jlcatch22

Would a Hughes 2500 stall torque converter be a good choice with a 355 engine with H8002K heads and a XR276HR-10 cam? (I can provide whatever other info is relevant). Car is for the street

Heads https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mll-h8002k/

Cam https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-12-423-8/

TC https://www.jegs.com/i/Hughes-Perfor.../GM25/10002/-1

Gunfighter13

No, You would need a 2800 to 3000 stall and a external trans cooler.

jlcatch22

Are the Jegs ones any good, and do I want lock-up? If not Jegs any suggestion around $350?

jackson

OP
? you do know that 08-423-8 cam is intended for a later '87-up block ?
maybe you have '87-up block, maybe not

jlcatch22

Posted wrong link. Fixed!

Bloodzone

Don't cheap out on a torque converter.

caskiguy

Call TCI direct, tell them what your doing and they will set you up with the correct Torque converter.
Then order it from JEGS.
This is what I did.

Gunfighter13

I just looked at the link with the correct cam. You may get away with a 11" Breakaway TCI converter They run around $400 at Jegs. Not a big fan of Hughes converters. Make sure you get a converter with anti-ballooning plate.

jlcatch22

https://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/240901/10002/-1
https://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/241400/10002/-1
https://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/241101/10002/-1

Thoughts on those? Also bolt pattern shouldn’t matter cause I can just change the flexplate right?

ajrothm

I have the Hughes GM25 (2500 stall) converter behind a mild 357” SBC with an XE268, 3.55 gears and short 24.5” tires... The car drives great, you’ll definitely notice the converter for sure when driving normal. I haven’t put drag radials on it yet to test the flash stall speed but....just by how it feels driving, I expect it to flash to around 3000 ish.

Depending on your intended goal is for your car, the GM25 is a nice street converter that would likely be plenty to keep the XE276 idling ok. If you are more focused on drag racing and getting the MOST out of the car, I’d probably get a good converter from FTI custom spec’d for your combo.

I imagine your car would probably like the flash stall speed to be around 3500-3600 or so. That’s flash, not foot brake stall.

ajrothm

Stay away from Jegs/Summit brand converters... as well as most B&M and TCI converters... most of them are either way too tight, or loose sloppy junk when driving.

If trying to stay on a tight budget, the Hughes converter is a good option. I also believe that FTI has budget line converter for around $400 and likely the best option.

https://ftiperformance.com/Economy-P...erters_c80.htm

The Money Pit

Your combo seems fairly mild to me, so I would think that converter would be fine. The more power you make though, the better the converter needs to be.
Years ago I built a 455 Poncho that with a shift kit in a th350 would damage the converter about every six months. Bad vibrations driving down the road. Replace the converter, and it'd be smooth as glass again for a while. I bought cheap ones from Summit.

That said, I started buying converters with anti balloon plates even though I have never run Nos. The 406 I now run had a Transmission Specialties converter with the anti balloon plates, rated at 2800 stall. Behind my 406.....the stall was more like 3700. Tons of power, drag radials,, and at the time 3.70 gears. It all effects the stall.

I now run a custom converter with billet front cover, anti balloon plate, and under normal light throttle will cruise as low as 2000 and feel like a stock converter. I just put in 4.11 gears, and am in the process of sorting out the suspension, so I haven't hit the converter too hard yet, but I'm expecting right at 3000 which is what I asked for.

This converter cost almost triple what you're looking at though.

Gunfighter13

This would a good converter.
https://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/240901/10002/-1