My car is slow of the line?
#21
06-24-2009, 04:36 PM
If you're looking for mileage then I don't think you should be going for lower gears and a higher stall without having an overdrive gear or two if you're going manual or a lockup converter if you're going auto. A four speed will help a little bit but it still ends with a 1.0:1 ratio just like your three speed automatic. Manual's are just more efficient and will help you some there a little. You can get a 5 or 6 speed manual or an automatic with overdrive and benefit greatly while still going to lower gears and still get better gas mileage for highway driving. Your street driving will benefit on launches but you'll still eat gas at the lower speeds. OD's help on highways.
This link will help you find all the gearings on most Camaros...
This link will help you find all the gearings on most Camaros...
#22
06-24-2009, 04:42 PM
ha ha, you're in the same boat I was with the 2.56 gears at the first of this year. I had a 2.56 peg leg in there. Swapped out the carrier and gears to a limited slip diff and 3.42's. Definantly helped and then went to a 2300 stall which helped a bit too but I saw my mpg dip by about 3. I'm moving to a six speed here in a month or so and then I'll probably start building a Ford 9 with 3.89 or 4.11 gears.
With the 3.42's I'm doing about 70 - 80 at 3500 RPM's. With the 2.56 gears I was able to get 85mph with 2500 RPM's. I really miss that and that's what pushed me to do the swap. Originally I was going to go with a 700r4 built up with a hardened sun shield and input shaft and a bunch of other things. The six speed fell into my lap as a good package deal so I'm going with that. Still assembling parts and being out of town on business has set me back on putting it in though. Hopefully will be able to get it started after my I get back from vacation. Wouldn't mind taking my vacation and just dedicating it towards this swap though but my wife would kill me, ha ha.
Btw, you'd want to do the gears first anyway. An OD with 2.56 gears is just ridiculous. You'd be in a 1.792 final drive which is crazy. You think doing 80 at 2500 rpm's is insane... You'd probably never see the OD gear till around 85 - 90 mph, ha ha.
With the 3.42's I'm doing about 70 - 80 at 3500 RPM's. With the 2.56 gears I was able to get 85mph with 2500 RPM's. I really miss that and that's what pushed me to do the swap. Originally I was going to go with a 700r4 built up with a hardened sun shield and input shaft and a bunch of other things. The six speed fell into my lap as a good package deal so I'm going with that. Still assembling parts and being out of town on business has set me back on putting it in though. Hopefully will be able to get it started after my I get back from vacation. Wouldn't mind taking my vacation and just dedicating it towards this swap though but my wife would kill me, ha ha.
Btw, you'd want to do the gears first anyway. An OD with 2.56 gears is just ridiculous. You'd be in a 1.792 final drive which is crazy. You think doing 80 at 2500 rpm's is insane... You'd probably never see the OD gear till around 85 - 90 mph, ha ha.
Last edited by kyphur; 06-24-2009 at 04:45 PM.
#23
06-24-2009, 05:11 PM
ha ha, you're in the same boat I was with the 2.56 gears at the first of this year. I had a 2.56 peg leg in there. Swapped out the carrier and gears to a limited slip diff and 3.42's. Definantly helped and then went to a 2300 stall which helped a bit too but I saw my mpg dip by about 3. I'm moving to a six speed here in a month or so and then I'll probably start building a Ford 9 with 3.89 or 4.11 gears.
With the 3.42's I'm doing about 70 - 80 at 3500 RPM's. With the 2.56 gears I was able to get 85mph with 2500 RPM's. I really miss that and that's what pushed me to do the swap. Originally I was going to go with a 700r4 built up with a hardened sun shield and input shaft and a bunch of other things. The six speed fell into my lap as a good package deal so I'm going with that. Still assembling parts and being out of town on business has set me back on putting it in though. Hopefully will be able to get it started after my I get back from vacation. Wouldn't mind taking my vacation and just dedicating it towards this swap though but my wife would kill me, ha ha.
