Which converter to get
05-13-2004, 12:51 AM
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Which converter to get I just installed a cam in my car (mti T1 cam,221/221 .558 .558 112 lsa) and i'm in need of a converter.My car is a daily driver, and i need it to be very reliable as i drive a lot.Which converter will be best for my setup?Let me know.
Thanks
Thanks
05-13-2004, 10:08 AM
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How do you drive? The converter locks up in 4th at 900rpm on my car (35-40mph) so once you're locked up mpg and noise and looseness is gone. This is good for people who can sustain this speed (aka freeway). For those in 99% city, this is bad, it will eat your mpg up like candy. 10-12mpg easy.
Anyways. I found the tci ssf 3500 too small for my cam. I'd have gone to 3800-4000 (probably 4000) if i had the chance to do it all over again.
Vig3200 is not the same as a TCI SSF 3500. converters are rated on a baseline car, with (or without) mods. If you add more torque, you change the behaviour of the converter slightly. While the SSF 3500 kicks *** for rolling around and freeway and all that jazz, its just slightly too small for the drag strip imo.
Based on my mods in my sig.
If i shift at 6600 it drops back to 5010rpm.
If i shift at 6089 it drops back to 4600rpm.
Now look at the dyno chart in my sig and you'll see why i dont like the verter for strip. If i could get another 500rpm of shift extension i'd probably grab a 1/10th or two, and when you're rocking out 12.163's thats all it takes (to reach my goal and not get banned for no cage/ds loop).
I'd say TCI 3800 or those nifty SS3800/SS4000 yanks if you can afford that. The bargain price of the TCI SSF3500 cannot be denied. You can find them 10% off now and then bringing them under $500 when sponsors have a sale. Not many other verters will give the same bang for $$buck$$ as the ssf3500. Just that i think it would
be best mated to a bolton-only car. Since alot of the power i get from the cam is high rpm.
Anyways. I found the tci ssf 3500 too small for my cam. I'd have gone to 3800-4000 (probably 4000) if i had the chance to do it all over again.
Vig3200 is not the same as a TCI SSF 3500. converters are rated on a baseline car, with (or without) mods. If you add more torque, you change the behaviour of the converter slightly. While the SSF 3500 kicks *** for rolling around and freeway and all that jazz, its just slightly too small for the drag strip imo.
Based on my mods in my sig.
If i shift at 6600 it drops back to 5010rpm.
If i shift at 6089 it drops back to 4600rpm.
Now look at the dyno chart in my sig and you'll see why i dont like the verter for strip. If i could get another 500rpm of shift extension i'd probably grab a 1/10th or two, and when you're rocking out 12.163's thats all it takes (to reach my goal and not get banned for no cage/ds loop).
I'd say TCI 3800 or those nifty SS3800/SS4000 yanks if you can afford that. The bargain price of the TCI SSF3500 cannot be denied. You can find them 10% off now and then bringing them under $500 when sponsors have a sale. Not many other verters will give the same bang for $$buck$$ as the ssf3500. Just that i think it would
be best mated to a bolton-only car. Since alot of the power i get from the cam is high rpm.
05-13-2004, 01:17 PM
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I will be driving mostly in the city.i'm confused guys! The people at the shop told me that they wouldn't go with a converter higher than 3000 cause it might damage emy tranny,but then alot of people say not to waste money on a verter if its below 3200.I don't get it.So you think a 3000 would do it?
05-13-2004, 01:35 PM
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http://home.test-afl.homecom.com/sbr...aro/camaro.wmv
Listen to the rpm's when im slowing moving around. Yes thats 2000-3000rpm's until i hit lockup. Thats craptastic gas mileage too (since your not locked up).
My setup is probably more aggressive that alot of others, i engage 4th gear lockup at like 40mph and disengage at 35mph (pita on a 112+4). Even so the motor with cam is not very efficient at such rpm's and runs a bit rich (hard to tell with no cats).
Anyways. I get 9-12mpg in the city when the speed limit is 35 and enforced (45=ticket). Also in heavy traffic i get bout 8-9mpg.
Its probably not going to matter if you get a 2800 - 4400 in the city. You will pay dearly if you are in the "not locked up" mph range.
Also with a big 112 cam you will have to raise the idle a little which burns more gas (and eyes) at idle.
Once you clear 40+ mph and sustain that you won't tell the difference between stock and 2000-4400 stall since its LOCKED UP. But in the city, (atl peachtree). With the cops being ******, it really sucks ***** on the gas. I do a 14 gallon tank, driving 2 miles each way to work. in the winter the MPG is less due to the need to warm up the car and the inherent cold start enrichment.
I'd strongly suggest a city driver DRIVE a stall'd automatic doesnt matter what it is, before you committ to it. Those that say its transparent, you'll get used to it, etc, are the ones who are driving locked up.
My car is loud, obnoxius, i've gotten a ticket related to its loudness (loud=fast acceleration right?), and gets craptacular gas mileage.
But it sure hauls ***
and the city folk here always trip out when im loping at idle with the mild 112 cam.
p.s. a trans shift kit, BIG trans cooler, and probably a deep pan a must in the city, since you're doing alot of unlocked "slipping" it will naturally increase the trans temps and kill the tranny faster if you dont watch the temps. But thank god A4's aren't that expensive to rebuild eh?
Listen to the rpm's when im slowing moving around. Yes thats 2000-3000rpm's until i hit lockup. Thats craptastic gas mileage too (since your not locked up).
My setup is probably more aggressive that alot of others, i engage 4th gear lockup at like 40mph and disengage at 35mph (pita on a 112+4). Even so the motor with cam is not very efficient at such rpm's and runs a bit rich (hard to tell with no cats).
Anyways. I get 9-12mpg in the city when the speed limit is 35 and enforced (45=ticket). Also in heavy traffic i get bout 8-9mpg.
Its probably not going to matter if you get a 2800 - 4400 in the city. You will pay dearly if you are in the "not locked up" mph range.
Also with a big 112 cam you will have to raise the idle a little which burns more gas (and eyes) at idle.
Once you clear 40+ mph and sustain that you won't tell the difference between stock and 2000-4400 stall since its LOCKED UP. But in the city, (atl peachtree). With the cops being ******, it really sucks ***** on the gas. I do a 14 gallon tank, driving 2 miles each way to work. in the winter the MPG is less due to the need to warm up the car and the inherent cold start enrichment.
I'd strongly suggest a city driver DRIVE a stall'd automatic doesnt matter what it is, before you committ to it. Those that say its transparent, you'll get used to it, etc, are the ones who are driving locked up.
My car is loud, obnoxius, i've gotten a ticket related to its loudness (loud=fast acceleration right?), and gets craptacular gas mileage.
But it sure hauls ***
and the city folk here always trip out when im loping at idle with the mild 112 cam.p.s. a trans shift kit, BIG trans cooler, and probably a deep pan a must in the city, since you're doing alot of unlocked "slipping" it will naturally increase the trans temps and kill the tranny faster if you dont watch the temps. But thank god A4's aren't that expensive to rebuild eh?
05-13-2004, 01:36 PM
#7
I am running a Yank SY3500 with 323's & have the TR220/581 &112. Basically the same set up you have.
I have over 5K on my converter & 143K on my car. NO problems as of yet. ( cross fingers
)
With that said the SY series has a lower STR which means that it will not shift as hard. Smooth as silk.... & still get 23-24 mpg ( hwy)
I know a guy that is selling one brand new in the box with a 2 yr warranty. Brand new you are looking @ approx. $875.00.. he is selling this one for around $650 ish..?
Anyway, good luck...
I have over 5K on my converter & 143K on my car. NO problems as of yet. ( cross fingers
)With that said the SY series has a lower STR which means that it will not shift as hard. Smooth as silk.... & still get 23-24 mpg ( hwy)
I know a guy that is selling one brand new in the box with a 2 yr warranty. Brand new you are looking @ approx. $875.00.. he is selling this one for around $650 ish..?
Anyway, good luck...
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05-15-2004, 05:11 PM
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shift kit and some tuning to boot. none of that hyptech/diablo junk, don't want to be banging redline all the time.
if you are gonna drag race, i suggest a line lock and deep pan too. Those brake stand burnouts probably aren't very good for the rear discs and add more stress to the trans.
oh yeah, drag radials. vig 3200 are known to be more like a 3600stall so you'll kill ya self with street tires. Plus you'll probably rack up some laying drag tickets really easy. hell with nitto's i can lay 10 feet of drag before ASR can kick in and stop a hard launch . I might have to tune the ASR to be more aggressive for safety when i get around to it. cops dont like the laying drag thing
if you are gonna drag race, i suggest a line lock and deep pan too. Those brake stand burnouts probably aren't very good for the rear discs and add more stress to the trans.
oh yeah, drag radials. vig 3200 are known to be more like a 3600stall so you'll kill ya self with street tires. Plus you'll probably rack up some laying drag tickets really easy. hell with nitto's i can lay 10 feet of drag before ASR can kick in and stop a hard launch . I might have to tune the ASR to be more aggressive for safety when i get around to it. cops dont like the laying drag thing
05-15-2004, 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by samz28
shift kit and some tuning to boot. none of that hyptech/diablo junk, don't want to be banging redline all the time.
if you are gonna drag race, i suggest a line lock and deep pan too. Those brake stand burnouts probably aren't very good for the rear discs and add more stress to the trans.
oh yeah, drag radials. vig 3200 are known to be more like a 3600stall so you'll kill ya self with street tires. Plus you'll probably rack up some laying drag tickets really easy. hell with nitto's i can lay 10 feet of drag before ASR can kick in and stop a hard launch . I might have to tune the ASR to be more aggressive for safety when i get around to it. cops dont like the laying drag thing
if you are gonna drag race, i suggest a line lock and deep pan too. Those brake stand burnouts probably aren't very good for the rear discs and add more stress to the trans.
oh yeah, drag radials. vig 3200 are known to be more like a 3600stall so you'll kill ya self with street tires. Plus you'll probably rack up some laying drag tickets really easy. hell with nitto's i can lay 10 feet of drag before ASR can kick in and stop a hard launch . I might have to tune the ASR to be more aggressive for safety when i get around to it. cops dont like the laying drag thing
nice video man, thats the stall converter i'm goin with, my question is you have no cats right, there's no raspiness or resanation at all, whys that ???
05-15-2004, 06:47 PM
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pacesuckah long tubes, ory, and hooker catback the hooker takes care of the exhaust note. loud but a good loud. i need to take some more vids , will try tomorrow
then i can have a dude in the back seat record the dash while i drive in city and freeway scenarios to show in more detail what a t/c behaves like. Should be pretty good if i get around to it. drive up some hills at speed limit, down some hills, flat land, show lockup in 4th at 38-40mph , etc. my a4 tune isn't perfect but it drives damn good.
the hooker takes care of the exhaust note. loud but a good loud. i need to take some more vids , will try tomorrowthen i can have a dude in the back seat record the dash while i drive in city and freeway scenarios to show in more detail what a t/c behaves like. Should be pretty good if i get around to it. drive up some hills at speed limit, down some hills, flat land, show lockup in 4th at 38-40mph , etc. my a4 tune isn't perfect but it drives damn good.
05-18-2004, 09:38 AM
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shift kit's can increase oil flow to certain known to fail areas and make shifts firmer. This cannot be done in programming. The transgo kit corrects "SOME" but not all design flaws when wanking the **** out of the 4l60E.
The basic premise is the stock shifting is slow, to feel smooth, this is like granny clutching, smoking the clutch packs. When you are racing.
No point in shifting slow when the computer can shift fast and drop the hammer.
The basic premise is the stock shifting is slow, to feel smooth, this is like granny clutching, smoking the clutch packs. When you are racing.
No point in shifting slow when the computer can shift fast and drop the hammer.