Trans/Rear End for a 383

[Bryan]

I have been searching the forums and have came up with some good ideas, but i would like to ask you guys for advice. I am building a 383 Stroker motor, what trans do u recommend? I was thinkin a TH350 or a TH400. Also for a rear end either a Ford 9" Rear or a Chevy 12 bolt rear with a posi and 3.73 gears. What do u guys think? Thanks for your help.

[nightrider]

I had a TH350...build a 700R4, you'll like the OD especially with those gears.

Both rear ends sound good to me though you might ease up on the gearing a bit. 383 is all trq anyhow, you don't need to multiply it that much.

[MdFormula350]

yeah a probuilt tranny can hold up to like 450 hp i believe maybe more.

www.pro-built.net

a bolt in moser 12 bolt should also last a long time.

www.spohn.net sells them.


both would be a bolt in and shouldnt require any mods to the car for them to work.

[Bryan]

Thanks for your help. I was wondering what type of gears you would suggest me to use. Thanks again. Also will the 700R4 hold all the hp/tq?

[metal]

I use 3.90's and they work out great for racing but for street I'd do 3.73's

[nightrider]

without an OD tranny, you'll hate yourself if you do any large amount of driving and have 3.73s. huge gears and 3 speeds in street cars went out in the 70s, this is the 90s. 3.42s are a very optimal street gear. Still decent mileage but enough of a gear to get you going. More gear than that will just lead to more tire spin which isn't a good thing. You have to match the gear to the engine too. There's no point to high gears if you've built a torque monster that doesn't rev. in fact they would be really detrimental.

A stock 700R4 will not be able to handle the power you want to push. You need a built up one. I am installing mine this winter. It was about 1800 new but i got it trading with a guy.
Granted, the TH350 is cheaper to get strong and if that is an issue for you.

I also think a 9" rear end might be cheaper to piece together than a 12 bolt but they are about the same price to buy an entire unit i think. I am looking at this direction myself. Another option is a Dana 44. These are all hardcore axles though which you deffinately should have assuming you're going to throw on some slicks and run. If you never expect slicks, a 10 bolt with some modifications and a girdle would be fine....but only if you never hook up. I've got a 4th gen rear end out of a 2002 SS in my car right now and its a bit better than the stock third gen rear but i plan to get some meats on the car and put that power to the ground instead of just lighting wheel.

[Bryan]

Yes, I think I am going to go with a Ford 9" rear end. A guy I know has a few of them in his garage and is willing to sell one of them to me. But I know it is an older rear end and I was wondering what kinda modifications I was going to have to do? Also I think I am going to have to go with the TH350 because of the price issue, but if i can get a good 700R4 I might go with that. If I go with the TH350 do u think i should go with the 3.42 gears and if i go with the 700R4 go with the 3.73 gears. Or is it the 383 tq and thats why i got to go with the 3.42 gears. Thanks for ur help.

[nightrider]

Well...
what intake is on the 383, what cam etc. Gear is based on the engine and where it likes to be. If the engine is built to rev, you could put in 3.73s but that is a lot of gear.

I would not run 3.73 gears and a TH350 if this is your daily driver. I was running 3.42s and a TH350 in my car and highway cruising was 4000 rpm. Thats not particularily good as far as I am concerned.

Buying just a random Ford 9" is a little difficult, you'll need custom axles cut, the tubes cut too even. Figure out the brakes, weld the spring perches and LCA backets on... A complete housing designed for a third gen is 500-600 dollars new from Moser. If the center housing of the things your neighbor has is worth it, you might buy one just to get that and then sell the rest. You'll need axles either way but moser sells them that match up with their modified housing.

[Pro Built Automatics]

Go to http://www.pro-built.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewproduct&productid=35 and see what I do to these units to make them hold up. If you have any questions on this let me know?

[82CamaroZ28]

Incase you didnt see it, here is a direct quote from Pro-Built's site:

"All of these factors have contributed to these units holding up to 550-575 horsepower for the Street/Strip and 625-650 horsepower for the "Limited" Street, (that is with using a 10" or smaller diameter torque converter of high quality). Both of these transmissions come with a one year warranty."

I have one of his Street/Strip 700r4s and its awesome. I highly recommend going with one of Dana's transmissions.

[JohnB]

It all comes down to what you want to do with your car. A friend of mine has been running the 383/Th350/3:73/Moser Bolt-In 9"Ford combination, he's got the 35 spline axles and a Mini-Spool(cheap). It runs 11.80's consistently in the 1/4 mile on the motor and Mid 10's on 2 stages of Nitrous. It is like the Energizer bunny......can't kill it!!! The dyno #s at the rear wheels was something like 380 hp but 400+ ft/lbs torque.

It is not a daily driver and he doesn't take it on long trips, but man what a 1/4 mile street machine and bracket car. Don't get me wrong either...we still cruise the highway, it's not a trailer queen. A lot of times we drive our cars to the local dragstrip(2 hours each way) pound on the cars all weekend and then drive back home. It rev's 3000rpm at around 60mph(100km/hr) also 275/60/15 rear tires.

I also have the Ford 9" Moser in my 85 Z. I have the 31 Spline axles and a Lock Right Locker(expensive). How can you hate it......bolt it right in!!!!!! It was a very pleasant upgrade. Especially not having to repair my blown up rearend at the dragstrip. I have a T-5 in mine and it will no longer hold up to the 1/4 mile abuse and will go the TH 350 route also. With the T-5 I am running 4:11's but will probably swap them for 3:73's or higher at the same time. I also run 275/60/15 rear tires to overcome some of the RPM on the highway.

Getting a variety of gear for the Ford 9" is easy and they are quick to change. TH350 parts are everywhere also.