Guys that run automatic trans

We're keeping the auto in our Volvo even if we end up switching to a Redblock, and a lot of the other cars we have considered or are considering after the Volvo will be auto. Our thinking is that it will simply be one less thing for a zonked-out (or hyper-caffeinated and full-bladdered) newbie driver (all of us right now) to get wrong when they find themselves the middle piece in a three-wide through a tight corner.

As said above, autos make sense in a lot of cars. If I'm racing something like a Buick LeSabre, it makes sense for it to be an auto. Manuals make sense in a lot of cars. If I'm going the easy road and getting something predictable, then I would want a manual.

Out of curiosity, what does your Volvo have now...

LeSabre would not been the example I would used because we did manual swap a 3800 at great difficulty to get away from the 4L60E that kep blowing up under race conditions.

Run a big trans cooler. If your car came equipped with A/C, the condenser usually works very well if you can kludge together the plumbing connections. Consider a deep pan if they're available, but don't ignore/fuck up the filter extension or you'll be shooting yourself in the foot. Change fluid and filter before your first race. If you're paranoid, after the race send a fluid sample to Blackstone. $20 is cheap insurance/peace of mind.

The Chrysler A904 3-speed auto has been holding up very well in our Dart as long as it doesn't run low on fluid. Granted, we have always run a gigantic cooler; it never gets above 170 F in race conditions. It's also a ridiculously simple machine. Some of my teammates have been clamoring about a manual swap for a while now, but I'm not keen on trading a proven system for one that (A) relies more on the driver to keep it alive and (B) trades one type of complexity for another. This may be one of those situations where the auto just makes more sense for our application, as I've heard getting a good HD clutch for a Slant Six can be a hassle.

Surprised to hear about a 4L60E not handling Lemons. What kind of temps was it running?

I can say for sure that a Borg Warner 35 mated to a Rover V8 SUCKS!!!!

We raced a 4r70w for our first race before moving to a manual.
1) the AC condensor as a giant oil cooler worked great for us as well. We just made sure to flush it with copious amounts of brake cleaner before installation.
2) Research what the nerds say on the internet about your transmission. We learned that shifting from 3rd to 4th @ WOT kills fries the OD band. The solution was to leave the OD button off.
3) I also found out thanks to nerds that there were tweaks we could make in the valve body (drill out a few holes) to speed up shifts. Awful for NVH but great for limiting heat transfer into the fluid. Your transmission may have similar. Beware of any "shift kits" though as they may just hasten the death of your transmission.

-g

It was awesome!  Second race...not so much.

Engine is not particularly unreliable if it is a still running and your replace timing belt/waterpump.

Transmission is an electrical nightmare.