Onebadwedge

iTrader: (1)

I watched this video of the SSF3500 in action
on a car with NITTO drag radials, and a "smallish" cam:

00 Z28 black A4 3.42's, hooker catback !fra, nitto 555R DR,
TSP lid,ported tb,!egr,!air, pacesetter LT/ORY,ls6 intake,
224/226 cam,tci SSF 3500(shiftkit,cooler),
BMR PHR/LCA/STR,160 T,ASP pulley,
THREAD https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic-transmission/179872-tci-ssf-3500-40-meg-video-city-driving-promised.html



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I want to know someone who has a SY3500 or a Y3000
to compare their driving experience with the video.



MY IMPRESSIONS FROM THE VIDEO.
1. Under LIGHT THROTTLE, he drives at 1800 RPM's and accelerates
smoothly, but slowly, because other "normal" cars are passing him.
That is to be expected because ANY higher stall converter
is going to be slower UNDER it's stall because tranny is slipping.
The speed with which he achieved "lock-up" was
almost acceptable to me. I wish it wouldn't slip quite so much.

2. Under MODERATE THROTTLE, he drives right at 3000 RPM and
holds that RPM while the tranny shifts until "lock-up". This
acceleration was quicker than 1. above. The amount of
acceleration seemed acceptable to me.

3. It seemed to me from the video that most of his "NORMAL"
driving was around 2000-2500 RPM. Cars were passing
him because the tranny was slipping. I'm ASSUMING that
the STOCK torque converter if driven in this identical
car in this same style would be accelerating faster.

4. He did kind of "step on it" from about a 1500RPM cruising
at 40MPH, he went about 60% throttle and the rpms
IMMEDIATELY went to 3500 and car started accelerating
very hard. This was acceptable to me.

5. I never heard him say anything about tire spin, but
he does have NITTOS and he didn't do anything from
a dead stop. I would be on STREET TIRES, so I"m
not sure if I would be spinning or not.

6. He did "floor it" from about 30MPH in a subdivision
for about 4-5 seconds near the end, but he didn't
say anything about tire spin there either.


So from my "analysis" I'm thinking I want the Y3000, 2.0 str
instead of the SSF3500 because the SSF3500 is too loose
for me. For me, driving around at 2000=2500 is my normal
driving style too, and I'd rather not be slipping quite so much.

***So I'm thinking if my stall is 3000, then I'd have "less" slipping.
Also the 2.0 str should be more efficient so I would have
"less" slippage at ALL RPMs.

Then I go to YANK website and compare the Y3000 vs SY3500
and the seem practically the same from these graphs:
http://www.converter.cc/super_yank_dyno_overlay.htm
ALSO from YANK's website, I see the comparison BELOW 3000
and above 3000:
http://www.converter.cc/off_the_line_torque.htm
They are very similiar BELOW 3000. Which would help with
my STREET tires. But ABOVE 3000, the SY3500 is much better.

***No now I think I can get the SY3500 with 1.7 str.
***NOW I AM CONFUSED.

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I have Pirelli Pzero tires that pick up all stones on the road
and fling them into my floor boards, so I would consider
them "sticky" but no as "sticky" as a NITTO. I'm just guessing
because I've never had any expierence with NITTO's.


GOALS
-------------------------------------------------------------
* I want to stay on STREET TIRES.
* This is a STREET DRIVEN car, no track time.
* I want an aftermarket converter

I wonder which converter(SY3500, Y3000) would be more
friendly to my STREET TIRES on launch?

I wonder how the SY3500 1.6str compares driving wise to the
video of the SSF3500 2.5str?

I wonder how the Y3000 2.0str compares driving wise to the
video of the SSF3500 2.5str?

Sorry for all the information, but I'm just trying to spend
$1000.00 wisely for TC and install and tuning.

SY3500 or Y3000 or SSF3500?

thanks again.

blkZ28spt

If you really truly do not want to get drag radials and only run street tires (though some "normal" street tires do have lots of stick) you are probably better off with something below the SSF's 2.5 STR. Usually the SY3500 is recomended for street tires only due to the stock level STR. Maybe the SY3500 is for you? I would NOT get the 3000 stall. As for looseness, i can drive all day at 2-2.5k rpm in my SSF3500 or hover right at 3k as the guy in the video did (taking your word, i didn't watch it yet), and the SY3500 would be tighter than the SSF because of the lower STR.
That being said, I love my SSF3500 with nittos!

