Tranny Q for injunner

[Mike71]

first sry if i misspelled ur name

i have kinda wandered my way back o buying a 3rd gen fbody..i was wondering if u could shed some insight on using an auto trans

i want to make 600-700 crank hp ( yes i relize the engine will cost over 10k by the time its done) i fully understand that u dont just wake up one moring and bolt in a 700hp spark plug or something like that..i know itl take work

but that is my goal..i dont necisarily want a "drag car" id like to take it to some road racing and stuff like that so thats where my Q about the auto trans comes in..i know that auto trans shift faster and can be made to shift when u want hence the 1khp auto supras

but can an auto keep up with a 6spd in a road race type situation..im not sure how to explain my Q any better then that if u dont get my meaning then i will try to rephrase it also i know i cant spell..im kind of a tard when it comes to that

anyways thanks for any insight =)

[94 formula]

Unless you are incredibly good with a manual at the drags an auto will get out of the hole quicker especially with a higher stall convertor but a manual will have a higher trap speed with everything else being equal. Its mainly just all in your personal prefference.

[Mike71]

well i know for drag racing its a prefference but what about road races..auto x type stuff will the auto down shift like its suposed to??

[Injuneer]

I really don't know too much about "road racing" and I probably know even less about automatic trannies. I only went to the TH400 in my Formula when it became apparent that I was completely incompetent with my T56 - at least as far as drag racing. That is the first automatic trans I have had in a performance car, unless you count the one in my (then new) 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix 455HO. I think the current automatics, like the 4L60E are very easy to control, and capable of providing some impressive shift times. Unfortunately, I don't think the 4L60E is going to be very comfortable behind a 700HP engine. The 4L80E could handle it, but would weigh too much. Maybe there is some hope in the 4L65E and some of the stronger parts available.

With the TH400 setup I have, it would be almost useless for a road race application. With the full manual valve body (it can't shift itself - it only responds to manual input), there is no compression braking on closed throttle..... the tranny acts as if its free-wheeling. Not what you would want for road racing.

[Mike71]

i see...thanks for the input that helped alot sorta lol now im back to square one

from driving all the different cars at work i have quickly come to realize that i am not as good as i thought i was at driving a stick lol..and im even worse at launching a FWD car..sigh