2,000 RPM stall and towing?

[Joe383]

I am going to be putting a built 350 in my 85 Chevy 3/4 ton 4X4 and it has a 4 speed manual in it. I am going to be swapping over to more than likely a built 700R4 with a raptor stage 3 rebuild kit and there stage 2 stall converter with an anti balloon plate. I am looking at doing a 2,000RPM stall as the cam in the motor is a little on the large side for a stock stall and although I plan on towing it will be few and far between. The truck is mostly a fun around town and sand dune rig that will see a camper a few times a year and maybe towing a medium sized boat about 2 times a month in the summer times. Any one tow with a stall converter in there truck. Honestly I would love to put a 2,300 or 2,500 stall but am betting those would be too large. My truck is about 7,800 LBs now with 35s 4.10 gears. I do plan on doing 4.56 gears later after the 700R4 swap. I don't want to put a smaller cam in the truck as it is doubling as my hot rod and most of the time will be used for fun. The motor is making around 350 HP and around 400 FTLBS if I had to guess. If I gear my tuck so my RPMs are above the stall speed at cruising speeds on the freeway I should be good right?

 

[DoubleDingo]

I am thinking it will cause a lot of problems. But I don't know enough about stall converters. To me it would cause the tranny to overheat.

 

[SkinnyG]

I have a Hughes 2500 stall in my C10, with highway 3.07 gears. I occasionally pull a small utility trailer for dump runs and metal recycling, not usually more than 1500lbs. I have hauled on occasion 1000lbs in the bed.

I drive VERY gently with the motor, and keep my fingers crossed. After 6 months, I drained the transmission looking looking for any evidence of cooking. Nothing. But I'm not running a trans temp gauge.

I have 3.73's shipping to me now, which should make it easier for me to be above stall rpm (just like you're thinking). I probably should install a gauge too, while I'm at it.

When I was shopping for a converter, I told them everything about the truck and its intended usage. It has a snotty cam, it won't be drag raced, and it may pull my utility trailer or my 1200lb race car on a light trailer. Hughes said "absolutely no towing" with the 2500.

So.... I don't know. I try to be gentle.

 

[Joe383]

Ya I figured a 2,500 would be a no go. I use to do mud drags so I miss having a drag truck and want another one but it has to be able to hall a camp trailer or the wife will kill me. I am hoping a 2000K will be ok with the 700R4 cuz it will have a lock up converter and the transmission is going to be built to be able to tow in overdrive. I guess I should talk to the company I am getting the parts from and see if there is a way to have my cake and eat it too.

 

[bucket]

2000 stall should be fine, especially if you swap to 4.56 gears.

But as for the 700r4 built for towing... been there, done that. All I can say is good luck

 

[highdesertrange]

actually for off road use you don't want a high stall converter. you want a low stall converter or else you can't do a slow creep, a high stall converter is going to be real hard on your drivetrain if you are pulling any kind off load. highdesertranger

 

[bucket]

2K is very mild though, only a few hundred higher than stock. A 2500 stall is mild too, it sounds like a lot, but driving it you don't really notice it (on the street).

 

[HotRodPC]

2000 is just 300-400 rpm over stock. Nothing crazy about it. If you're trans is built to use OD and lock up while towing, no big deal. The lock up is what keeps the heat down. The higher stall means added heat. I'd go with it BUT, for sure plan on adding an auxillary cooler. Go big as you can to keep it all cool. And don't bypass your radiator cooler. Use it too and add the auxiliary and you should be good to go. But as bucket said, good luck with the 700r4 with high stall and off road use.

 

[Joe383]

Its not going to be doing a lot of crawling around. I live near some sand dunes rec area and will be doing a lot of sand and mud drags with it when I am off road. not a lot of climbing except to get from place to place at the dunes. My radiator is out of an old school buss and is huge. I will add an extra cooler with it to be safe. Should I get a converter with a carbon fiber clutch? Not that I am going to be going off road a lot with it either. Will be mostly driving it around town to get grocery's and take my wife to the movies in. My wife wants me to focus on one project and to put the motor I built for my Camaro in to my truck and sell the Camaro so I am not building 2 projects. I am not towing trailers or any thing but plan on putting a camper on and tow a 14 foot fiberglass boat. If I cant tow in OD I could be fine with that but being able to lock up the converter in drive would be nice. The transmission I am looking at is a PATC raptor level 3 with an advanced adaptors out put shaft added so I can run a transfer case from a TH350 just incase I decide to do a doubler kit later and the torque converter I am looking at is there billet super street 12" converter I currently have a M465 transmission. Would I be better off doing a NV4500 instead? I just what over drive and a little better fuel mileage cuz its about 130 miles to were we usually camp one way. The truck is getting about 12 MPG with the 454 in it and will probably do about the same with my 350 if not a little less. It would be great if I could get 15 with it un loaded. I could afford to drive it to work quiet a bit if I could get 15+ MPG freeway.

 

[HotRodPC]

15+ is a pipedream unless you're going to be running some electonics or computer controlled injection. 12 is possible on the highway, even 13. 9-10 around town.

Of course the NV4500 is always better, but it's a pricey swap due to the adapters you'll need.

 

[MikeB]

Will this be a lock-up T/C? If so, I don't think higher stall speed will hurt anything, assuming you have a serious auxiliary trans fluid cooler. Heavy vehicles are hard on T/Cs and trans fluid temps.

Hughes Performance doesn't get much mention on forums or in magazines, but I really like them a lot. I suggest you give them a call.
http://www.hughesperformance.com/converters

I once used their GM11TOW converter in a pickup with a TH350. As advertised, it had no more slip than a stock T/C on the highway, but a little bit more off idle. Great all-around pickup T/C. I've also used their GM20.

 

[Joe383]

Well decided I am just going to go the NV4500 rout. I did not learn about this swap tell after I posted this and like the idea of the 4500. Going to take me a few months to get the funds to do the swap. I just sold the new Mickey thompsons off of my Camaro rims and all to help and will be selling the Camaro it self after I install the original motor and put the original tires back on it on top of what I am saving so will probably be about 2 months tell I have enough for the swap kit and a used transmission. I have a new clutch in the truck now so I will just re use it. I think it will allow mine to live with the cam, have over drive and still have a good low 1st. Will eliminate some of the problems I would have possibly had with a 700R4. Pulling the motor out of the Camaro hear in a few weeks to get it ready for the truck. Think I will do the motor and transmission swap at the same time. My truck gets 10-12 MPG now with the 454 and M465 transmission. I would hope the NV4500 and 350 would get better than that.