I have a 1989 camaro, 350 TBI. The car shifts 1 + 2 find, and goes into 3rd okay, but when it gets to 50mph i guess it goes into OD, it doesn't want to go forward, the RPM dropsdown to 1-2 and stays there, you have to push the throttle hard to get it to go, then it's okay until you back off the gas, then it's back to sputterings to go forwards.

Someone told me it could be the transmission Soleniod that controls lock up, i just put a new torque converter in it, it was doing the same with the old 1. If i unplug the sensor on the transmission, the car drives and shift fine, np.but i can't drive it like that with the new converter it has a stall speed on it. I've read alot of articles on here, but didn't find 1 with my same problems, Thanks anyone that can help me out

 

first off, ALL converters have a stall speed. Even factory. You may now have a higher stall, but it did have a stall converter factory.

That said, it does sound to me as though something is locking the tc up to early, thus lugging the engine. Either the ecu(computer) is signaling it early for some reason, or the mechanical part of the lock-up function in the valvebody of the trans is bleeding by to much and is allowing enough fluid by to cause lock-up.

You are correct in saying that it is not good to drive around much w/o the lock-up function. The trans will over-heat if driven extensively w/o converter clutch lock-up.

 

Appreciate it, you think the best approach is to attack a wire to the lock up wire going down on the tran, and hook a voltage meter to it, and see what the computer is doing, before i investigate the tranny itself.

 

Think so?

I do a lot of in-town driving, below lockup speed. I can shift to OD and lock it, but the drone of cruising at 1500rpm makes me want to jump off a cliff.

-- Joe

 

You must have Slowmaster mufflers if you're getting bad low rpm drone?

 

No. Hooker long tube headers, 2 1/4" true duals, H-pipe, two bullet cats, two turbo mufflers with rectangle tips.

It drones low, anything above 2k its whisper silent. I don't get it.

-- Joe

 

that's what i'd do.
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turbo mufflers = low rpm drone. Cabin drone is sometimes worse with turbos than blows(flowmasters). - My 2wd K5 blazer drones horribly when below 50mph in 4th locked up(3.08 gear), but it's almost in-audible inside above 50.

As for temp, continuous running unlocked does build up more heat. With everthing you have done to that thing, why not just run a trans temp gauge so you can monitor it?

- you only have 2-1/4 exhaust on that thing?

 

I guess I could probably run a gauge somewhere.

Yep 2 1/4 duals, which flows more than the single 3" I had on the firechicken.
I think dual 2 1/4 is like 11% more area than a 3" pipe, not to mention the dual cats with 4" bricks should flow more than the single high flow 3" cat I ran on the firechicken as well.

So all turbo mufflers have more drone at low rpm huh? figures.

-- Joe