I have an 86 trans am with a HO350 5.7 v8, edlebrock performer quad, slp headers. Trans is a rebuilt TH700R4 that had a corvette servo and sprag(don't know what this does, but i know the servo was really messing up the car so it was taken out). I bough the car from a collector on here i think that took it to ppl that didn't know how to work on this car.(Not his fault, cause i don't really either) The car is at a diff RPM from idle to park...the car when i slows down feels like it's in 5th gear instead of maybe 3rd like it should be? (by the way its an automatic) If you floor it..i'm really not getting the power that its supposed to have (330HP) When i rev it in park, the car shakes like all hell. The car is carb. Any help? opinions? suggestions? I saw a trans am that was 4 years newer peel out like mine SHOULD, and it's just frustrating. AAMCO had NO idea..

 

1) to my knowledge, there was no "350HO" motor. There was a 305HO motor. Before you complain about what power the car has, I'd check the block ID number and see what it is you really have - externally there's no difference in any SBC block, it could be a 283, 302, 305, 307, 327, 350 for all you know without verifying the block stamped ID.

2) sounds like maybe the torque converter is locked all the time - you need to find out how the PO solved the locking of the torque converter. It should only get locked at speeds above 40mph in 4th gear. If it's staying locked, then ot does like you described when coming to a stop.

3) You need to make sue the TV cable is adjusted correctly, make sure the throttle bracket is not bending under the pressure of the TV cable, and make sure the PO used a geometry corrector on the linkage for the TV cable.

4) I'd also check for vacuum leaks. If the PO has a vacuum switch rigged for the torque converter lockup, a vacuum leak might make an issue.

5) speaking of vacuum, if the PO has a vacuum switch for the torque converter lockup, and has the vacuum to the switch coming off from a check valve or from the vacuum ball under the driver headlight, that might make the torque converter lock and stay locked (since the vacuum switch could be getting a constant vacuum supply rather than just getting vacuum when idle is lower at highway speeds).

 

Thanks for your advice. You're right, about the HO350...its a chevy crate motor that was put in the car before i bought it. Someone had mentioned the TV cable..but i've never heard of a torque converter

 

Never heard of a TC? Stall Converter sometimes called? Big heavy round thing attached to motor at the rear, internal fins that get "spun" with torque - makes the transition from engine turning to tranny turning in an automatic car (since there is no clutch to slip manually with your foot). Everyone talks about stall speed, 2000, 2400, 3000 stalls. I know you know what a torque converter is!

 

dont believe what anyone says, id bet its the original 305 boat anchor that came in the car,check the numbers. and they changed the carb so the t.v. linkage is going to be off, and the corvette servo wont hurt anything,i have put them in s10's,v6 camaros,anything with a 4l60.

the sprags are no diff for a vette.more b.s.

forget the idea that the tcc is not staying locked all the time or you would stall everytime you stop or put the car in gear.

the bullshit that comes out of peoples mouths when they want to sell you a car kills me.

 

The servo was making it bang outta first..and around 3rd gear it seemed the rpms would get stuck when i floored it..it would rev up and down and the car would start bucking. That has since resolved since it was taken out. I think it might be the idle. The cap was missing to time it properly. i have to tap the gas before i start it to open the carb, and then when it starts it sometimes doesn't catch itself and stalls right out. The car i bought off a collector on here. The engine is new..not the original block. It looks like a mess under the hood though. HVAC lines were missing, so i have red switches under the hood my mechanic did.

 

Not true at all! I can manually lock my TC and come to a complete stop and the car will continue running. It doesn't like it, but it will keep running. Now of course I don't do this all the time - I did it just once, just to see what exactly would happen. Car stops, engine runs, but it does chug, and it's not a happy camper.

"Locking" the TC actually doesn't "lock" anything - it simply forces enough fluid forward into the TC that it doesn't have (much) of a choice but to run 1:1 with the motor. Remaining locked at a stop just means that the fluid, although there's ALOT of it and thus it's trying to keep the internal fins spinning at same rpm as motor, just can't maintain that "lock" - it is just fluid after all, and it will 'give way'.

 

sorry the tcc will stall the car. do you know how many of the mid to late 80's and early 90's th125 fwd cars (ie beretta,corsica,celebrity,cavalier,etc) the tcc solenoid went bad on? it would cause the car to stall at a stop after going fast enough for it to lock.it was the same as coming to a stop with a 5 speed without pushing in the clutch.and then you would have to neutral drop the car 5-6 time to get the car to take off again.unplug or replace the tcc solenoid and problem gone,i diagnosed and fixed hundreds of them. it will lock and there is a fluid controled clutch disc setup in the tq converter on the 700r4 and 4l60e.

hence the name tcc (torque converter clutch)