[besserspat]

What are you guys cruising RPMs with a continental 3200 "jim Hand special"?

Im changing gears from 3.36 to 3.08s along with a new TH400 transmission and a 3200 stall Continental JH converter.

Is the converter tight enough to endure regular 2600-2700 cruise RPMs for a long time without overheating.

Im curious to hear from people who have had or still drive with that specific converter.

Peter

[Formulajones]

There really isn't a Jim Hand special converter, At least when Kris was still open and building them that's what he'd tell ya. But for a long while he was pretty good at building a nice tight converter that worked efficiently, depending on when you bought from him. It would help if you provided the stamped numbers/letters on the converter as that is how Kris identified them. Then maybe others with same stampings could compare for a better answer.

We had 4 of them over the years. The early ones were the best. The last couple I bought a few months before he closed the doors, not so much.

One of the earlier ones he built for me was what he called (and stamped) a P2 and it drove around very nice with practically no slippage at cruise rpm and light throttle, but when you whacked the throttle it would flash around 3400 rpm and worked really well.

Later on dad ran a P3 that drove a bit looser than mine. Worked fine with a 455 making 600 ft lbs and would flash closer to 3800 rpm. A P2 is tighter, and a P1 even tighter yet, from my experience with them.

When dad went to a bigger engine making over 700 ft lbs, Kris tried twice to build a converter that would hold with no success. In fact the last attempt he just flat said, don't run less than a 3.50 gear. It was already mushy with 3.73's so that converter came out and we went a different route. That was the last year he was in business.

If you find a P1 or P2, it's likely going to drive pretty snug depending on what you put in front of it, and behind it, if it was built long before he closed his doors. If it's a converter built closer to his business closing, it's any bodies guess how it might act, at least from my experience. Unfortunately I've never seen a date stamp on one so......

[besserspat]

Ill need to dig the Converter out of my warehouse and check the numbers on it.

We have like 6 different simultaneous projects and things are moving slowly , so memory gets a little fudgy when it comes to what we have in the crates for each project. ...But I am pretty sure its a P2 , when I ran the numbers on it a while ago, it has anti balooning plate and 3200 Stall and fairly sure its a 10" unit.

Peter

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by besserspat

Ill need to dig the Converter out of my warehouse and check the numbers on it.

We have like 6 different simultaneous projects and things are moving slowly , so memory gets a little fudgy when it comes to what we have in the crates for each project. ...But I am pretty sure its a P2 , when I ran the numbers on it a while ago, it has anti balooning plate and 3200 Stall and fairly sure its a 10" unit.

Peter

That sounds exactly like the one I ran. 10" P2 unit with a balloon plate.

One of the best converters I've ever had in that particular car that made just over 600hp and just under 600 ft lbs and weighs 4100 lbs.

[besserspat]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

That sounds exactly like the one I ran. 10" P2 unit with a balloon plate.

One of the best converters I've ever had in that particular car that made just over 600hp and just under 600 ft lbs and weighs 4100 lbs.

now you make me want to speed up the project ! lol

[ta man]

Check the numbers on it..but you shouldn't have any issues. At 2600 to 2700 rpm it will be pretty tight. My convertor is a P1 (R) P/S EW

[besserspat]

I finally removed the 6 feet of snow in front of my shop ( we close during winter).

So i had access the warehouse where the TC was stored .

Its a 10" unit with a anti balloon plate since I spray. , markings are :

P1D PS BAL

And a little T R Stamped right under.

See picture.

Peter

[Half-Inch Stud]

Probably a gem. Probably opportunity of success. Seems you can just wing it to find out.

Some bookends for ya:
3200 ATI feels darn tighty on the Street with 3.31:1 in a 455 Early Bird. Great on highway.

Fella's 455 + 3900 stall felt like true mush in 2nd Gen T/A with 3.08:1. Hughes GM25 fixed it.