Powerglide or TH350? :confused:

I run a manual NV4500 now behind my smallblock. I lost this weekends round of muddrags to automatics left and right :shaking: and I know I'm making more HP then them. I watched one truck with a TH350, he would take off in 1st and immediately (within 25ft of the starting line) shift to 2nd and stay there. This looked good and 3rd was never used.

Is it worth the extra money to go to a Powerglide? or is the jump to 2nd just too severe for a mild smallblock turning 7500rpm?

run a th350. its cheap simple and easy. hell the circle track guys have ran them forever. and if you dont use 3rd gear then your gears arent low enough.

If all you do is drag the rig I would run the power glide...you should only need 2 gears. Our rail is running 170 mph (tire speed) at max 7500rpm in second with a powerglide.

If you are using it on the street or trail I would go for the th350...

If all you do is drag the rig I would run the power glide...you should only need 2 gears. Our rail is running 170 mph (tire speed) at max 7500rpm in second with a powerglide.

If you are using it on the street or trail I would go for the th350...

X2

Powerglides are extremely tough and work very well. In a short track you typically only need to shift once if at all. And higher gear ratios keep your tires spinning if you have the horsepower.

X2

Powerglides are extremely tough and work very well. In a short track you typically only need to shift once if at all. And higher gear ratios keep your tires spinning if you have the horsepower.



How much HP? I guess thats the great unknown here. Im running 4.10 gears right now and launching in 2nd, I suppose an auto would launch a little harder with a stall converter being that it would be geared lower through the torque converter.

you can put a 208 behind a PG, too..

the powerglide can hold up to about 2000 hp with the right mods. Transbrakes are cheaper, there is a HUGE amount of aftermarket support. they even make a turbo spline input shaft to let you run a th400/th350 converter.

You will like not launching in 2nd.

The thing I found with an auto in mudracing using low range is that the converter stall is cut way down due to the reduction in gearing. kinda cuts it in half. My truck runs a 3500 stall and starts pushing through the brakes at 1100 rpm in low range. In high range, it is lazy, and doesnt start pushing through the brakes till 2000 rpm or so.

hope that info helps you.

Either one will work nice. If you run the powerglide you will only use 1st gear and that "might" work out well.

But the TH350 or TH400 will work great as well. With your motor I would run an 8" ATI or Coan converter and have it set up to flash stall around 5000rpm.
You will be whoopin some seroius booty with that set up...

I'd probably just go with a TH350 in your case & do a quick 1-2 shift. Definitely a glide though for the guys in the upper classes.

I'd probably just go with a TH350 in your case & do a quick 1-2 shift. Definitely a glide though for the guys in the upper classes.


Hoping to compete as a Class II truck. I want to do it right the first time and not waste a bunch of $$$$$, would you get a Power Glide?

you can put a 208 behind a PG, too..

the powerglide can hold up to about 2000 hp with the right mods. Transbrakes are cheaper, there is a HUGE amount of aftermarket support. they even make a turbo spline input shaft to let you run a th400/th350 converter.

You will like not launching in 2nd.

The thing I found with an auto in mudracing using low range is that the converter stall is cut way down due to the reduction in gearing. kinda cuts it in half. My truck runs a 3500 stall and starts pushing through the brakes at 1100 rpm in low range. In high range, it is lazy, and doesnt start pushing through the brakes till 2000 rpm or so.

hope that info helps you.


I'm running a 231 :eek: still surviving racing in High range, it does have a short shaft kit in it though.

Do you race in low range?

I'm running a 231 :eek: still surviving racing in High range, it does have a short shaft kit in it though.

Do you race in low range?

I do, but thats me.

I have a heavy truck, in a lower class. I need low range, still

I figure once I get down under 2500 lbs, i can run high range if I have over 500 hp.

Some of the NP208 guys are using a custom cog so they're just straight through 1:1 to the rearend & some lower ratio to the front. The idea there is to be able to run 6:20's in a 9" rear & still have relatively durable front gears in a 30 or Toyota 8".

For a class 1B or II truck, I don't think you'd want to run a PG in high range.

BTW, did you hear Gator Jr. is totalled?

I would get rid of the 231 case if I was you. It has a 2.72 low range so if you use low range your not gonna get good wheel speed tell the end of 2nd. The race will be over by then. I would switch to a NP 205 that has 1.96 low range and will get killer wheel speed as well as be bulletproof.

Some of the NP208 guys are using a custom cog so they're just straight through 1:1 to the rearend & some lower ratio to the front. The idea there is to be able to run 6:20's in a 9" rear & still have relatively durable front gears in a 30 or Toyota 8".

For a class 1B or II truck, I don't think you'd want to run a PG in high range.

BTW, did you hear Gator Jr. is totalled?


The king is dead? What happened? Perhaps I actually stand a chance in 1B this year in the NMRO events :D

I would get rid of the 231 case if I was you. It has a 2.72 low range so if you use low range your not gonna get good wheel speed tell the end of 2nd. The race will be over by then. I would switch to a NP 205 that has 1.96 low range and will get killer wheel speed as well as be bulletproof.

:confused: I do not want to run in Low range! I like high especially with my weak 231 case. I have a feeling if I try running low, I'll blow the case up..... I cant imagine it being very fast in low anyway.

You wont be fast in low with a 2.72 low............but with a 1.96 low you will. Ask TEX......we have talked about this before.

The king is dead? What happened? Perhaps I actually stand a chance in 1B this year in the NMRO events :D


Either one of the brakes locked up or she broke an axle right at the finish line on a 200' track. Hooked a hard right, got tangled up in a cable fence, then barrel-rolled twice & endo'd it once. She got banged up a bit, but no broken bones. Said she remembered pulling her arms in before it went over:

You wont be fast in low with a 2.72 low............but with a 1.96 low you will. Ask TEX......we have talked about this before.

2.72 is really low for 4.10's & that size tire. I'm not fond of the 205 simply because of its weight, but it probably is a pretty choice for the gearing. Regardless, I don't think you're ready for 1:1.


TEX

"flash stall" and pushing through the converter of a 3600 stall at 1100rpm in high? Why???? why does it matter if its in low or high?



Can someone explain how a transbrake works in conjunction with a stall converter? :confused:


Sucks for Kim Erne, that Jeep was fast. 200 foot tracks are fast too, out of my element completely stuck in 2nd gear :eek: and CJ-6's have got to be hard to come by.

I would call Hutch's Transmission and pick his brain. He is in London Ontario builds some of the best trannys in the world. (reknown in street car racing). I have talked to him before and he definitely is a guru and likely would give you great advice on converter/tranny (and gearing)/gears combo's.