[forgebench]

Hi all.

I've got a '72 Nova, stock weight (3400 curb), TH350 trans, 3.73 posi and an engine with the following specs:

350 "010" block
EQ 200 CC Heads (lightly worked over)
Comp Cams 12-772-8 (248/254 @ .050, .576/.582, 110 LSA, installed straight up)
Forged bottom end, 6" rods
Vic Jr intake
Holley 4150 750cfm carb

The comp cams website recommends a stall of "over 3000." I have a 10" converter sitting around that came out of an old friend's 454/th400 combo that stalled at 4000 (it made 510rwhp). It's a very high end converter. I was considering using this one but am open to suggestions.

I'd appreciate anyone's comments on what they'd recommend

[anglia427]

i would try it i think it will get you into the 3200/3400 range

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by forgebench

Hi all.

I've got a '72 Nova, stock weight (3400 curb), TH350 trans, 3.73 posi and an engine with the following specs:

350 "010" block
EQ 200 CC Heads (lightly worked over)
Comp Cams 12-772-8 (248/254 @ .050, .576/.582, 110 LSA, installed straight up)
Forged bottom end, 6" rods
Vic Jr intake
Holley 4150 750cfm carb

The comp cams website recommends a stall of "over 3000." I have a 10" converter sitting around that came out of an old friend's 454/th400 combo that stalled at 4000 (it made 510rwhp). It's a very high end converter. I was considering using this one but am open to suggestions.

I'd appreciate anyone's comments on what they'd recommend

The converter you have won't stall as high behind your engine as it did w/the 454, but it should be sufficient as long as you're not looking for the last bit of quarter mile ET.

[vinniekq2]

have you dynoed your car? are you driving it on the street daily?too loose of a converter is no fun for a daily driver,give up 2/10s for a nice driver if its a street car. need to know the rpm range of your engine,,,

[F-BIRD'88]

A 10" converter that stalled at 4000 behind a 454CID motor will stall at around 3500 rpm when behind a 350.

You can use up to a 8" race converter such as a ATI "Treemaster" These race converters drive very well on the street and go like hell with sticky drag tires. Will flash stall around 4000-4800 in slicks, behind your 350, on slicks, at the track. You won;t get past about 3200 on street tires while brake stall testing. These converters couple pretty good. Again these converters are very efficent and "drive" very well on the street .

But more important:
You car could use more gear. -4.30's 4.56's if you are serious. (especially if the tires are tall.) That motor is going to want to rev up. Especially if you moved the cams installed position from default. 106in 114ex centers.

Why did you retard the cam? If you want more top end tighten the valve lash down. (lash @ .010""intake .012" exhaust --Cold) to increase effective running valve duration. No, this is not too tight on the lash.


You will probabily find this XR286R-10 cam works best when installed to cam card specs 106° intake C/L or a bit more advanced. on a 103 to 104 intake C/L.

The higher the gear ratio the more "streetable" a high stall is while cruising at part throttle.

Most people make the mistake of not gearing the car agressively enough. cammed up motors with a single plane manifold and good heads need to rev up to perform. You are way under geared.
Get some 4.56's and then get some tall 28 to 29" street tires for street driving duty. ( A P245-70-15 street tire)
and some 26" tall slicks/ ET streets for track use. Call ATI to get set up with a Treemaster converter.
Now you will see how that Nova should go. Now it will be geared correctly for street and strip and the converter will perform as designed as well as "drive" very nicely on the street.