Thread: Stall Size

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What is the smallest stall I can run with Comp Cams 292H? Operating range is 2,500 to 6,500- lift is .501- and duration is 292.

Since 2500 is where your cam begins to make power, that would be the minimum stall that would be effective in my opinion.

Pat

really depends on how much weight your trying to move and how your driving it. stalls were made fore launching and running wide open. cruzin around town with a high stall is hard on the converter.

Small block?

3200# or over?

I'd say a stall speed rated at 2400 rpm is about the max you'd want to run.

Keep in mind that the converter is slipping until you exceed the stall speed.
Since most cars are geared for highway speeds you may never get locked up at reasonable highway mph.
Slippage = heat.

I run a 2400 rpm stall behind a 462" built for torque Buick in a 2400# roadster.
With 3.70 gears and a 30" tall tire it locks up ok, but there's probably a small amount of slippage still going on.

A climb up a long grade or a winding mountain road and monitoring trans temps will tell you if you made a good choice or not.

Keep in mind too, that stall speed ratings are somewhat arbitrary.
The 2400 rpm stall converter in my car stalls at 2800 rpm under high torque loading.

The converter - a B&M hole shot - is 1" smaller in diameter than the stock Buick 455/T-400 converter.

At one time I ran a couple of different big cams - adv duration 292 degrees - with dual quads.
Idle with a pair of Carter 500's was 600 rpm and the 2400 rpm converter worked fine.
Even so, a quality stock stall speed converter would have been a better choice.

Creep is much bandied about when using a stock converter in an engine with a bit of cam, but if you get the carburetion and timing well sorted out and a reasonable idle speed set, a stock stall speed would be no problem.
The 2400 rpm converter creeps at the lights, but a light application of the brake pedal keeps it under control.
A stock converter wouldn't be any worse under those conditions.

Stall speed and cam duration are the two most overdone things on street engines. Most first-timers operate on the theory that "if some is good, then more is better, and too much is just enough!" I'd advise you to drive a buddy's car with a 2500 rpm stall converter before jumping in with both feet. For day-to-day driving, they aren't much fun.

Originally posted by R Pope
I'd advise you to drive a buddy's car with a 2500 rpm stall converter before jumping in with both feet. For day-to-day driving, they aren't much fun.

Is that in a 3200# car or heavier?

Reason I ask is, my experience has been in 2300-2400# cars with a 2400 stall and they weren't bad at all.
Cept for the previously mentioned slippage/heat factor.

The 3000# + cars I've driven/raced were sticks.

I had a 2500 in my '69 GTX 440 for a few weeks. Great when racing, but made it a pig for normal driving, and gas mileage went out the window--25% reduction at least.

I'm not sure what the weight is, it's a 86 Silverado s/w, minus air conditioning- with a 350 engine and a 700R4 tranny, also I don't want it to jurk me around too bad when it's at a stop light or idleing in gear. I want it to feel about the same as stock while in gear. Thanks

I am looking to put a C4 tranny in my truck and I don't know the size cam but it's a bit over mild but the guy that is going to build my tranny said he will put a 2300-2500 stall on it. I have the same question here too. Most of you know what my truck is and that I run a 302, etc etc so any info on this as well? Sorry not trying to take over your thread here but it deals with the exact same thing so thought I'd ask it.