that is due to the "performance application" aspect of it... but still kind of an odd question.
I have a TH 400 in my '00 Camaro SS. I can drive it anywhere, as long as I don't mind cruising at 60 MPH on the 70/75 MPH Interstate while Toyota Camry's drive around me shaking their fists.
There's no magical different concept for a TH400. Build it appropriate or above your power level and like everyone else has said, run a trans cooler and a nice pan. There is nothing special that needs to be done.
My only guess for people telling the OP something completely stupid like that is due to the "performance application" aspect of it... but still kind of an odd question.
I have a TH 400 in my '00 Camaro SS. I can drive it anywhere, as long as I don't mind cruising at 60 MPH on the 70/75 MPH Interstate while Toyota Camry's drive around me shaking their fists.
There's no magical different concept for a TH400. Build it appropriate or above your power level and like everyone else has said, run a trans cooler and a nice pan. There is nothing special that needs to be done.
07-03-2012, 12:49 PM
#15
The big difference is the high stall converters that people commonly run on the street today VS the stock or very mild stalls most everyone ran on the street back in the day. That is where the heat comes from.
Al
Al
07-03-2012, 01:31 PM
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I've been running the TH400 for years with no issues at all. Perhaps 2K miles on it. Swap Filter and fluid and it's been very reliable. Now since mine is a manual valve body there are things to NOT do on them. For example I broke a sprag once being an idiot and downshifting manually and flooring it on full boost. I run a 4000 stall with a 3.42 rear end ratio. Highway is fine also with no issues. Most folks with very high stalls don't like it on the street but with 4K it's no issue and just fine on the highway. I run a cooling pan and a remote transmission cooler under the nose where I get lots of air.
You should have no issues with a well built transmission to start with.
Power is something that I'm not sure about on the street. At 10PSI I'm pulling 600RWHP.
That's the minimum I can run and what I tested on the dyno. I run 14PSI on the street and 23-24 at the strip. The tranny is holding a little over 1000RWHP at this point with no issues.
You should have no issues with a well built transmission to start with.
Power is something that I'm not sure about on the street. At 10PSI I'm pulling 600RWHP.
That's the minimum I can run and what I tested on the dyno. I run 14PSI on the street and 23-24 at the strip. The tranny is holding a little over 1000RWHP at this point with no issues.
07-03-2012, 02:15 PM
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It will drive fine. Mine is big converter and 4.11's on a 28 tire. Turns about 3200 at 60. The large B&M cooler with fan and the fan comes on at 176. Trans temp stays right there.
07-03-2012, 03:43 PM
#18
Big *** cooler and temp guage is a must.
