Should i get a lockup or non-lockup stall converter. I have a 700r4 that's going behind a built 355. My stall speed is going to be about 3200 rpm. How long do you think a 700r4 can hold up to 440hp?

 

well i see no reason to not have lockup.
what can it hurt?

as for holding up to 440 hp, unless you are putting 440 to the wheels, 440 crank shouldnt be too big a problem as long as you do the typical beef it up mods and keep your tv cable correctly adjusted.
an external auxiliary tranny cooler couldn't hurt either.

 

thanks for the quick reply

 

dont take my word for it, im no expert, but i really dont understand why anyone would not want a lockup.
it must be a carryover from the "old school hotrodders era"

that logic is how i ended up with a 3 speed 700r4

the previous owner somehow thought that it would be a good idea to drill a bunch of holes in the valve body and make a perfectly good 700r4 incapable of 4th gear.
im like, if you dont want 4th gear, then put it in "D" not "OD". that **** cost me $1800 and 7 months to get fixed. the "mechanic" i brought it to was of the same mentality i guess. after he had it for a month and a half, he said, everything is ok, just keep it in D, not OD. i was like, you got to be kidding me...

anyway, thats my rant for the day.

 

Red Dragon is pretty well on key here. Yes, you want lock-up. If you switch to a non-lock-up converter you will need short(numerically higher) rear gears to lessen converter slippage in OD, and you will also need some internal trans mods to avoid burning the transmission up while driving in OD.

FYI, just in case - Do not buy a B&M/TCI/other cheapy 700r4 converter. Save your money and spend it correctly, so as to not have to spend it again.

 

non lockup converters weight 12 pounds less, lemme find the magazine article and ill post it about the guy that beefs em up and removes the lockup stuff from the converter and replaces it with a spacer that weights like 3 oz.(he redoes his own converters) so for a street/strip car it could be worthwhile

 

If its a race only car, then a non-lockup is fine. But if its a race-only car you wouldnt be using a 700R4. So get a lockup converter. That will keep the heat down and let the transmission last longer, along with using an external tranny fluid cooler.