i have a chance to get a used 502 crate motor, its from a truck, needs a intake and carb. but ran great when pulled. my question is will my mildly built th350 handle this motor very long, or should i just forget it and stick with better gears for my current setup?

 

Depends on how torque the new motor is making and if plan on running slicks and launching the car hard. I am going to assume you want to race this car and that the 502 is making a lot of torque, so IMO the TH350 will be pretty short lived in this combo. FWIW my Nova had a TH350 in it behind a 430hp small block, it ran low 11's and held up fine, however it was far from a mild trans.

 

not sure on exact torque this motor is making, sure its around 400-430 ft.lbs. no slicks,just a 295/60/15 street tire,and maybe a race now and agin, but mostly a street car. my current trans has a b&m kit, from a stop hammerd it hits second with a bark at 60m.p.h. and hits 3rd. at about 90, its been a good trans, but still unsure of that extra torque

 

To be safe i would either get a th400 or get your th350 rebuilt by someone that you could explain exactly what kind of motor this is, and what you plan on doing with it. hope this helps.

 

I think the th350 will live for ahile but not long, just cause the trans shifts hard and has a shift kit does not really mean it is able to stand up alot of power. Things like drums, bands, input shaft and servos need to be replaced to stand up to alot of power. In the long run it may be more cost effective to just get a TH400 and be done with it.

 

should know in a week if i can get the 502 , then i'll look for a th400, keep ya'll posted

 

the 502 is a no go, mainly for money reasons but still looking at gears and larger tires in jan. or feb. started body work this week!!! so what do ya'll think , 4:10 or 4:56 gears? in town cruising and stop light fun, no real long trips in this one

 

I can tell you from experience that 4.56 gears are a pain on the street. They are OK for strip use, but you will need some good tires.
Being that the 502 is no go, what engine are u planning to use?

 

keeping the current motor, G.M. performance 350 same as zz4 but with cast iron heads, full M.S.D. ignition, 1.6 rollers, weind intake, carter a.f.b. tranny is t.h. 350 with b&m shift kit, nice car mechanicly just want more off the line

 

How tall are the tires you are using and where do you shift (what rpm?)