I have an opportunity to get a tci turbo 350 with reverse manual valve body and transbrake for a decent price. I can also get a powerglide for the same money. Which way would you go and why< What should I look for in both?

Does a transbrake car require a differant converter?

How do you leave on a transbrake? I've heard get rpms up to stall rpm and let go of the button? If my converter is a 4700 would I leave the line at that and almost immediatley be shifting again at 6800?

I typically footbrake the car to just above idle and leave when I see the last yellow, how do you judge a trans brake?

Thanks, I know its alot!

I don't have the answers for you but they aren't stupid questions....no such thing!

Hi Brian
jump on the 350

350 has 3 gears, glide you lose a gear. Takes incredible low end balls to overcome the lost gear. Lots run glides though.

I don't have a brake YET. Done some question asking, it is next on my list. Scary but it is said to cut about .4 on ET, so worth the fear factor to me.

It locks reverse and 1st at the same time. They use rev limiters and just put er to the floor, release the brake and hope your driveshaft and rear end are up to the task.

Someone who has one will come along and we'll see how far off I am.

Id pass on the glide as well. The glide tranny belongs best in ligher dragster types, and/or real high powered, torquey stuff that runs real fast.....and NEEDS the durability that a well prepped glide can provide(glides can be build real bullet proof).

IF everything on your car was working perfect(launch just right with good hook and all), a glide In your application would just slow you down compared to a good 3 speed(and a good 3 speed can take your power level as well).

Just curious.....why the tranny change? Is something wrong with your current th350? Unless your 468 is a wicked rpm machine...the current gearing and converter seems a little steep. For curiousity sake....what is the engine build and which brand/and diameter converter is that?

That stuffs a little off topic, but back on topic, Id pick that TH350 over the glide.

I would go with the PG if i was you. Can i have the number for the guy with the T350 though :)

TT be nice ,and yes PG needs more high HP ,I run a PG brake 8in 5000 stall conv. but I have 500+ HP T 350 if ya running a mild S/B ...Happy Motoring and by the way there is no such thing as a stupid question

tom,
Your sending me mixed signals,LOL.

Greg,
My 350 works fine, but the tci trans with the manual valve body and transbrake is a real good deal and I can sell my 350, so the change would cost much for a new tranny with some new bells and whistles. 9 inch redneck converter, been very pleased with it. My bb is a solid roller motor, the previous car had a 5000 stall with a glide in a mustang at went 10.88. I havent irnoed out any jetting or timing yet, just ran it once and had a few issues. I was just curoius if I could pick up some time and leave quick for not much money.

Just curious.....why the tranny change? Is something wrong with your current th350? Unless your 468 is a wicked rpm machine...the current gearing and converter seems a little steep. For curiousity sake....what is the engine build and which brand/and diameter converter is that?
.
Brian, unless something is wrong with your tranny just stick with it and just put a transbrake in it. Remember me saying that I'd like to see you put the 4.10's back in? And I too think that is too much converter. Big blocks make a lot of torque down low. Your car should be much faster than it is. You have a good engine, I think you should just change gears and stall. What does everyone else think?

Pat
I contacted 3 diffferant trans companys for stall recommendations and the all were from 4700 -5000 based on the cam specs, etc. I can get the tci and swap for maybe less than buying the transbrake, button etc. Plus I dont trust anyone around here to do it, and it's the tci tranny were talking about out of the truck at the track. The previous owner claimed 600hp thats why I thought it could handle the pg. As far as the gear change goes I dont know how to deteremine wheater it needs a swap or not. The mustange had 456 and 5000 stall and pg.

What does everyone else think?

brake:D. 4/10ths doesn't come much cheaper.

And tranny has to come out to do a brake, so if he can get into 1 that already has it for little net money... jump on the 350 w/brake:).

When I do a brake I will buy a built tranny, and then teach myself how to build a 400 with a brake on my old one so I can play with it awhile... and have a spare.

If it's that cheap go ahead and get it.
That is a BIG cam you have. Your stall is probably correct it was the flash that I was worried about, hope it's not too much.
I asked someone "have you ever heard of running your timing at 44*" and they said yes. It surprised me but I don't it all. Maybe someone on here can help you on your timing questions.
I'm just trying to help you get your car as fast as it can go with what you already have.:thumbsup:

I agree with you Pat it should go way faster, I guess I just have to creep up on it.

I musta missed it. What were you using for heads, compression and cam specs?

trw 12.5 to 1, oval port heads, fully ported 2.25 int 1.88 ex 11/32 stems k motion springs to 800 lift titanium retainers harland sharp roller rockers comp cams solid roller 748 int 714 exhaust 286 duration at .50 110 lsa.

Leaving on the trans brake versus your foot is a huge difference. You may never want to foot brake her again.. Have fun with it!

Holy moly thats a cam right there! Those are numbers you typically expect to hear in a heavy hitting 555 or larger. Are these factory ovals? Now that the specs are out there.....I feel the 4700 converter is a little conservative. Id figure 5500 flash plus to handle those specs in anything under 500 inches.

