shippershack

Hey all,
I keep reading how it is a must have item for an automatic. Now, I gotta hear why. I am a 90% daily driver who likes to hit it at the occasional stop light, and I haven't ventured to the strip yet. I like the instant kickback and a touchy-responsive pedal action, and with the 2002 Hawk I just got, the only thing I don't like is the slight delay, before it really kicks in. I am hesitant to dish out the money for the TC, not having driven in a car with one...and I hear it could lead to more initial "mush" before it kicks in...or is that wrong? What have you daily drivers noticed that you like and dislike about a TC? What other mods do you need once you get one....a Tranny cooler, suspension mods? Who installs these things? Throw in some initial reactions to your TC's, and some suggestions on what to get. Damn I'm demanding! Thanks guys!

heyitsTaJay

go with vig 3200 or ssf3500, b&m trans cooler, drag radials, and hold on!!!!!! there will definately be "mush" in the peddle, but floor that sob and ur gone. go with LCA's, PHR, SFC (tighten up the frame) and that should help out with the traction part. a local speedshop should be abe to do the install for about 200$ + fluid. then if you need tuning go with predator or hpp3. if you dont plan on doing any internals with the motor just use the HPP3 for rev limiter, and WOT shift points. steer clear of the fuel curve tuining that comes with it. Predator will alow you to tune more things, but is also married to your vin so you cannot turn around and sell it like you can with HPP3. just a few thoughts.
J

Ragtop 99

iTrader: (7)

A torque converter will add a little more mush to the feel, but it also gets your car into its power band when you a little deeper into the throttle and I like the way the rpms pop up a bit and the car just starts pulling nicely. Another plus is how much better from a roll the car pulls, especially on the 1-2 upshift. When you get to the higher stalls (3800+) you really notice a huge gain from a roll even going into 3rd gear.

There are plenty of gearheads in Chicago area; you can probably find one to meet up with and try their car. Try posting in the midwest section.

shippershack

Thanks for all the good info, clears the burn out fog in my head. Is it pretty much safe to say that anything less than a 3000 stall just isn't worth it, and just how bad would you spin the tires with a Vig 3200? What are the disadvantages to a TC?

heyitsTaJay

spin? well i have heard that if the psi is right in the drag radials and they are warmed up a lil bit you should hook HARD and take off. if the tires are cold then you might spin a lil bit, and then go. there are some guys that can lay 20ft of rubber before hookin up..... its all how you drive and find the sweet spot for your car. i have heard MPG may fluctuate, but very very minimal. also the disadvantages could be the rear end will take a lil bit more wear-and-tear, but if your good to it, and it will be good to you.

boomcase

Just get a torque converter , you will be happy with a smile from ear to ear, makes us A4 guys cars much more fun to drive. Just dont go any lower than a 3500 stall, I like TCI for the money and performance.

PonchoFan

I went from a Yank ST300O to a Yank SS3600.
No noticable difference in drivabilty between them.
BIG noticable difference in performance.

kickassT/A

iTrader: (3)

i just put in a vig 3600, and am very pleased with it. i would also say nothing below 3500 seeing how vig's are supposted to be underrated and i love my 3600.

samz28

tci ssf 3500. anything under 30mph, on 25psi hot 555R dr's = blowing the tires away. you didn't get the automatic the advantages the m6 has, so make your car a fast straight line car and enjoy!

franny40

now I don't mean to hijack this thread, but are dr's a must need for the car even if you dont take it to the track. I am in basically the same boat as shippershack, I want some more performance out of my car, but I dont want it to be unbearable to drive.

heyitsTaJay

with a converter its a MUST HAVE...it is even dangerous not to have them. its hard to get more performance and then stop. having our cars is like a legalized drug habit. once you go fast you need to go faster!

redsscamaroboy

iTrader: (7)

Tires are a must to get any gain out of the convertor swap.
My old vertor was a Vig 3600 and on street tires(non-DR's) traction was not there on anything more than a slow tip in to 1/4 throttle. And i could smoke the tires under 30 with nothing more than dropping the pedal to the floor and it would spin through second gear.
With my new vertor SS4000 (Yank) , traction is laughable- I tried to G-tech my car with before and after results on street tires and it was pathetic.
Tip into the gas and then roll to full throttle and i started off with no spin,but by 25 at no more than 1/2 throttle the tires broke and SMOKED through most of second gear.
Stopped and floored it and the tires spun like mad into 3rd gear,POOR TIRES.
Get tires!!!
Dave

98Z28MrO

iTrader: (1)

If you have a stock car, can you put a converter on it? And how good is street driveability with a converter?

dogboy

By far the best bang for your buck is a TC. I went with the SS3500 (Yank) at the time it was the most efficient TC around @ 97%. I gained .6

King James

iTrader: (13)

DR's are NOT a must, but you MUST pay more attention to what you are doing.

samz28

i could lay waste to my yoko-a-509's 30 feet of drag with my bone stock a4 2.73 with 66K miles on it.

back end all squirrelly, now with the verter and some mods, its not as dangerous on the street with 555R's.

Honestly, buy those nice f1's for street, chew them up, and buy a set of ET's and cheap rims for the strip

if you street race, your'e gonna come up on alot of folks running streets.

roll 25psi hot, burnout, and you'll destroy a much faster car running streets. WERD.

i dont streetrace so im going the ET street way, they are what DR's to streets, as ET's are to DR's . werd.

elderon

Traction is going to vary by what else you have done and the tires you use. I still use street tires, but I am using 275 40 17's. Traction is much better than I had with my 16's, but its still easy to lay down big patches of rubber, but you wont be burning rubber through all of 2nd or anything like that. I was very hesitant about a torque converter also. But I took the chance and am VERY happy with it now. My city MPH has suffered a bit, but I race around alot - probably even more now. Overall I would expect (if you arent hot rodding ) a 1-2mph loss in the city. Just depends all on your driving style.

samz28

well the speed limit is 30mph in our city (sometimes 35) lidar active cops. So given a lockup of 35-40mph with 3.42's you spend alot of time unlocked, (ie every time you break, roll to a stop, startup) so gas mpg sucks for me.

If your idea of a city is 45-55mph well thats not what im talking bout. I got too many tickets to push over 10mph, cause the cops got it out for me..

we'll see what i can do when hptuners ships shortly.

DeepBlueZ

with cold Nittos and my short list of mods, my vig 3200 (read 3800) has been capable of breaking traction at 40+ mph on a cold nite (no BS).....scary as hell when trying to get on the highway at nite in January...but effectively shuts up the moron next to u in the honda when you punch it from a slow roll

franny40

would nitto extreme 555 be good enough for a 3500 stall converter?