My J on the road and first decent test

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

Watch the second video and listen carefully, I say 1000, 1500rpm, flat to floor, less then a second after I say flat to the floor you can hear the engine come on song, maybe 2000 - 2500rpm at a guess, if I could get a converter with a stall speed to take off at those RPMs the thing is just going to fly.

I go flat to the floor at 4seconds in and at 5 seconds in the thing comes on song and flys! As you can see from this video when you manual shift it the thing doesn't muck around!

Anyone got any ideas?

I need to adjust the throttle rod thing a bit and hopefully that will change the shift points a bit.

 

[High Speed Pursuit]

Hey, shouldn't your gauges be moving counterclockwise? Just a little Northern Hemisphere humor...You can adjust the kickdown lever, but its not going to give u that torquey pull that u are after...it sounds like its shifting properly to me. I always drove my console shift Mirada manually because it needed more gear, which is what you need as well...at least 3.55. When u say that your car really gets going after 4-5 seconds, that's when your cam, timing, and fuel are producing the upper ends of HP and Torque based on their individual and combined specs....and that is where a lower gear will get your car into those performance bands quicker. You might try advancing your timing a few degrees to get your engine into to higher HP/torque band sooner, but your top end will suffer with detonation at or near WOT. You can always play with your rear tire size...a taller tire will cause your rear gear ratio to go higher, like closer to 3.00 and into the 2.00s. Also, a shift kit will give u a more positive shift that hits harder than a stock valve body...

 

[Bruceynz]

So if I got a stall converter that came in at that rev wouldn't that be a big help as well?

Trouble with changing wheel sizes is it will end up with tiny wheels that won't full the wheel arches very nicely. I am running 17inch wheels now, 26.25" tall. 215 x 60 x 17 I could go to 55s but the things rides quite firm now!

using a tire size calculator on the net it says mine should be 27.2" tall and 55s would be 26.3" tall so an 1" difference in height.

 

[High Speed Pursuit]

My opinion is that a gear would be easier to install and give u more response than a stall convertor. Seems like u went with a factory type convertor over a stall to begin with and i cant remember why, but with a 2500 stall and too high rear gear, you will rev high to engage the transmission, but it will bog down and then do what its doing now. I'm putting in a 3.55 in my Mirada based on the rpm range where my cam produces the most power...whatever cam that u decided on, look at the specs and dyno graph...then figure out which rear gear will get u to that range and keep your car in that range the longest. I know u said your car was a cruiser, so I'd concentrate on getting to the range the quickest without giving up too much on top end speed or have your car cruising at 4,000 rpm. This just my opinion...maybe others have a different one...

 

[Bruceynz]

Hi Yes, Factory converter, there was a reason for it - I bought the engine used off a drag car guy, he bought a 1972 Charger and the engine came in it, he took it out to fit a 440, he said "its got a small cam in it" ok small hmmm me thought RV type grind or a 340 type manual cam or something along those lines, loaded with that information I decided to use my stock 904 (A999) and converter. It turns out what a drag racing guy calls a small cam and what I call a small cam are quite different things, live and learn! I have no cam specs, the cam comes on strong after 1500rpm as you can see in the video, my guess is around 2000rpm but I have to much going on to see, the rev counter is mounted low as its not something I wanted to be in your face but more for helping test things, like I am doing now. This is the converter was thinking of, but maybe a TC is not the way to go??

Just remember we pay about $7 a gallon for gas here, so 3.55 will have me revving more at high way speeds.

A904 high stall torque converter 2200-2500 26 SPLINE (LOCKUP) 1 year warranty

 

[kkritsilas]

Bruceynz:

Sorry to say, but you really do need a smaller cam. Pain in the ass to go back into the engine, but no realistic way around it. Something maybe only one step up from stock.

 

[Bruceynz]

High Speed - When u say that your car really gets going after 4-5 seconds, that's when your cam, timing, and fuel are producing the upper ends of HP and Torque based on their individual and combined specs....and that is where a lower gear will get your car into those performance bands quicker.

The car does not get going after 4 - 5 seconds, I was referring to the timer on the video, when I am at 4 seconds in with 1500 rpm on I nail it, then at 5 seconds in you can hear the engine really start to wind up. I did not mean it took 4 or 5 seconds to wind up. So I was thinking if I had a 2200rpm stall that the thing would come on song quicker thus give better take off and with 3.21:1 rear end on 26.25" tall tires would see the converter reach stall speed before 62mph (2600rpm)