damon_Z

I've already made up my mind. I don't want a higher stall torque converter. Period. My car is a daily driver and I don't want anybody saying how their SS3800 is streetable, because I know for a fact that they don't drive anywhere as normal as stock. With that said, how would my car do in the quarter mile with the stock converter, all external bolt-ons, a custom CheaTR cam, high-flowing heads, a ported FAST intake, all-season tires, and a launch from idle? Thanks in advance for the info.

Ragtop 99

iTrader: (7)

Your 60' will suck as no converter and crappy tires will conspire to ruin your launch. Adding to your woes is the fact that your cam is not matched to your proposed mods.

I'd guess 12.3, maybe 12.0 with a real high shift point and Atco's mine shaft DA in the winter.

Blacker

iTrader: (3)

On top of that, the shift extensions will suck. With the stock TC, you will drop out of the power band between shifts. The car will not be a drag queen considering the mods going into it

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

The car will definitely be slow for the mods and im sure you will be dissapointed in it. The car prob wont pull a stingy hair out of a cats *** out the hole. Your gunna everything fighting each other instead of working together.

If you wanted the car to drive like stock you should have left it stock

VORTECFCAR

iTrader: (2)

Just do it man. You could probably go 224/224 and still do just fine assuming you add headers. The car will still be fun, you just wont have a timeslip to brag about.

PBA

You do not need a 3,800 rpm stall here. Just go with something much lower, that way you still get the advantages of the lighter weight torque converter, some stall so as to help launch the vehicle, the WOt shifts will be much easier on the geartrain, the rpm's will not fall back as much on the WOT shifts, etc. If you keep the duation at .050" at around 220-224 Intake, 226-230 Exhaust, Lobe Centerline at 112-113, then a 2,600-2,800 rpm stall would be a good choice here.

darrensls1

What is the normal you are referring to? Soft launch normal? Crappy shift extension normal? Massive dead spot from 31-50 with 3.23 gears normal?

That was the normal I wanted to get the heck away from. You know when I really notice my converter? When I'm at the track or backing up in reverse. One is a very good thing and the other is easily tolerated. My car is now normal. If I were to drive a stock stall again I would be like "WTF, something is wrong with this car"

Like previously stated the car will never see anything that resembles a decent 60'. You need to stay small on the cam specs and be prepared to ease into a full throttle when you launch.

Your times will suck for a heads/cam F-body but it should still be fast enough to beat most bolt-on cars. And your trap speed will look impressive.

slow14U

The whole point of modding is better performance and you can do it the right way or the wrong way. It's kind of defeating the whole purpose or your heads/cam package. Not to mention, your drivability might not be better with the stock tq in that setup. It could possibly be worse off. The stock verter is engineered for stock performing engines. You'd be better off with a bit more converter, imo. I don't think you will suffer any drivability loss with a smaller verter like a 2800-3200. You will loose a lot of short track time, and your back half time will be slightly better then stock. And as previously stated, your 60' times will be suffering. Your combo will be incompatable.

1fastz

iTrader: (16)

dude....just get a converter!!! i think a converter by itself if you compare it seperately to a pair of heads or a cam, the higher stall will drop the most time in the quarter mile.

slow14U

I agree with the above. A good converter alone will do better then a h/c package.

RooRnZ28

iTrader: (14)

yes, get a converter, the stock stall is crappy with anything bigger than the stock cam... i had a hotcam with the stock stall, and when you floored it, it would bog until about 3-3.5k where it would pick up and then really come alive uptop. the acceleration actually felt slower until it got into the upper rpms. a stall would have eliminated all of that

Raise

iTrader: (31)

i think even on a stock ls1, you dont see the full potential of the motor because it takes too long to get in your power band with an auto. add to that heads and cam, and the problem actually worsens if im correct. the power band is moved up in the rpm range, and it will be even harder/take even longer to reach your power band, thus your car will feel slow and sluggish around town. i know a lot of guys who throw in a good size converter on a stock motor, and they dont need anything else. but if you do plan to do internal mods AND a converter, id say the trick is to match the converter to the torque curve of the h/c setup. ive had several h/c ls1 m6 cars, and this is my first auto....well, the first auto to have any mods done to it anyway. i plan to install a converter on the stock motor with bolt ons, see where im at, and go from there

BlackHawk T/A

iTrader: (3)

Converter first. Just do a real tight 3000 converter from Yank. It will do wonders and you will barely notice it.

Heads/cam is not a good idea with the stock torque converter. It isn't just the users on this site that will tell you that, the cam companies state it themselves. You will hate the way your car drives with heads/cam and the stock converter.

And it isn't just the stall speed. When you go from a 12" to a 9" converter you lose 20lbs of rotating weight.

If you don't, you are going to wish you had listened to everyone

LS1rulz

iTrader: (1)

The most cost-effective mod you can do to an auto car is an appropriately sized stall. Go up!

DadsZ28

iTrader: (1)

Hi Damon whats up dude? I just put a vig 3200 converter in my Z after contemplating all winter whether to do it or not. Well it is the first major mod that i have done since i've had the car and let me tell you it is definatley worth it. I dont dd my car but i'll tell ya it is totally streetable. I have about 600 miles on it so far and it is sooo easy to get used to. My only problem is traction now as i have gotten nittos but they dont hook as well as i would have thought but have cut up to 2 tenths off my sixtys. I'm running 12.40s to 12.50s in normal air now and still have some room for improvement. I was running 12.75 to 12.80 the week before the converter. Note: my trap speed in the 108-109 range not the freak 111-112 in dec. when i saw ya last year. The vig 3200 is very streetable just make sure you have it tuned correctly. Good luck man.

BlackHawk T/A

iTrader: (3)

Just a note...the Vigilante 3200 mentioned above is roughly equal in stall speed to the Yank SS3600.