You trans. guys steer me right on this. a TH350 that has the lock up converter..is is a good trans behind a 350 sbc in a 2700 pound A Tudor? with a 3:73 rear ratio? the engine will be lightly dresses to produce say 400 ponies. From what i have heard the lock up on the converter is told to do its job thru the distributor? correct? if the engine i have and the distributor in it was not the original one hooked to this trans is there a way to make the converter lock up once in high gear toolin' down the e-way?
Not quite as simple as you state. The first TCC systems were controlled using the brakelight switch and a set of vacuum switchs which also controled the EGR valve. After mid 80' the control function was incorperated into the engines computer.
coupster can the trans be used without all the electrical hook ups? with out screwing it up? will it work just like a th350? until i can land a better trans could i get away with this?
The short answer is yes. You could actually manually control it with a toggle switch. My advice would be not to do it, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do.
Im getting that "Hate automatics feeling".. I may just **** can that entire trans and go 4 speed...or 5? the 3 pedal idea is knocking at my door!
On a lock up 350, the lock up function is not important. If it were an overdrive then you would need it. Use it as is. It will work like a regular 350.
Agreed that it will work without the lockup, as long as you don't have a huge converter. For instance, a cruising rpm of 3200rpm and a 3000 stall converter will obviously slip all over the place.
All this is based on hearsay, not my personal experience. You must use a lockup converter but you don't have to have the lock up function operational. You can lock up with a toggle switch, I rode in a '34 coupe set up that way. I don't know how it is done however. Same guy with the '34 said you can't get a very high stall lockup converter. He wanted one and couldn't fine anything over about 2400rpm stall.
The lock up feature can be wired thru the barke light switch and thru a toggle switch or pressure switch to engage it. Any converter at its best is only 90% efficiency, the lock up feature makes it 100%.Slightlly bettery gas mileage, less slippage,less heat.
I converted a conversion van to 400 hp, manually controlled converter , for towing my 18ft enclosed trailer. I did it thinking traveling in hill country would be better manually controlled. It worked perfectly
what an old thread! The TH350C lockup transmission was used in the late 70s-early 80s, before GM had overdrive automatics, and were running really long rear end ratios (down to 2.29) to help mileage. With a non-lockup converter, and those gears, the converter would slip noticeably at highway speeds. So they invented the lockup converter. Chrysler had their own version, too. If you have "normal" rear gears, the lockup feature isn't very useful. But with gearing that makes the engine run under 2000 rpm on the highway, you notice the difference.
Didn't realize this was a zombie thread but the information might still be useful. The early TH350C as I recall was controlled by: *A brake pedal mounted switch, to unlock the converter when the brakes were applied. *A coolant temperature switch, to keep the converter unlocked until the engine came up to operating temperature. *A manifold vacuum sensor, to unlock the converter under heavy throttle usage. So to go into lock-up you had to have your foot off the brake, the engine had to be warmed up and the manifold vacuum had to be above a certain minimum amount. The operation was generally trouble free and made for a noticeable drop in RPM when locked up. I don't remember the exact wiring and vacuum hose routing required but it must have been pretty simple as I managed to install one years ago in an O.T. Malibu and amazingly it worked. Think I got all the needed add-on parts at the salvage yard but they might be a little harder, though not impossible to find now. Don't think I ever hooked up the coolant temp. switch and it still worked fine. And I added a lighted rocker switch to the dash to turn the whole mess off or on.
It may bear saying that you can not put a regular converter in place of the lockup converter. The TH350C input shaft is different.
The Jalopy Journal