Truthfully Id spend the cash on a cam swap. With the oval heads.....a roller about 20 degrees smaller at .050(like 264/270 at .050 on a 110 with just about .700/.700 would fall much more in line with the current converter and oval heads. Fine tuning should get in the 10's fairly easy with a smaller roller. Whats your fuel system look like? That sort of specs should like 7600 rpm if not a little more. I feel as is it could go a lot faster unless something else is goin on.

Bottom line....I think you are hurting somewhere. Although I dont like the cam particularly....its not going to slow you down a couple of seconds! And....the MPH would still be higher than it is. If you were spending money, Id evaluate everything and try to figure where its hurting most cause I think you got a lot more potential than you know about so far and something like an inadequate fuel system or something like that is hurting you more than you know.

Greg,
Yes, factory ovals, the motor was in a mustang with a glide and a 5500 converter ( I thought 5000) when I called about a converter the 4700 was the recommendation. Fuel system, holley black pump, filter after tank, and before regulator, psi at 7, holley that flows 830, had 926 carb shop carb(too much, for sale) It was my first time out, throwing alt belts, timing only at 30, blow by, etc. Lots of sorting out to do. The other car left at 5000 and shifted at 7000 with glide and brake. The other guy had the timing at 44, I havent tried that yet, seems high.

one thing also to consider will your car hook with a 2.52 low gear in the 350? you may have more luck winning races with the glide, more consistancy. i rand a 350 nad aglide in my car it ran the same et. hardly ever won with the 350, won the track chamoinship with the glide. just something tho think about if you are going to race?

Yes, I do race it. It has a 350 now, I dont know the first gear numbers, but it does hook well now. I was thinking the glide with a brake will improve the 60 foot times.

guys, I have run a tci t350 transmission with 4500 stall & transbrake on my 69 camaro for 8 years with a 383 and 456 gears. I have caltracs,90/10s up front with trick springs and the car hooks very well with 27x11.5x15. The car however runs almost the same et and 60ft times with or without the trans brake. This old combination was very fun and consistant leaving at 4300 rpm on brake, but I never experienced much of a gain in et or 60ft times using the brake.

Kenny
So all things considered are you a transbrake fan for consistancy. My set up is almost identical to yours, cal tracs, 456, 90/10, trick springs, etc. My secondary issue is 350 vs powerglide. Or maybe leave the 350 alone, nothings wrong with it, and just keep footbraking.

Brian,I am a transbrake fan. Maybe it was the previous 10 years of running car w/ clutch and bring revs up and launching that I relate to the transbrake. I also think my reaction times are a little more consistant with brake, but it is harder on driveline and will destroy any week links. I am in the proccess of installing a new engine and will run the same transmission and transbrake with this combo. If your happy with your tranny I would not change anything untill you get other bugs worked out.

I am not a trans guy but I do know how to destroy one. An old racer bud I used to work with once told me that th350 input/output shafts won't hold up to a brake especially behind a big motor in a heavy car. He said they would only prove reliable behind a light rig like a rail car or something. Now Kenny said he's had that combo for 8 years so maybe it does work. Maybe consider aftermarket kryptonite shafts & upgraded planetaries? I'm not saying these things are 100% true, I was just given this advice from a old timer who know 10x as much as me when it came to drag racing. In my current car, I opted for a th400 with a brake for better reliability even though it costs some power over the 350. I actually run slower leaving from the brake than i do footbraking. Bill.

I'm beginning to think the only reason people choose a glide with a brake is in a light car with a steep gear, and the fact they can make them indestructable. It seems there are no performance ramifications using a glide or the transbrake, just consistancy and reliability.

I am not a trans guy but I do know how to destroy one.

I actually run slower leaving from the brake than i do footbraking. Bill.



:D:D:DLMAO, I think most of us resemble that remark.

You are at least the second guy to say a brake didn't help ET's a dam bit. Ya'll are messing with my plan:sad:, but I still intend to do a brake;). With my engine anyway, I can feel that if it launched at just 4000 vs the 3400 I can hold footbraking would have to help. I can't hold the bastard by footbrake past 3400(unless I have 1 broken axle:))

Once you go brake you never go back. :)

Alot of conflicting opinions.

I'm running a TH400 with a brake and have only launched a few times with it (I'd rather win in footbrake than get beat by the consistency of the rails!). I had a long chat with Marty Chance at Neal Chance converters and he really impressed on me the need for a different converter depending solely on whether I was going to use the brake or not. The issue is converter balooning, if I recall. He sold me an AWESOME 9" converter that is perfect for me footbraking. When I want to show off and pull the wheels even more, I hop on the brake, but if were to use it regularly, Marty told me to go with a 8" converter.

My point - you should make a plan and talk to the manufacturers regarding each step. I am huge fan of the Neal Chance products. Your set up should be slightly different if you choose to regularly use the brake.

And it is a hell of a lot of fun!