Alright, here's my dilema. As it sits right now, I've got a 383 stroker with AT LEAST 550hp and about that in torque. Plans for the very near future (as soon as I get my broke ass away from guys with names like Vinny and Guido who're coming to "collect") include a 6-71 blower and a cam tweak that'll boost those specs to better than 750 boths ways.
Right now, the engine is backed by a M21 4-speed and a Centerforce Dual-Friction clutch package. Being as how I'm getting more and more into racing the Camaro, I'm going to swap out the Muncie for a manaul valve-bodied, shift-kitted, seriously built automatic. I know, I know...it hurts me too...but I gotta comepete, dammit!:) Beyond the inherent drawback of a manual tranny in competetive racing, I've come to find out that the Muncies didnt' have a provision for a front seal, and it's possible on steep downhill grades to drip gear oil onto your clutch.
My two options at this point are the 4L80E and the TH400. I'm leaning towards the 400 due to a wider variety of high performance componentry, shifters, valve bodies, etc....and, well, it's CHEAPER, dammit! The 4L80E is a pretty slick deal, especially with that T-Com software that lets you tweak just about everything on it...but you can't install a trans-brake on a 4L80E, and, well....it's EXPENSIVE, dammit!:)
Thus, my question. Is there anyone out there that's running a high horsepower/torque engine with either one of these transmissions? Or anyone that knows/has an opinion on which way I should go? Short of total engine failure, I can keep my ride on the road...but I'll be the first to admit I know not a thing about the benefits of one automatic tranny over another.
If you've got a tranny in mind that isn't mentioned above, this is what I need: 750hp/ft. lbs. of torque rated capacity, ability to install a manaul valve body (forward or reverse) and a trans-brake (which, I know, precludes the 4L80E...but that's an exception>:)

Thanks for all the help.

Scott

Jason, you've always got something to say. Help me out, chief!:)

want to sell the m21? i know you have a shit load of money in it, and i couldn't give you all of that back, but i'd be willing to pay a good penny for the whole setup if you can wait a while. it'd be perfect behind my 327 in the jag.

second, turbo 400 - game over. most of the 4l80e shit that makes it cool you'd have to take off to make it worth a piss on the track.

if you're going with a blower and you want to have some fun, and don't care too much about how it behaves on the street, i'd go with a powerglide. they're the standard supercomp tranny, and you can pick them up built to the hilt with a transbrake and all (in need of a little reconditioning after 100 runs) for chicken scratch. start going to your local nhra events and just mill around the pits asking around for a built tranny with transbrake...

jason

i have a manual v.b. TH400 from JW with a 3000 stall and it was behind my big block that had 500 hp and 550 lb ft of torque without the bottle. it held just fine, i'm reuseing it behind my 470 that'll be around 620 to 650 hp and around 650 lb ft of torque, without the bottle. i'll let you know what happens when i get it to the track.

ill have to say go with the turbo 400...all the friends i have that build cars and are mechanics say the turbo trannies are the way to go with the manual valve body and the ratchet shifter

ive been hearing about a twin turbo 400 trans. you mate 2 400's to eachother. anybody know anything about this or anytining like it? i dont know what its use would be but i heard it from some knowledgable pepole.

wow ive never hear of that...i dont think thats even possible...i kant even begin to comprehend how that would work

i heard something to that effect a few years back. i can't really remember any detials but somebody did try that and i don't think it worked out very well or else everyone would've heard about it.

well, thank god somebody else heard about it. i was starting to get nervous. lol

Thanks for the help guys. Jason, when it comes time to sell the M21, I'll definitely get ahold of you. Can't really say when I'm making the switch at this point, but it shouldn't be too long. Hopefully about the same time you're able to do it. The tranny is solid save for the sync ring from third to high. I used to have a bad habit of resting my hand on the gear-shift in high, before I knew this caused pre-load on the sync ring and could wear it out. That'd have to be fixed, but I'm sure you'd crack the thing open anyway and tweak whatever you could tweak even if it didn't need it.:) The shop that rebuilt it for me estimated it would cost about $350-450 for a sync ring fix, with the tranny still in the car, but that was all of them, not just 3rd-high. If you do wind up buying it, that would be accounted for in the price. And I do have a bunch of money it it, but I'm aware that most of that is labor, and not something that I should expect to get back on a resale. So it should be doable.:) The sync-ring isn't really serious, since it won't grind if you shift at a normal speed. It only happens when you try to slam it up or down a gear. I'm also including the Hurst Competition Plus shifter, but that's just a bonus. The tranny will be what you're buying.
As far as the right tranny, I'm going with the 400. I've been hearing more and more about how the 4l80E is more of a highway tranny, and the 400 withstands a lot more abuse. Thanks.

Scott

sweet. you know my e-mail, it's in my profile.

jason