P.S. I just looked at the link to the video you are referring to, and I believe the consensus opinion on that one was that his was looser than anyone who is running bolt-ons only. His is either looser than most for some unknown reason, or the cam/other mods/etc pushed his stall speed higher.

pekkaz

I watched some of the video. My SY3500 with 3.73s may be a tad tighter but the behaviour on the video seems close.

I was also worried about converter being loose but the feeling is not bad at all. Looseness should not become real issue but loud exhaust & ORY rasp combined with stall can be annoying.

Y3000 quickly becomes obsolete if you do any engine mods. I'd get SY3500 again or even higher.

Colonel

"and the SY3500 would be tighter than the SSF because of the lower STR."

The lower STR will cause the SY to feel looser during part throttle than the SSF3500. I've had both. The SY3500 seemed a little looser to me despite having the advantage of 3.73 gears instead of 3.23 gears.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

Yank's pages have some pretty good visual explanation
of how STR affects the "coupling slope" of the converter.

The SF 3000/2.2 might not be a bad choice in a TCI,
it's able to roast the tires plenty but is fairly mild-
mannered at low pedal and doesn't feel like you're
driving a paddleboat.

nuzee

iTrader: (2)

Looking at the torque curve "coupling slope" for the Yank 3000, the 900 to 1700 rpm range appears really loose. When I test drove a Yank 3000, that is exactly how it was at parking lot speed, loose. Most of my street driving is within that rpm range, so that is why I am not too keen on the Y3000.

Its too bad that similar curves are not available for the TCIs or the new Yank SS series. That would really be helpful.

Jimmyblue
So can the TCI SF3000 keep up with city traffic from a stop without reving >2000 rpm?

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

Well, I live in a town with a large geezer load,
so 2000RPM is a pretty normal push-out RPM
(sad to say). My Streetfighter will move out
with modest pedal. It gives a pretty pedal-
proportional thrust from off-idle on up, not
a "nothing, then hang on" kind of response.
But personally I could've stood to go bigger,
just like everybody says, and I'm not that
hardcore.

I think my ideal converter would be something
like a 3500/2.0 (any more RPM would annoy,
any more STR just eats street tires). But now
that's putting a pretty fine point on it.

Maybe Chevy High Performance dude will do
a converter shootout next... ???

"Choosing The Ultimate Street, Street/Strip
and Strip Converter" - you could milk that one
for three issues at least

samz28

i run the nitto 555 DR's at 25psi hot. After a no-lo laying drag, 40-6-16, 68 in 35, and 45 in 22, i drive quite tamely now. Thats the last 8 months. Insurance is gonna beat me down.

The converter bites *** for city driving str8 up. It's fine and dandy in the 50+mph consistent range, but the car is so damn loud now and eats so much gas due to my "city" not wanting any more tickets mode.

It will annihilate the nittos (when not warmed up properly) if i drop the hammer under 30mph. The car would annihilate the yoko A-509 bone stock with 2.73's for about 30 feet.

If ASR is on, it will lay drag for about 10-15 feet before the ASR can stop the nitto's from spinning. At the track, i find the nitto's are too challenging and wasteful for the torque. ET's make alot more sense and you dont eat up tires that last for 5-6K miles before they are not safe for highway rainy conditions?

Onebadwedge

iTrader: (1)

I'm the original poster.

Remember I'm on street tires and I don't go to the track.

What if I went with the SY3500 now, then some time during
the summer went with a H/C package(228ish cam).

Would the converter be LOOSER or TIGHTER?
Right now I idle in gear at about 650RPM, with the H/C
it would be about 900ish-1000.

