stevengerard

So after about a week of searching and then spending most of this evening going through all 46 pages of old threads in this forum I have a question I can't find an answer to:


What is the stock stall speed for the torque converter in a 1970 442 W30?


Its amazing how I have found this question asked numerous times but no definitive answer, mostly opinions such as:
"I think 1800"
"2000 - 2200"
"2200 - 2400"

or "it doesn't matter get one around 2,400 - 2,600 you will be happier"
"with 455 cubic inches lower stall is better for the street"
"call TCI they will tell you"


Hopefully someone knows what the original stall was - hard to believe the answer isn't out there somewhere, at least I couldn't find it.



Thanks

OLDSter Ralph

Research the part number for a stock W-30 torque convertor. You might be able to tell what other cars it was used on. I would "guess" the stall speed would be about 1800.
What convertor are you looking for ?

My442

You may want to look into the Chevelle LS6 converter.

It would have similar specs as the W30.

My guess is the stall speed is somewhat higher than the 442 version.

olds 307 and 403

I believe 1800 was the plain Jane TH350 stall speed. Supposedly the LS6 was a 2400 stall 6 bolt converter with the H/O and 442 similar. I am pretty sure even the 78/80 H/O and 442 were 2200 stall and the 83-87 HO and 442 were also rated at 2400 rpm stall. Supposedly the last stalled at 2000ish behind the 307 HO. What duration cam was the auto W30, 308/308? Olds would match the power band closely with the stall speed. Where is Joe P on this one?

stevengerard

I can't find a part number eithervso nothing there.

tru-blue 442

Here's an article from Hemmings that says between 2400 and 2600 for the W-30.

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/mu...0/1281465.html

oldcutlass

Its not a simple process. If you contact most TQ manufacturers they will ask you a lot of questions or to fill out a form like the one in the link.
http://www.coanracing.com/forms/NewSpecForm

Tnis is good reading:
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com...ll-speed.1715/

stevengerard

Thanks and I get it, if you are going to put a new one in there are other ways (some that are not simple) to figure it out. But it astonishing to me that it is so difficult to find out which one was put in originally. There were 3100 W30s made in 1970 of which at least 1,600 were automatics. You can't tell me GM put an individually spec'ed TC in each car. Seeing that the automatic trans W30 engine is the same as the standard 442 I would think they may be the same TC as well. Somewhere there had to be documentation on what that TC was rated at. Maybe its gone and no one knows now, but we seem to know the pistons, carbs, cam shafts, rear end ratios, etc. Has to be info somewhere on the original TC!

stevengerard

Thanks, I found that article as well, was the only article to discuss at least two specifications - size and rpm but seems high to me.

matt69olds

anthonyP

I was trying to find the factory stall speed, shift points, and torque converter for a factory '71 442 OG transmission, but came up with nothing. I still believe that information had to be noted somewhere.

jensenracing77

I have no documents but my transmission guy is one of the best. He tells me that the OW torque converter was the same as the LS6 had. I do know first hand that the W-30 I built should have had a little looser stall.

stevengerard

Well, I did searching on LS6 and some of the Chevy folks did mention its the same as a W30, but again some said 1800, others say 2200, found a few that said 2200 - 2400. majority say 1800 - 2000, but no one posted documentation. Did read shift points are around 5,200 - 5,500. Some said they were put on all GM HiPo engines from 68 through '71. It is a 6-bolt converter and I did see pictures displaying that.