Btw, you'd want to do the gears first anyway. An OD with 2.56 gears is just ridiculous. You'd be in a 1.792 final drive which is crazy. You think doing 80 at 2500 rpm's is insane... You'd probably never see the OD gear till around 85 - 90 mph, ha ha.
With the 3.42's I'm doing about 70 - 80 at 3500 RPM's. With the 2.56 gears I was able to get 85mph with 2500 RPM's. I really miss that and that's what pushed me to do the swap. Originally I was going to go with a 700r4 built up with a hardened sun shield and input shaft and a bunch of other things. The six speed fell into my lap as a good package deal so I'm going with that. Still assembling parts and being out of town on business has set me back on putting it in though. Hopefully will be able to get it started after my I get back from vacation. Wouldn't mind taking my vacation and just dedicating it towards this swap though but my wife would kill me, ha ha.
Btw, you'd want to do the gears first anyway. An OD with 2.56 gears is just ridiculous. You'd be in a 1.792 final drive which is crazy. You think doing 80 at 2500 rpm's is insane... You'd probably never see the OD gear till around 85 - 90 mph, ha ha.
i wanna keep mine automatic though..oh sweet i wish i could put 4.11 gears in mine but as a daily driver i have to sacrifice somethings lol but maybe someday when i can buy another cheap car and just drive that and then get 4.11 gears on mine lol..im thinking about going with a big 8.5 10 bolt rear end so i will have to get the 3.42 with posi because its like half the price of the 12 bolt or ford 9" and should still be able to hold my power...so what size stall converter should i get with my 3.42 gears and th700r4 tranny to help with launches but not sacrifice too much mileage? 2300?
oh nice well you can beat the increased efficiency of a 6 speed
yeah an OD with 2.56 gears would be crazy lol..
#24
07-05-2009, 09:39 PM
#25
07-06-2009, 10:31 PM
A 700R4 has a lower ratio first gear than the THM350, so you will get better launches with the trans swap alone. Don't go too high with your stall speed, you will regret it. A good stall for the 700R4 would be 2400 max. Make sure the converter you get is a lockup type. It will handle the highway much better.
#27
07-20-2009, 08:27 PM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 9,097
Something in the 3.31 to 3.42 range will be much better over the 2.73 gears, and still run down the freeway without widning too high rpm's!
I've used everything from 2.73 to 4.56 gears over the years, and settled on 3.331's in mine. I too have a Turbo 3 spd. and I can run around town at around 2200 rpm at 55 mph, and at 70 still be under 3,000.
Even with my 450hp 427ci engine I still get 13-15 MPG. If you go with 3.73, even with a mild performance engine, you'll go through a lot of gas! Save your money and drive more!
I've used everything from 2.73 to 4.56 gears over the years, and settled on 3.331's in mine. I too have a Turbo 3 spd. and I can run around town at around 2200 rpm at 55 mph, and at 70 still be under 3,000.
Even with my 450hp 427ci engine I still get 13-15 MPG. If you go with 3.73, even with a mild performance engine, you'll go through a lot of gas! Save your money and drive more!
#28
07-20-2009, 08:32 PM
Something in the 3.31 to 3.42 range will be much better over the 2.73 gears, and still run down the freeway without widning too high rpm's!
I've used everything from 2.73 to 4.56 gears over the years, and settled on 3.331's in mine. I too have a Turbo 3 spd. and I can run around town at around 2200 rpm at 55 mph, and at 70 still be under 3,000.
Even with my 450hp 427ci engine I still get 13-15 MPG. If you go with 3.73, even with a mild performance engine, you'll go through a lot of gas! Save your money and drive more!
I've used everything from 2.73 to 4.56 gears over the years, and settled on 3.331's in mine. I too have a Turbo 3 spd. and I can run around town at around 2200 rpm at 55 mph, and at 70 still be under 3,000.
Even with my 450hp 427ci engine I still get 13-15 MPG. If you go with 3.73, even with a mild performance engine, you'll go through a lot of gas! Save your money and drive more!
P.S. is your 427 stock?
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