With a stock motor, sure, 302 heads can be used on a motor with moderate upgrades. Just don't put any money into those heads with putting bigger valves in them, etc - totally not worth it.
Torque Converter Identification
- Thread starter Bruceynz
- Start date
With a stock motor, sure, 302 heads can be used on a motor with moderate upgrades. Just don't put any money into those heads with putting bigger valves in them, etc - totally not worth it.
Closed vs open does yield higher compression, all things equal. The point I was getting at is if you're getting a stroker kit then those come with pistons and you can get higher compression pistons that can be used with open chamber heads.
You need to decide what you want to do and buy parts that match your end goal. Are you stroking the motor? Leaving the bottom end alone? These questions will determine what heads you buy, etc. Trust me, have a goal in mind and work your way towards it. If you're fuzzy on details, ask questions. Buy a book and read up as well. Two books worth reading:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Hot-Small-Block-Mopar-Engines/dp/1557884056
https://www.amazon.com/Build-Big-In...63M4Q74V3SC&psc=1&refRID=A7B3XVX6J63M4Q74V3SC
When I started in this hobby I randomly upgrading things here and there without a master plan in mind. Ended up spending a ton more money than I needed to.
When it comes to torque converters, Chrysler was very lazy. Why change a design that has worked for decades (and same can even apply to converters today).
During the time FMJ’s were made, Chrysler only made four (4) different torque converters (but with several variations of each). They made the A727 low stall converter (converter diameter is 11-3/4” with a narrow starter ring gear), A727 high stall converter (diameter is 10-3/4” with wide ring gear), A904/A998/A999 medium/high stall converter (smaller converter hub/spline count – same basic body/ring gear as A727 high stall converter) and lastly a tiny converter used for front wheel drive cars.
Now I’m only speaking about what Chrysler made for production cars.
The only FMJ's with A727 were special order cars (police, Taxi or others with optional HD towing package).
The easiest way to tell a A727 high vs. low stall converter is to look at the ring gear. If the starter ring is about ½” (13 mm) wide, it will be a high stall converter.
If ring gear is about 1” wide (25 mm) then you have a low stall (or a A904) converter
This is a balanced 360 flexplate that B&M makes (so a person can use a neutral balance converter). The outer bolt holes are A727 low stall converter. The inner holes are for A727 high stall and A904. The large holes are for Hemi's (which uses larger diameter bolts).
Now of the four above mentioned types, there are a lot of variations.
- Balance weights are one. 318’s and older engines (~72 and older) were the only ones that were not effected by balance weights. All other engines are affected.
- There is the lockup vs. non-lockup variants (a mid-year '78 change).
- Back in the mid/early ‘60’s, there was hub spline changes (most of the older ones have been out of circulation for some time, now).
- Then the hub changed in mid/early ’90’s from a slit driven pump to a slant driven pump (the slant is more reliable than slots are).
Getting back to what I was discussing, according to the chart I copied from my ’77 FSM, there were no low stall converters used in ’77. They were all high stall converters.
The area marked in red are all A727 converters. These converters are all exactly the same – except for external balance weights that were added to them. If you happen to have a ’77 440 HP converter (factory stall rating of 2500-2800 RPM), you can use a chisel and remove the weights, and now you have a ’77 318 2-bbl A727 converter with a factory stall rating of 2125-2450 RPM).
In this case, what makes the difference on torque converter stall speed . . . is the engine (only). The A904 converters used (/6 to 360-4 – not marked in red) are also the same internally – but the 360 version is different because of the balance weight.
Removing weights is not a problem. Adding weights can be a big issue.
I recommend always using a neutral balance converter and if engine needs balance weights, to get an aftermarket flexplate (like example, above).
For all but the people who race cars, most people do not get concerned about torque converters (well, except for balance weight aspect . . .).
People who race cars, the converter selection can make a huge difference.
BudW
During the time FMJ’s were made, Chrysler only made four (4) different torque converters (but with several variations of each). They made the A727 low stall converter (converter diameter is 11-3/4” with a narrow starter ring gear), A727 high stall converter (diameter is 10-3/4” with wide ring gear), A904/A998/A999 medium/high stall converter (smaller converter hub/spline count – same basic body/ring gear as A727 high stall converter) and lastly a tiny converter used for front wheel drive cars.
Now I’m only speaking about what Chrysler made for production cars.
The only FMJ's with A727 were special order cars (police, Taxi or others with optional HD towing package).
The easiest way to tell a A727 high vs. low stall converter is to look at the ring gear. If the starter ring is about ½” (13 mm) wide, it will be a high stall converter.
If ring gear is about 1” wide (25 mm) then you have a low stall (or a A904) converter
This is a balanced 360 flexplate that B&M makes (so a person can use a neutral balance converter). The outer bolt holes are A727 low stall converter. The inner holes are for A727 high stall and A904. The large holes are for Hemi's (which uses larger diameter bolts).
Now of the four above mentioned types, there are a lot of variations.
- Balance weights are one. 318’s and older engines (~72 and older) were the only ones that were not effected by balance weights. All other engines are affected.
- There is the lockup vs. non-lockup variants (a mid-year '78 change).
- Back in the mid/early ‘60’s, there was hub spline changes (most of the older ones have been out of circulation for some time, now).
- Then the hub changed in mid/early ’90’s from a slit driven pump to a slant driven pump (the slant is more reliable than slots are).
Getting back to what I was discussing, according to the chart I copied from my ’77 FSM, there were no low stall converters used in ’77. They were all high stall converters.
The area marked in red are all A727 converters. These converters are all exactly the same – except for external balance weights that were added to them. If you happen to have a ’77 440 HP converter (factory stall rating of 2500-2800 RPM), you can use a chisel and remove the weights, and now you have a ’77 318 2-bbl A727 converter with a factory stall rating of 2125-2450 RPM).
In this case, what makes the difference on torque converter stall speed . . . is the engine (only). The A904 converters used (/6 to 360-4 – not marked in red) are also the same internally – but the 360 version is different because of the balance weight.
Removing weights is not a problem. Adding weights can be a big issue.
I recommend always using a neutral balance converter and if engine needs balance weights, to get an aftermarket flexplate (like example, above).
For all but the people who race cars, most people do not get concerned about torque converters (well, except for balance weight aspect . . .).
People who race cars, the converter selection can make a huge difference.
BudW
