Hey everyone, I just bought my first "man car" the other week. Got a 1978 Z28 with a 350/350 in it. Tranny is toast, i'm almost done pulling it out but the lower passenger side head bolt is being a bi$ch. Seats are ok, but car has been sitting a while, interior is really musty and kind of moist. Got a new steering column to put in, motor seems to run pretty good, nice exhaust and headers, sounds mean. I've been a sport bike guy all my life, but I want to get into working on cars, so thought this would be a good winter project. (and 2nd gen camaros are cheap and sexy) Previous owner assured me the motor had just been rebuilt and bored .060 over, with a nice cam and double camel hump heads, but now that I've been under there pulling the tranny, I'm really starting to question the validity of that statement. Lots of oil everywhere, and when I run the engine it starts leaking oil somewhere. Should have the tranny out tomorrow, looking to pick up a rebuilt one this weekend. Do I need to replace the torque converter? I'm pulling it out, but all the ad's on craigslist are for transmission w/ no torque converters. The car had reverse, but couldn't go forward. Tranny oil reeks like burnt toast. My plans for the winter are to get tranny in, replace plugs/wires, maybe distributor and ignition, adjust carb, get it running good, primer it matte black and focus on making interior presentable. Does this sound too ambitious? I don't have a ton of money, and I got the car for $1200. Anyone have any tips/hints and or advice? Thanks! (and if i'm posting this in the wrong section, sorry, I looked around and couldn't find separate topic areas)

 

Welcome to the forum. Congrats on the new purchase. You may think the car was cheap to buy but the fixing it up adds up real quick lol. To answer your question on weather to buy a new torque converter is "yes" the torque conveter holds a lot of fluid which by the sounds of it being Burnt it will contain lots of tiny metal particles which will not help the longevity of your new trans. Find a local torque converter rebuild shop and have yours rebuilt or swaped out for one already done. Most go $75-$150. Or ebay always a good place for good prices. But If you have a fresh rebuilt trans and torque convert I would recommend using dextron VI fluid. Its about $7 a quart not cheap and you'll need 10-13 of them but its its like 200% better I every way. I use it in all my rebuilds even during assembly. I think you should be able to accomblish your goals for this winter doesn't sound too bad that is unless you discover a bunch of rust that's eating your car alive lol.

 

Welcome to the forum and congrats on stepping into the world of second gens haha.Like mentioned above,your plans sound very doable,things like the carpet and padding under it i would buy new,it's relatively cheap,maybe $150 or so.As far as seats and any other interior parts that may need replaced,i would watch on your local craigslist,as some of these parts are either not made new or can be very expensive to get new.As for primering the body,make sure you use a good expoxy primer,dont use the cheap spray can stuff,it is laquer and will draw in moisture and cause the metal to rust underneath it.

 

Welcome to the forum!
Your oil leaks may mean the PO fibbed to you, or it may mean he didn't install gaskets properly. Oil can come from the valve cover gaskets, rear intake gasket, oil pressure gauge line leak, or the rear main seal. If it's the rear main seal then he probably fibbed, but if it's the others it's easily fixed and nothing hugely wrong. If it's got aftermarket oil pressure gauge I'd check the connection on the driver's side rear of the engine, near the distributor.
I'd go ahead and install new valve cover gaskets, and clean things up really good. Then fire it up while on jackstands and get underneath to see if you can determine if that solved the leak, or if it needs further attention.

 

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your second gen camaro. I'm also working on a 78 this winter.

 

So I'm looking for a new torque converter for the TH350. I don't understand what stall speed is, can't find much info on it. What torque converter do I want? What's the difference between "2600 stall" compared to "2100 stall?" Also, any recommendations on shift kits?

 

The stall speed of the torque converter is the engine rpm where torque converter starts maximum fluid coupling. Basicly transfers the torque from the engine to the transmission. (If you hold your foot on the brake and mash the gas Peel to the floor the engine rpm will "stall/stop rising" at the stall speed of the torque converter) A lower/factory stall is pry what you want. Drag racing cars use a higher stall for launching closer to there peak horsepower rpm. I hope that makes sense.

Shift kits are a good thing they raise the line pressure apllied to the clutch packs. Not only giving you a firmer shift but also extending the life of the transmission. I use SK shift kits from transgo.



The kits below are obviously not for a th350 but you get the idea. They are the ones I use for 4l60e's I rebuild.

 

Like JMEZ28 said don't use too high a stall. I had a 3200 to race ,but hated it on the street. I couldn'/t pull out with out burning out or sounding like I was. I think I'll go 2200.

 

I used a 2200 in my Camaro, but a 2500 behind my 327 in my Austin sedan. Both work well on the street, but the lower stall converter builds less heat and is better for a fairly stock 350.

 

Hey Livin....We're in the same boat...I just bought an 80 Z28 as my first project....misery loves company, so we can vent to each other! Good luck!