Torque Converter Gains
 

I have a question...

I have a 94 GT vert with an aode and some pretty good mods. I think the car has a lot of potential but is lacking a good torque converter. I'm gonna be getting one in two weeks and wanted to see what type of gains I could get once it's installed.

Can anyone help me with some info on how their car was before and after they installed a aftermarket torque converter.

Thanks...:)

PI converter
 

My old car was a 91 GT AOD. I was in your situation...I wanted a converter but didn't know what brand, what stall, how much it was going to cost. I decided on a Precision Industries stall converter. I think my stall was 2400 and it was a non-lockup.

When I got the converter in the car, it felt like a completely different car. My rpm's would jump up into the powerband with ease. The only problem with mine was that my car was stock except for gears and exhaust so I didn't have enough power for the stall. It would pull in first and second but then fall on it's face in third.

I can't give you any before and after numbers but the car did run 14.71 with just 3.73's, fows, and the converter. I don't have PI's # handy but I'll look and see if I can find it. They are a great company and will answer any questions that you may have.

Cool...thanks for the help. I called Precision Industries earlier and the converter I wanted was around 800 bucks!!! I don't know if I'm ready to spend that much.

Right now my car is the opposite. It doesn't jump into the powerband quickly but when it gets to around 3500, it takes off.

Thanks again for the help.

hefty price
 

My converter was $750 when I got it and another $200 for installation. It was the best money I ever spent. Worth every penny.

When I would be cruising at 1500 rpm or so, I could stab the gas and the rpm's would jump to 3000 almost instantly. If you are having trouble getting into the powerband, a converter (no matter what brand) will help ALOT :D Good luck with whatever you decide! ;)

a stall converter was the best mod i ever made! my power band felt like it started at 3500rpms with the new motor, and with the stock tranny and converter it felt like it took forever to get up to that high. i bought a TCI 3000rpm lock up converter and a used AOD, and the gains were impressive! i couldn't spin the tires before and now i can spin them with ease. the launch feels a lot harder and gets up to speed a heck of a lot quicker. i installed it myself so i didn't have to pay for installation, so that saved some cash.

i need one too...
 

Hey, I'm also looking for a good torque converter. I dropped off my car at the shop today so the TransGo shift kit is getting installed tomorrow...I was wondering, what kinda of torque converter would fit me best, where would I see the best gains...2,400, 3,000 rpms???

A converter is one of the best mods you can do

You also might want to look into some syspention work. That 2.33 60' time sure aint' gonna get any better with a converter.

actually i bet he will see an improvement. as long as you don't have a heavy foot out of the whole and spin like crazy, you should see your 60 foot time drop a little bit. the reason the 60 foot is high is cause of the auto and stock converter.

Another vote for a converter here.

Do not spend the $700 for a converter. I ordered mine from Edge Racing converters. They custom make every stall to your application.

http://www.edgeracingconverters.com/inside10.jpg

http://www.edgeracingconverters.com/Images/Street1.jpg

They are a great company, awesome service. And the retail is under $300!!

Ian

HiFlow5 0 maybe your right. I was assuming with the mods he had, that he was spinning.

Also I just thought of this, get a good shift kit too. I don't know if you have one or not, I can't read your sig while typing a reply.

Thanks for the help guys...I've only been to the track once and I was spinning pretty bad. I also need some drag radials too. I already have a transgo shift kit installed so it shifts pretty good. The problem is getting into the powerband faster.

Well I'm suppose to go to Sacramento Raceway again on the 30th so this time I'm gonna ease off the line and hopefully not spin as much.

Thanks again...

Sorry (excuse my ignorance)...I have seen references to stall converters all over the place, but I am still not sure exactly what they do or how they work. How does it work?!?!? How would I benefit from getting one?

Thanks,
DoranW

I'm not exactly sure myself but from what I understand, it get your car in the the powerband faster by letting the Tranny spin faster or something like that... Well I guess we may both need to be schooled on how it works.

I copied this from a thread posted a while back, hope it clears some things up for ya.

"The torque converter in an AOD is analogous to the clutch in a T-5...it links the engine to the tranny. Also, the same way you can "slip the clutch" while launching, the torque converter "slips" to allow rpms to rise. In other words, at the track, you would launch anywhere from off idle to 5000 rpms with a five speed to get the best launch. Similarly, whey you go WOT on an AOD from a standstill, the engine will be able to quickly rise to the stall speed of the converter and give you a better launch.

In most basic terms, the torque converter uses fluid dynamics and some big impellers to multiply torque from the engine to the tranny. The converter is designed so that there is a given amount of slip in it, or in other words, the engine is allowed to rev faster than it is turning the tranny. This allows the engine to reach its power band more quickly and thus make maximum power more quickly. The stall speed is basically the point where the converter will no longer slip and the engine is linked directly to the tranny.

On a stock AOD, the stall speed is somewhere around 1500 rpm. This is too low for the torquey 302 which makes it power somewhere around 2000-2500 rpm. A converter stalling around 2800 rpm is ideal for a midly to moderately modified mustang, however the stall speed of a given converter is not an absolute. It all depends on the amount of power and torque your engine is making."

Sounds good. That's definately what I was looking for, but are there any side effects on drivability? Also....Aren't they relatively expensive? I would think you could get more for your $$ elsewhere?

Thanks,
DoranW