blkZ28spt

Important Info: LT's, duals, lid, CAI, 245/16 nittos, SSF3500, transgo shift kit. Car made 320/337 with unlocked stock converter. I have never been to the track, but I have seat of pants and G-tech impressions.

G-tech Run info: Before the converter I averaged 0-60 in ~4.9. After the converter (with shift kit) it is definately much quicker. I got two timed 0-60 mph runs on the G-tech. One was 4.64, the second was 4.66. I had traction issues that caused me to let off and get back on it both times, and the 4.66 run my dad was in the car adding weight as well. I am confident that with cooler less humid air, pre-heated tires, no extra weight, and a proper launch it will easily run low 4's to 60. I will try for 1/4 mile times later when i can get a good location or hopefully get to the track. I can only imagine that it will be running low 12's? Hopefully low 12's.......

My Question Anybody reading this have similer setup/power and have times to give me an idea?

Butt-o-meter My first WOT run was ~50 roll. It picked up about the same as a 60 roll when stock I think. It was unimpressive to me, but then again it use to hit the powerband at 60 anyway. 20 mph roll same deal, it was improved for sure, but not hugely better than stock. The shift into second gear was definately better though, the level of acceleration didn't drop off going into second the way it use to. From a dead stop: see above. The biggest improvement is in the way that it removed the previous dead spots. I did a 35 or so roll, and I expected the very bottom of second like when stock but i guess the extra shift extension lets it go down to 1st cause that is what I got. So i upped speed to 40 mph: before I knew what hit me i was topping out second gear. Now, instead of dead spot above first gear below 60 or so it just up and GOOOES. I think the anticipation of getting the converter kind of lessens the effect it has on me, as I was expecting it to kick me in the *** so when it did it was what i expected but didnt like blow me away or anything.......except the 40mph roll

Normal Driving If you are wondering whether or not a converter is for you based on having to drive it every day, let me say this: Just get a damn converter! And do NOT get a small one. Vig3200, TCI SSF3500, Sy3800, etc etc get a bigger stall. (vig 3200 flashes to 3600-3800). My drive home, almost all intersate, was about 65 miles, but i took I80/94 and there was a huge accident/haz mat spill that closed it down forever and caused HUGE traffic it took me four hours and 45 mins to go less than 70 miles! The converter was not a problem for any of it. It was hot outside, and it did end up getting up to like 215* tran temp at the highest but it stopped there and when i did my testing today it topped out at 185*. If you have seen the recent video of a TCI SSF3500 in daily driving, mine is also a little tighter than his. Now, i can very easily drive at a constant 3k rpm while not moving very fast but I can also drive at 2.5k rpm with adequate acceleration for most roads. Sorry for the very long rambling post, thanks for reading it all, hope it helps people out!

Cost to get a converter A converter is a bit more expensive than just the cost of the converter. You also should get a shift kit and a tranny cooler at the very least. Trans-Go shift kit is $110, B&M 24k GVW cooler is $55. Those three combined, for a SSF, are under $700. I went the expensive way this time, even though i installed my own headers i did not trust myself for converter/shift kit/cooler nor did i want to fight with it. I also needed basic tuning anyway.
My bill at LS1 speed was: TCI SSF 3500, transgo shift kit, B&M cooler, TCI deep aluminum trans pan, tuning, autometer single pillar gauge pod, autometer electric trans temp gauge, BMR subframe connectors, and installation of all items was $1,608. About $500 of that was labor. They did a better, cleaner, neater job with everything than I ever could have and I did not have the ability to screw it up . Money well spent if you ask me.

LS1FIRE

iTrader: (1)

Congratulations with the new mods.

AK's WS6

Great post!!!! You have a very similar setup to what I plan on doing. As for times I think if you can hook and get a good '60 you could see a 12.2--12.4ish in the 1/4 mile.

heyitsTaJay

congrats.. just as a side reference. my vig3200 flashes 3800

blkZ28spt

Jay, I changed it to say Vig3200 flashes to 3600-3800. FYI I would probably have bought a vig if it was the same price as the TCI and tried to get a slightly lower STR than 2.5. I had been hoping for low 12's, hopefully I will go to the track for my first time this coming friday and get as below a 12.5 as possible. My 320/337 seems kind of weak compared to a lot of people's (esp newer ones) cars though

I fully realized how quickly it goes from a first gear roll last night at like 4 am. I punched it on a roll from the low 30's with a pickup next to me that thought he was keeping up with me (i was going 3500 rpm but not going very fast) and in like one second he went from right next to me to at leat a car length behind me and in a matter of a few seconds total he was just GONE. Having him as a point of reference made me see just how quickly it covers ground I LOVE IT!

