Worth swapping from Auto to STD?

chuckphillips · 01-29-2008, 01:00 PM

Hey Ed! I am can't wait to hear your recommendations! Short Story, what was suppose to be a factory 396 with TH400, turns out to be a ******* 396, wrong heads, carb, alt. and what have you..... Now that I got some more durt and grease out of the way, and I ran the numbers, I actually have a TH350 from a 77 Chevy truck that made it's way here from Canada.

Thoughts are get rid of the 350 trans and either put in the proper 400 with 2k stall converter, and 4.11 rear end........... Keep what it had when I got it (not sure the 350 would hold up) or make the switch to Std.

Use? Weekend Cruiser and all around driver if I want. Not looking for resale or collector and what will make it worth more. I just want it to Look Good, Sound Good and yes..... Put you back in the seat when the sun is shining and a good song comes on! :d

Hayden · 01-29-2008, 01:28 PM

Put a little money into the TH350 and it should hold up pretty good. What do you actually plan on using it for. Daily driving, Mudding, Towing etc.. I had a camaro with a 454 in it and the built TH350 lasted longer then the cracks in the rear quarters did lol. **** torque on a camaro isn't good without frame connectors. If its for mudding I always liked a manual. easier to throw it from forward to reverse if you did get a little stuck in a hole.

75K30 · 01-29-2008, 02:08 PM

Well, the plot thickens huh Chuck?
All in all, you still have a decent combo, and just as Hayden mentioned, you could very well keep the TH350.
I too had a camaro (69 back in the day) that I ran an aluminum head 421 CI SBC stoker, all roller with a single carb. It ran 11 teens all day long through mufflers, tailpipes and a Th350. That trans is nothing to laugh at. They can be built to with stand some killer abuse. Gildes are still the rage, and can also be built to handle as much power as you can make.
If you must use the 400, you will gain strength, but sacrifice some power. That big trans robs a bunch of horsepower.
As far as installing a standard, well, you first have to consider what you are going to try to install. You are kinda limited to running some truck transmission and this will really defeat your purpose. Most truck transmissions have a really low first gear ratio that makes them rather useless for your application. They are great for stump pulling power, but useless for day to day street driving. Most folks never use first gear at all, and the final drive is still 1:1 so you are only really getting a three speed.
Besides trying to install pedals, some sort of shifter, and all that funky stuff is just a pain. Steering column has to be changed, and the pedals are all different. This is not just adding a third pedal and calling it a day. Still gotta make some sort of "Z" bar, or bell crank to activate the clutch, and well, to me, just not worth it. As you can tell I am an auto transmission guy, and I would keep the auto.
Now whether or not I would be willing to keep the 350, ehhhh, maybe a coin toss there. 400's are easy enough to come by and cheap enough to build, so depending on if I really had my heart set on one, I would consider it, but I would not hesitate to run the 350.
Just for kicks, as long as you are thinking of buying a new trans, have you considered an over dirve trans from a later model vehicle? Could be fun. Maybe a little extra gear out back, and the OD to keep things reasonable on the highway.
Just an idea.

chuckphillips · 01-30-2008, 02:11 PM

Ok Guys.... I will save what cash I would have used to put in the TH400 that she once had. I will stick with the TH350

Yes, the pot seems to thicken with each cleaning... But I am almost done with the cleaning and numbers collecting. Good thing I didn't buy her for the numbers matching she was advertised as!

)

Thanks for all the help guys!

I hope to see you guys at the Summit Truck fest in Sept. (That's my goal anyways.)

01-29-2008, 01:00 PM	#1
chuckphillips Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 138	Worth swapping from Auto to STD? Hey Ed! I am can't wait to hear your recommendations! Short Story, what was suppose to be a factory 396 with TH400, turns out to be a ******* 396, wrong heads, carb, alt. and what have you..... Now that I got some more durt and grease out of the way, and I ran the numbers, I actually have a TH350 from a 77 Chevy truck that made it's way here from Canada. Thoughts are get rid of the 350 trans and either put in the proper 400 with 2k stall converter, and 4.11 rear end........... Keep what it had when I got it (not sure the 350 would hold up) or make the switch to Std. Use? Weekend Cruiser and all around driver if I want. Not looking for resale or collector and what will make it worth more. I just want it to Look Good, Sound Good and yes..... Put you back in the seat when the sun is shining and a good song comes on! :d

01-29-2008, 01:28 PM	#2
Hayden Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bay City,Michigan Posts: 382	Put a little money into the TH350 and it should hold up pretty good. What do you actually plan on using it for. Daily driving, Mudding, Towing etc.. I had a camaro with a 454 in it and the built TH350 lasted longer then the cracks in the rear quarters did lol. **** torque on a camaro isn't good without frame connectors. If its for mudding I always liked a manual. easier to throw it from forward to reverse if you did get a little stuck in a hole. __________________ There Is No Replacement For Displacement

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01-29-2008, 02:08 PM	#3
75K30 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,992	Well, the plot thickens huh Chuck? All in all, you still have a decent combo, and just as Hayden mentioned, you could very well keep the TH350. I too had a camaro (69 back in the day) that I ran an aluminum head 421 CI SBC stoker, all roller with a single carb. It ran 11 teens all day long through mufflers, tailpipes and a Th350. That trans is nothing to laugh at. They can be built to with stand some killer abuse. Gildes are still the rage, and can also be built to handle as much power as you can make. If you must use the 400, you will gain strength, but sacrifice some power. That big trans robs a bunch of horsepower. As far as installing a standard, well, you first have to consider what you are going to try to install. You are kinda limited to running some truck transmission and this will really defeat your purpose. Most truck transmissions have a really low first gear ratio that makes them rather useless for your application. They are great for stump pulling power, but useless for day to day street driving. Most folks never use first gear at all, and the final drive is still 1:1 so you are only really getting a three speed. Besides trying to install pedals, some sort of shifter, and all that funky stuff is just a pain. Steering column has to be changed, and the pedals are all different. This is not just adding a third pedal and calling it a day. Still gotta make some sort of "Z" bar, or bell crank to activate the clutch, and well, to me, just not worth it. As you can tell I am an auto transmission guy, and I would keep the auto. Now whether or not I would be willing to keep the 350, ehhhh, maybe a coin toss there. 400's are easy enough to come by and cheap enough to build, so depending on if I really had my heart set on one, I would consider it, but I would not hesitate to run the 350. Just for kicks, as long as you are thinking of buying a new trans, have you considered an over dirve trans from a later model vehicle? Could be fun. Maybe a little extra gear out back, and the OD to keep things reasonable on the highway. Just an idea.

01-30-2008, 02:11 PM	#4
chuckphillips Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 138	Ok Guys.... I will save what cash I would have used to put in the TH400 that she once had. I will stick with the TH350 Yes, the pot seems to thicken with each cleaning... But I am almost done with the cleaning and numbers collecting. Good thing I didn't buy her for the numbers matching she was advertised as! ) Thanks for all the help guys! I hope to see you guys at the Summit Truck fest in Sept. (That's my goal anyways.)