first and foremost as you all probably know i have been stressing and *****ing over leaks, leaks, and more leaks. i took it to the shop today and they were nice enough to let me use one of their out door lifts. so i went underneath and noticed that:

1) the steering pump is leaking so ill need a new one plus new power steering hoses.
2) The rear main seal
3) the front pump seal is also leaking (which is why i'm wondering about torque converters)
4) the tailshaft gasket
5) the front crankshaft seal
6) the timing cover gasket

are ALL LEAKING!! not to mention the intake gasket, which i can do myself.

SO... while a couple buddies of mine and myself do the front pump seal i figured i might as well buy a new torque converter...like..a performance one . the only problem is i don't know what the stall means or what would be best for my car. does anyone have any advice or info?

also while im doing those jobs listed above, is there anything else that could be upgraded in the process?

Ps...is it worth it spending an extra 100 to get a "performance" steering pump?

 

Sounds like you better pull the trans and go through front seal, rear seal, speedo seal O rings, and pan gasket. The torque converter depends on your engine build, and if it's pretty much stock, then you should buy a stock type converter. Buying a higher stall converter than needed will result in poor mileage, and tranny heat. If it's too high a stall for the engine operating range it will not fully lockup, thus causing excess heat.
Better plan on pulling the oil pan also, and replace the rear main seal, plus pan gasket, and timing cover gaskets. Might be cheaper to just get the engine gasket set and use all the gaskets except the head gaskets. You'll need everything but head gaskets from what you've mentioned, and complete kits are bargains over individual gaskets.
And don't waste money ona performance pump. Just take your's off and go get a rebuilt pump exchange. It's by far the cheapest and best way to go.

 

This is basically what i'm dealing with. I have been saving up for a long time to get a new hood and a paint job. I figured there is no point in having a pretty car if the motor blows because there's no oil. i have around 4k saved up and i'm thinking of doing a small overhaul including new gaskets where needed, anti-sway bars, new oil pan, trans pan, torque converter, possibly an electric fuel pump, aluminum pulleys, posi trac etc.

right now i have stock heads. holly 650, performer rpm intake, full msd ignition (pro billet distributor, 6al, and blaster 2 coil, an iskederian camshaft (cam lift:.310, valve lift: .465, dur: 270, lobe center: 108, and its a hydrolic), hydrolic lifters, hedman headers (true duals with flowmaster 40's), aluminum radiator, and electric fan. does that have anything to do with the type of torque converter i should get? i'm looking at this one

TCI Auto 241500-A - TCI Saturday Night Special Torque Converters - Overview - SummitRacing.com

also if im abandoning my "quest" to have a good lookin car and starting to go the performance route...do you have any advice on where i should start? i know heads and pistons are huge power adders but im not looking to get into that much money quite yet.

 

I don't see any specs on the TCI converter when I went to Summit, so no idea what the stall is on it. I'd guess it's pretty close to stock, or they'd say differently. The 12" size tells me it probably is. If your present converter works, that one should also work.
Sounds like you've got a fair number of good performance changes now, so without getting deep into the engine there's probably only a few things to do that would help. Before you start anything you should take compression readings on your engine to ensure it's got a good base. If the readings are good, then you can proceed, if not then you're looking at an engine rebuild before starting other things.
I wouldn't go the electric fuel pump with your build, as it's not necessary, and you'd be wasting money that could go elsewhere. If you've still got stock rocker arms I'd go with a set of steel roller tips, and change to 1.6 ratio, which will help your heads flow better with the higher lift. Beyond that it will start getting into bigger dollars to improve over what you have done.
I'd also get a performance shift kit for your TH350 trans, as that will help put power to the ground better, and increase trans life. I'd go the street/strip kit, unless you like to shift manually, and then I'd go the manual shift kit.

 

That Saturday Night Special t.c. has a 2000 rpm flash stall (click the "Application" tab on the listing).

 

thanks guys!! i was also thinking aluminum pulleys, new timing chain and gear set since i have to do the timing cover gasket, aluminum drive shaft, posi trac , and these "handle bars" that bolt into the engine bay to add rigidity.
Camaro Parts | 1970-81 CAMARO HOTCHKIS CHASSIS MAX HANDLE BARS SET | Classic Industries

When i first bought the car i did a compression test and everything checked out. The shift kit sounds like a good idea for sure, i didnt even think of that. getting into the internals of the engine always makes me nervous. they make it look so easy on the power block but i'm not confident with it at all.

 

Sounds like the camshaft might be recent change, so most likely it got new chain and gears then. I wouldn't buy new until it's apart and see if they are new already. Don't waste money, unless you've got lots of extra to spend.

 

i definitely don't lol. the winters are pretty bad where i live and i don't drive my car at all during that time, is sanding the car down and doing body work something that i could do? keep in mind i have never touched anything having to do with body work before.

 

Body work is tough, but with patience and knowing you'll make a mistake or two you'll improve. On my 87, I did no body or paint work...I sent it to a body shop that specialized in insurance jobs, but the owner was a restoration hobbyist, so on weekends, or when there were no insurance jobs, he did mine. Took him nearly two years. I'm currently doing a 67 mustang coupe. I've decided to do all the sanding (paint removal) dolly and hammer work, as well as block sanding. He can then do final sanding or leading if needed, then paint and fitment. It will be way cheaper than the 87, and whole lot faster. Paint removal and dissasembly seems to be one of those jobs that body guys pass to someone under them anyways. Like an NHRA mechanic doing oil changes.....best of luck.

 

Since no one else you told....
Stall is the rpm range where the tranny fully engages and or the car launches.
I am about to install a 3000 stall, which many will say it to
much for a street car, my car is a race car first. A friends Nova
has a 4500 stall and it is street able according to him.

I also have a lot more HP, the more HP the higher you can go in a stall. I would go with a 2200 - 2500 in a daily driver.

I believe stock is 1800 - 2200.