Non LBA Transbrake Street/Strip Do's/Don'ts

Have a line on a really good deal for a used Turbo Action Brake without LBA. Was planning to throw it into a 727 behind a procharged EFI 5.7 in my street/strip a-body (3400lbs). My original plan was to build a T400 for the setup, but I already have a 727 and shifter, just need the brake and a few rebuild parts as well as the converter. I have searched the heck out of it on here, but am I missing anything from the DONTS list of using a Non LBA brake...

-Dont burn out or spin tires in first...Water in 2nd, Burnout in 2nd to 3rd
-Dont pedal in first....spin then off the throttle (although that means no 1st gear fun on the street since its always spin city)
-Dont downshift into first while street driving
-Any sort of driveline failure, remove the trans to inspect sprag, drum, and rest of trans.

I know most people these days use LBA in the torqueflites. My old 904 tranzact brake was non LBA, and I loved it....not really a fan of the engine braking in 1st gear with the LBA valvebodies. Anybody out there still using these kind of valvebodies/transbrakes?

Ive had a no-LBA Turbo Action VB in my street car for 12 years. Just dont be an idiot with it.

Ive never had a problem with starting a burnout in first.....I just shift immediately when the tires break loose. And yes, do not pedal it.

Get a billet drum for the 727.

I have been driving on Turbo Action Manual VBs without LBA for 24 years or so, both 727 and 904. I am bad about dropping into low and letting it freewheel when coming to a stop at lower speeds. I have done plenty wrong with them and not had any trouble. I am sure if I ever move to a LBA VB I will eat steering wheel a few times as I drop it in low before I am stopped LOL.

If you read enough on here you will think that if you do any of the things wrong that they will explode immediately and that is just not the case. But there is reason to not drive it like a 16 year old lol

Haha, yep!

I guess this is where I confess to MANY neutral drops in Dad's '66 Sport Fury; that trans went over 130K before he had it rebuilt, and I don't recall it actually needing that.
That said, I've been told by a couple of Torqueflite guys to never let off the throttle in low on a deal like the OP's, which I've also had in a street car. No biggie to "obey".
The TF can be pretty spectacular at the drags when one hatches - I think all of us have seen those photos - so that's the mental image folks get.

Dropping in low and freewheeling isn't bad. Stabbing into the throttle and shocking the trans is where the issues start.

Me too on the Neutral drops on the old 68 Polara...

JMO when running that kind of steam, all it takes is one time having a drum come apart where that $500 spent is cheap. Broken feet, legs, auto body repair/parts.

Number one rule I follow is after any burn out (yes I start in first) let it roll out, back in first to set the sprag. If it’s broke you’ll know it, feels like second gear. Freewheeling is what kills them so don’t do that! After every pass I go quickly to first then to neutral, after stopping then set it again. Another thing why is everyone scared of going to neutral after the run? Your shifter HAS a stop to keep it from going into reverse don’t it?

I can deal with all the DONTS, my biggest gripe is just the no pedaling it, especially for a street car. If I decide to give it a launch from first, its gonna break the tires loose, and pedaling it is almost instinct before shifting to 2nd. Sometimes driving like a 16yr old is fun! LOL

A drum isn't in the budget this time around, maybe after the first season I get it back out. Still debating if I should just suck it up and go TH400...

Billet drum is cheaper than a half a leg.

I always start burnouts in second gear, never first. Have no idea why anyone would use first gear. Car would have to be an extreme dog to not spin wet tires in second gear

in case you didn’t get that… GET A BILLET FRONT DRUM FOR THE 727!

In the 2 cases I was near to in the 8.75 gear broke on launch, shocked the sprag and all L broke loose.

NEVER start your burn out in low gear with a reverse manual non low band apply valve body, NEVER Unless you want to die
AKA aside, Mopar 727 started exploding the front drums with the first reverse manual valve body non low band apply when racers over wound the motors in low gear and shifted them into second over 6000 RPM is what i was told by Art Carr as well as in several of the old Mopar sponsored drag race seminar by the Mopar drag race engineers and marketing folks

Never in over 50 years have I exploded a drum, never been around one that did. If you explode one you’re a no driving sob, sell the car and find another hobby. Now we have had tires hit wet spot, broke gears, broke u-joints and broke axels BUT the car went on the trailer and back home to check trans. VERY easy to feel if the sprag is broke. Only a fool would try and race.
And I never do burnouts in the water, spin the tire in water then move forward out of water to the semi dry spot then do a burnout, that’s why I start in first gear.

When I built customer units, it was low band apply (A &A), or steel drum (TCS) and Super Sprag (Coan). I only saw one. The cleanup started with scooping the aluminum up with a grain shovel

A local S/P racer had one explode with a trans brake, it set his left driving pants leg on fire, broke his left foot and tore they heck out of the cars floor and trans tunnel, not something I want togo through or would recommedn for anyone else
His crew chief had rebuilt it and didn't buy a good front drum
I have a older Pro Trans SS/AA 727 that has both aluminum drums, custom straight cut gears in all three gears and a bunch of other "drag racing tricks" done to it back in the mid 1990s when I bought it. I broke the rear sprag when I broke the rear end in low gear It did not explode either

Thanks for the replies. Maybe a steel drum will make its way in there if the budget allows, but otherwise it will be stock drum for now and driving smart. Already have a plate and screws in my right ankle, so worst comes to worst I am already bolted together for it LOL