My gas mileage is not bad at all so far either.......only gone through a little over a quarter tank but it's looking like it's right around the 15 mpg i use to get most of the time

AK's WS6

I think your HP #'s are pretty good!!! Most people loose like 15-20ish rwhp with a stall so your #'s for a '98 seem pretty damn good to me!!!! Screw the #'s anyhow....get to the track!!!

heyitsTaJay

i was just saying where mine flashed so that any newbies or inquiring minds can look at what somone who has a vig is flashing at. i tell people what i got and here like...thats small, but what they dont realize is im almost flashing 4000rpm

its all good!

JCurtin

iTrader: (1)

I think those are damn good numbers, I was on the dyno for the 1st time yesterday. I was highly pissed off with my results. It was outside in the heat though. 305/282, with basically the same mods as others that hit 320/330. Wtf is wrong with my car? But blk z28 you asked for times, my best since the stall and headers is 12.65@106.25,
but i normally run 12.7s all day on high 1.8,1.9 60 fts.

blkZ28spt

I am afraid that one of the things some of you are missing is that i made the 320/337 with the unlocked stock converter. I put that in my post but should probably put it in my sig, as the SSF is definately less efficient than the stocker. I do realize that even so I have decent numbers for an automatic '98 and my torque "curve" kicks major ***. (pic of dyno is on my pictures link page, take a look at the torque, from 3500-5k rpm it makes over 325rwtq, which is NICE with a 3500 stall verter!) I think stock auto '98s put down 280-300 rwhp usually?? If i added ~25rwhp with the exhaust, and ~10rwhp with the lid, that would be 285rwhp stock. Give or take on those numbers. That would make sense to me (though a little low).

Jay, I know where you are coming from, that's why I put that in my post. A vig3200 is definately a big enough converter to be worthwile, IMO I happen to be a fan of the Vig converters, I just couldn't afford one very easily and this TCI is one hell of an awsome deal.

Jcurtin, are your numbers SAE corrected? As far as comparing our setups they are very close. I have a slightly better exhaust (duals vs Y-pipe), smaller/lighter wheels/tires, and 3.23's while you have 2.73's. I would be a little dissapointed with 12.65, but would accept it. I'll be shooting for 12.5 or less, but I'm not too optimistic.

blkZ28spt

TTT and update for those interested. I ran three 0-60's tonight. 70* air, 5/8 tank of gas. It was still spinning too much, even when i heated them with a small quick burnout first, but I got 4.55, 4.56, and 4.54. The absolute best i got before stall was 4.88, average low 4.9's, so that makes it a ~0.35 second improvement in the 0-60 alone and i still havn't perfected it. I am going to try and go to the street car chaos at US 41 this friday. Anyone else going to be out there??

JCurtin

iTrader: (1)

your talking g-tech times right? I have no faith them, too many people here have used them, and go to the track and the numbers are way too damn high. As far as times being corrected I have no clue, I have only run the car at scriber raceway nebraska. But that run was on a full tank of gas and the spare and jack were in the back. Funny thing is that I havent hit 12.6 since then, and that was the heaviest my car has been all year!

blkZ28spt

Jcurtin, that is interesting. If you hit the 12.6 then, i can only imagine removing the 60+ pounds of spare tire/jack/lots of gas should get you down into the 12.5X alone. As for the G-tech accuracy: i belive it is fairly precise, especially for quarter mile time and 0-60 time. It may not be hihgly accurate as compared to other measurement methods but at the very least it should be able to give a good idea as to how much of a change something made. ie me comparing pre-converter to now. What do you mean by people going to the track and having the numbers being high? If you mean the trap speed then yes, the G-tech shows a higher trap speed than the track. That is partly because the track actually only tells you your avg speed over the last 60 or so feet.

FenixSS

iTrader: (3)

Newbie question, Vig 3200 FLASHES to 3800, what does Flashes mean?

blkZ28spt

When you step on it, that is how high it goes before fully engaging.