SOME EXTRA INFO.
I agree with colnel that the SY would be looser with lower STR,
I thought that was the way STR worked. That does make
me wonder though, from the video. Since the SSF3500 has
a 2.5str(that's pretty high) it's still so loose. So the SY3500
with 1.7str would be even looser than the video, even worse
on gas, etc. (I know the consensus of the VIDEO thread was
that his SSF3500 was looser than most everyone else). Since
the consensus was his is looser, maybe it would be more
in line with what a SY3500 would be.


thanks, keep you opinions coming with great information!

Colonel

I had a SY3500 with 3.73 gears. It was very ok for daily driving. Pretty nice actually.

I later had a SSF3500 with 3.23 gears in another car. That was a slightly tighter combo despite the gearing disadvantage. This was my favorite converter/gear combo for daily driving that I've had.

So yes, the SY3500 is looser. However, I don't know why someone would think a SSF3500 is loose. Maybe the video doesn't substitute for actually driving one but it's a fairly tight converter (yes, in part due to it's high STR), IMO. A nice daily driver.

samz28

loose is always subjective as well. someone who is stuck in stoplight traffic versus someone cruising 45-50+ for long periods will have a much different subjective definition of "loose".

loose to me is worst case city driving, bumper to bumper, 0% highway.

there's not alot of stall'd cars driving around this city

Onebadwedge

iTrader: (1)

Original poster again, with more questions...

Anyone with a Y3000 want to chime in?

Thanks Colonel for your SSF3500 3.23 vs SY3500 3.73
comparison, that helped a lot.

Now I'm leaning more towards the SSF3500. Originally
that high str of 2.5 was making me think that I would
be spinning the tires even under "slightly" spirited driving
on the street. I understand that I couldn't just "floor it"
from a stop, but that's acceptable. Even stock, the tires
usually just spin for a second or two and then hook, so
I don't do it. I usually just ease into the throttle anyways.
Usually around 2000-2500 RPM is what I consider "slightly"
spirited driving. From the video and from "jimmyblue"'s
description of his SF3000/2.2, it looks like 2000-2500RPM
with a SSF3500 would be able to hook just like
I do right now stock in my "slightly" spirited driving.
Then once I get to about 30-40 ish, I can start to
ease the pedal to the floor and RPM's will get up
to 3500 and I will just take off.

I hope my "impressions" are pretty close to what
I will be expirencing.

thanks everyone

Ragtop 99

iTrader: (7)

I've driven the SY 3500 & 3.23 combo. Most of the time, 2200 - 2400 rpm was all that was need to stay with the pack in town. In heavy, slow traffic, I used less rpm, 1800 - 2200. At 2800 rpm I was leaving the pack in the dust. It was an easy converter to launch hard on the 17" stock SS tires. It is probably not not as tight the SSF, but it is a great stoplight racing converter.

Colonel

Yeah, the SY3500 and 3.23 gears would be perfect for REGULAR radial tires in a stoplight race. You could pretty much nail it dead to the floor without spinning them much. Then the super efficiency and good shift extension would help from there on out.

2001-WS6

Another fan of the SY-3500 here.

It went in the car at the 1,000 mile mark. The guys at the shop thought it was off a bit from the perfect choice because it was a touch looser than other combos they had played with at the time on the 3.23s. It only takes you 48 hours to adjust. It ran well with the heads and cam package. It snugged up when I went to the 3.73s.

It still ran great when the MTI 422 went in and it put the power to the 26" ET drags too with 1.5xs. Best of all it could lift the wheels on a 3,850lbs car that drove 180 miles round to the track while cutting nice 1.45-1.48s with addition of the 100 shot. In all those stages, we're talking about a daily driven car that took the kids to school and ran through the winters until the dual stage nitrous went on last summer.

The SY-3500 will serve you will but you will need to match your other pieces to it's strengths. You will find that even with that "soft" converter, the Nittos will be worth the investment for 6K miles of summer time fun. You live in Ohio, you will go to Norwalk some day... do not bother with anything less than the a 3500 stall. There are other options in the 3500, but I would still be hard pressed to pick a different converter based on the path that I built up my car.

Rick

samz28

yah if you got cam/boltson you will find it more wise to skip nitto's at the track and go ET's. and a Line lock

Taking off several hundreds of precious street miles at a time on your nittos which safely last 6K miles (wet traction limit), makes it totally worthwhile to drive with slicks on the track.