'62 Catalina Tri-Power Install
 

I am looking to do a few upgrades to the stock 389, 15H with a 2bbl. Car is a solid ‘62 2dr Catalina with a slim-jim & 2.69 gears. Planning to replace the trans with a TH400, add tripower, new cam & lifters, new valve springs & anything else that needs replacement. Since the car will be a cruiser and not a race car I am looking at the “744” cam from Melling. Have a guy in Ohio putting together a tri-power setup & he is asking for jet sizes. Thought I would start with 60’s in the center & 66’s on the end carbs. What do you guys think about the cam selection & jet sizes?

Be aware that I would love to build up a 455 coupled to a 700R4 & 3:42 gears but I have not won the lottery yet.

For a cruiser go for the milder 068 cam, the 744 needs stiffer springs and will be harder on the press-in rocker studs. The power band of the 068 is a better match for the weight of your car and the rear end gearing, not to mention the automatic transmission.

Moving this to Tri-Power tech forum for jetting advice.

John at Tripower suggested 63's for the center & 68's for the front/rear with the 068 cam. Stock jetting based on other websites appears to be 62's in the center & 66's on either end. Sound right?

I would put /063 jets in the center and /070 jets in the end carbs. If you're going as far as you stated, it would be wise to have screw-in studs put in the heads. I didn't on our two '64 GTO's and have regretted it.

Ditto with b-man on the cam. with a 2.69 gear, you're going to be lacking on off the line zip--really lacking unless the torque converter is really loose. .

I had screw in studs (no hex nut) installed in my 64 GTO heads many many years ago along with a MacKellar #10 camshaft (I had 3.90 Factory gears in the car at the time).

Never regretted that mod. Do it now vs later and regret the delay.

Tom V.

The other guys know much more about the jetting issues than I do, but wanted to mention that you'll need an adapter plate to mate a TH400 with your 1962 engine block. Bendtsen's Speed Gems and Wilcap are the two sources I'm aware of for that.

A slight adjustment to Stuart's comment:

If you use a Chevy pattern TH400 you'll need an adapter plate, with starter mount.

If you use a BOP pattern TH400 you'll need a starter mount plate (no adapter). Bendsten is where I got mine, but there is a drawing in Pete's book if you prefer to make your own.

K

Keith is correct - a BOP pattern transmission will bolt up to the engine, but there won't be anywhere to mount the starter (the 1962 engine block doesn't have provisions for the starter since back then it was fastened to the slim jim transmission, and the TH400 transmission doesn't have provisions for the starter since in later years the starter bolted to the block.)

I would vote for a purchased plate vs going by the drawing in Pete's book
as Mark (from Luhn Performance) and I have identified several dimensional errors with the drawing. That drawing has messed up several people over the years.

Tom V.