Thinking of swapping out the 3.31 gear in my Malibu for a 4.10. The car very rarely sees highway driving. I don't mind shifting more with the taller gear, in fact, I think it might help my in-town driving since I always have to leave it in 2nd or at best 3rd.

I'm running a 402 with an Edelbrock Performer RPM cam(which hates anything under 1500 rpm), intake, and 750 carb, back by an M20. The best time I have run thus far is a 13.62@101 with BFG Radials, and that's with 93 octane and a sub in the trunk. I am planning on lightening her up a little.

Where I'm going with this is do you guys think that swapping to a 4.10 gear, running slicks, higher octane fuel and a little bit more aggressive tuning will possibly let me see the 12.xxs?

Would you guys make the swap or look elsewhere for the perfomance increases?

I did a swap in my wife's uuummm car(don't swear on line), from a 2.73 to a 3.73 and it made a huge difference. I guess I'm kinda hoping for the same result with the Chevelle.

Okay guys, let me be honest with you, my old lady has a Stang that's runs well into the 12s(plus now she wants a supercharger...gulp), and she rubs it in my face too often, it's time for the bowtie to fight back. HELP!

What are your 60ft times? I would get some slicks and try and improve the 60 ft. times first. Your mph of 101 (with a stick) wont get you in the 12's. What are your shift points?

Ed,I run mid 12's with 3.31 gears and a mild 454
For a 402 with an M20,I'd go with a 3.73 gear
Higher octane fuel won't help your ET unless the motor requires it and you are running a lower total timing for 93 octane.And with all that duration of that RPM cam,I highly doubt you will need anthing more than 93
13.62 @ 101 is nothing to scoff at either IMHO and experience.What was your 60 ft. ?
Slicks,a strong timing curve and jetting will get you there quicker.
You need to find MPH in the tune so to speak and get some more traction

I would look into a cam change first. A good stout solid roller and a dyno tune should put 400 CI in the mid 12's with 3.73 gears. Are you sure you are running enough initial timing with that cam? Do you have your carb transfer slots in the right place at idle?

okay, just found some time slips. Best was 13.618@100.86, 2.124 60', RT .063, 1/8 8.803@82.07.

I know I am shifting earlier than I should, cause I have a habit of slinging belts. 6500 seems to be the better shift point, but I'm limited to 6000.

My launch is probably poor, I have'nt quite found the sweet spot to tach up on yet to achieve the most traction, so I have been rather conservative, probably too much since I seem to bog off the line. I have only been down the strip like 7 times my whole life, so there is much to learn.

I just wonder if a gear swap is a step in the right direction.

I built this motor back in '02, it was first build, and unfortunately inexperience with part selection has gotten the best of me. Yes in hind sight, if I were to build this motor again, which first off, I would build a 454 instead of a 396, I would not go with the Edelbrock cam and probably not the carb either. But, for now, this is what I have to work with, so I am trying to think of ways without having to get inside the motor to make some better numbers. And yes, I know driver skill and experience is a big factor here, but we all have to start somewhere,

Ed,IMHO you got decent combo to work with.You just need to dial it in better.
2.12 60 ft. aint bad on street tires either.
A gear swap to 4.10's would not be step in the right direction.What type of 750 carb are you running? Is it stock out of the box?

Yep, Edelbrock 1407, 750cfm manual choke, just bolted it on, haven't messed with anything except idle.

Ed,lose that carb.Good for a driver,but not performance IMHO and experience.
A 750 Holley vaccum secondary or better yet, a 750 double pumper would really wake things up and you will pick up ET and MPH.

i would change things other than the rear gear. I went from open rear 2.73 to posi 4.10 and it felt like the car still had the same power, just reved higher.....keep the 3.31, build the engine to the specs you want, then decide on the rear. If you haven't experienced a 4.10 in your own car before, it will be a drastic change. I guarantee you will then think, "Damn, I need overdrive." then you're talking more money....I added gear Vendor. If you do go, 4.10 consider 3 series carrier and thick gear, so you can easily go back to 3.something...

6 thenths is hard to knock off your ET without some definate changes.
If you don't want to put big bucks in the motor, tuning, tuning and more tuning could knock off two tenths maybe. The 4:10s would help alot, but don't look for a huge differnce.
Slicks,
Lighter wheels for the strip
take the "sub" out of the trunk.
You might see 12's
You need 100 lbs decrease in weight to take .1 off your et.

Or, sell the 402 and drop in a 454, mild build w/headers and wax your wifes
car even after she gets the turbo. I spanked two of these at the track.
They were fast, but, not fast enough.

Or, you could throw some nitrous on there.

[QUOTE=Skier_Bob;1131744]i would change things other than the rear gear. I went from open rear 2.73 to posi 4.10 and it felt like the car still had the same power, just reved higher.....If you haven't experienced a 4.10 in your own car before, it will be a drastic change. I guarantee you will then think, "Damn, I need overdrive." then you're talking more money....QUOTE]

I did the opposite. I had 2:73, and put in the overdrive. Then I said "Damn, I need 4:10s." :hurray: