Convertor diameter
12-06-2006, 08:52 AM
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You go to smaller diameters to get a higher stall
speed more efficiently and pay less of a penalty
in weight / rotating mass. The stall/STR profile is
more directly related to the idle, low pedal coupling
and the diameter is what you do, to get there.
Kinda.
Biggest issue with small diameter converters is the
lesser area and radius of the converter lockup clutch.
You have to work harder to get a good enough
torque capacity into a smaller space, need more
applied clutch force to make up for the reduced
radius and you spread the clutch heat into a
smaller area when you are slipping it.
Below 10" I'd call "race only" and expect no lockup?
The majority of "street" and "street/strip" seem to be
in the 9.5-10" range, probably because of the organ
donor pool (V6 and the like use smaller converters).
I have a 10" 3500/2.0 and it creeps fine on the level
(at a 700RPM idle).
speed more efficiently and pay less of a penalty
in weight / rotating mass. The stall/STR profile is
more directly related to the idle, low pedal coupling
and the diameter is what you do, to get there.
Kinda.
Biggest issue with small diameter converters is the
lesser area and radius of the converter lockup clutch.
You have to work harder to get a good enough
torque capacity into a smaller space, need more
applied clutch force to make up for the reduced
radius and you spread the clutch heat into a
smaller area when you are slipping it.
Below 10" I'd call "race only" and expect no lockup?
The majority of "street" and "street/strip" seem to be
in the 9.5-10" range, probably because of the organ
donor pool (V6 and the like use smaller converters).
I have a 10" 3500/2.0 and it creeps fine on the level
(at a 700RPM idle).