4L80e Converter questions
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 94
Likes: 10
4L80e Converter questions Hey everyone,
I've lurked on this forum for years but just never needed to ask anything specific until now. So I have an 84 Corvette that I swapped in an LS1 and a 4L60e a few years ago. Last winter I changed the cam to a 220/224 575 575 112 lsa and I put on 243 heads and headers. I also put in a Circle D 3000 - 3200 stall converter. The car has a Dana 44 with 3.73 gears. And to top it off I put on a Holley Terminator X.
So the car is a street car that will probably never see an actual drag strip other than the local airport flashlight drags once or twice a year. I drive the car to work once a week, all highway so anything I do to this thing needs to be reliable.
This winter I want to swap in a 4L80e and gap the rings for nitrous. I figured since I have Holley efi I might as well use it's progressive nitrous control. So I'm wanting to do a 150 dry progressive shot. I know the 4L60 won't hold up. So I picked up a freshly built 4L80e that I stumbled onto at a U-pull n pay in Pittsburgh. I'm going to dual feed the pump and do a shift kit. So then the last piece of the puzzle is a converter.
I emailed Circle D and Jakes Performance. Circle D is recommending a 3500-3800 stall $1000 converter. Jakes is saying a 3200 billet, again $1000 converter. Does this seem right? Basically this is a 400 rwhp car with a 150 shot of progressive nitrous. Is there a reason a budget 3200 stall Summit racing or even the lower cost Circle D converter won't work? Also Circle D recommending a stall that high seems odd to me. The car rev's lower than that at highway speeds. Won't that high of a stall overheat the transmission on the highway?
I've lurked on this forum for years but just never needed to ask anything specific until now. So I have an 84 Corvette that I swapped in an LS1 and a 4L60e a few years ago. Last winter I changed the cam to a 220/224 575 575 112 lsa and I put on 243 heads and headers. I also put in a Circle D 3000 - 3200 stall converter. The car has a Dana 44 with 3.73 gears. And to top it off I put on a Holley Terminator X.
So the car is a street car that will probably never see an actual drag strip other than the local airport flashlight drags once or twice a year. I drive the car to work once a week, all highway so anything I do to this thing needs to be reliable.
This winter I want to swap in a 4L80e and gap the rings for nitrous. I figured since I have Holley efi I might as well use it's progressive nitrous control. So I'm wanting to do a 150 dry progressive shot. I know the 4L60 won't hold up. So I picked up a freshly built 4L80e that I stumbled onto at a U-pull n pay in Pittsburgh. I'm going to dual feed the pump and do a shift kit. So then the last piece of the puzzle is a converter.
I emailed Circle D and Jakes Performance. Circle D is recommending a 3500-3800 stall $1000 converter. Jakes is saying a 3200 billet, again $1000 converter. Does this seem right? Basically this is a 400 rwhp car with a 150 shot of progressive nitrous. Is there a reason a budget 3200 stall Summit racing or even the lower cost Circle D converter won't work? Also Circle D recommending a stall that high seems odd to me. The car rev's lower than that at highway speeds. Won't that high of a stall overheat the transmission on the highway?
Last edited by Phobos84; Aug 4, 2020 at 08:39 PM.
Hey everyone,
I've lurked on this forum for years but just never needed to ask anything specific until now. So I have an 84 Corvette that I swapped in an LS1 and a 4L60e a few years ago. Last winter I changed the cam to a 220/224 575 575 112 lsa and I put on 243 heads and headers. I also put in a Circle D 3000 - 3200 stall converter. The car has a Dana 44 with 3.73 gears. And to top it off I put on a Holley Terminator X.
So the car is a street car that will probably never see an actual drag strip other than the local airport flashlight drags once or twice a year. I drive the car to work once a week, all highway so anything I do to this thing needs to be reliable.
This winter I want to swap in a 4L80e and gap the rings for nitrous. I figured since I have Holley efi I might as well use it's progressive nitrous control. So I'm wanting to do a 150 dry progressive shot. I know the 4L60 won't hold up. So I picked up a freshly built 4L80e that I stumbled onto at a U-pull n pay in Pittsburgh. I'm going to dual feed the pump and do a shift kit. So then the last piece of the puzzle is a converter.
I emailed Circle D and Jakes Performance. Circle D is recommending a 3500-3800 stall $1000 converter. Jakes is saying a 3200 billet, again $1000 converter. Does this seem right? Basically this is a 400 rwhp car with a 150 shot of progressive nitrous. Is there a reason a budget 3200 stall Summit racing or even the lower cost Circle D converter won't work? Also Circle D recommending a stall that high seems odd to me. The car rev's lower than that at highway speeds. Won't that high of a stall overheat the transmission on the highway?
I've lurked on this forum for years but just never needed to ask anything specific until now. So I have an 84 Corvette that I swapped in an LS1 and a 4L60e a few years ago. Last winter I changed the cam to a 220/224 575 575 112 lsa and I put on 243 heads and headers. I also put in a Circle D 3000 - 3200 stall converter. The car has a Dana 44 with 3.73 gears. And to top it off I put on a Holley Terminator X.
So the car is a street car that will probably never see an actual drag strip other than the local airport flashlight drags once or twice a year. I drive the car to work once a week, all highway so anything I do to this thing needs to be reliable.
This winter I want to swap in a 4L80e and gap the rings for nitrous. I figured since I have Holley efi I might as well use it's progressive nitrous control. So I'm wanting to do a 150 dry progressive shot. I know the 4L60 won't hold up. So I picked up a freshly built 4L80e that I stumbled onto at a U-pull n pay in Pittsburgh. I'm going to dual feed the pump and do a shift kit. So then the last piece of the puzzle is a converter.
I emailed Circle D and Jakes Performance. Circle D is recommending a 3500-3800 stall $1000 converter. Jakes is saying a 3200 billet, again $1000 converter. Does this seem right? Basically this is a 400 rwhp car with a 150 shot of progressive nitrous. Is there a reason a budget 3200 stall Summit racing or even the lower cost Circle D converter won't work? Also Circle D recommending a stall that high seems odd to me. The car rev's lower than that at highway speeds. Won't that high of a stall overheat the transmission on the highway?
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FTI COMPETITION CONVERTERS AND TRANSMISSIONS
"IT'S NOT CHEATING, IT'S THE COMPETITIVE EDGE."
1-866-726-8358
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FTIPerformance.com
FTI Converter build sheet
FTI COMPETITION CONVERTERS AND TRANSMISSIONS
"IT'S NOT CHEATING, IT'S THE COMPETITIVE EDGE."
1-866-726-8358
info@ftiperformance.com
FTIPerformance.com
FTI Converter build sheet
TECH Junkie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 716
From: Poplarville, MS
TECH Junkie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 716
From: Poplarville, MS
If you skip on the budget converter you will regret it. Most are too loose and they tend to not hold up to the power. I would not go less than a 9.5" billet converter with 3200 stall speed, 3400 to 3600 would give you the best performance.
TECH Junkie
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,615
Likes: 1,327
From: Iowa
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 94
Likes: 10
Thank you guys so much for all the help. People like you are why I came here for help. There is so much conflicting info about converters. One shop told me to just add 500 rpm to the low rpm range of my cam and buy a stall with that rpm. Well Elgin says the rpm range is 2000 - 4000. I dont think a 2500 stall would work well for me.
I guess I'm glad I just paid off my credit card.
I guess I'm glad I just paid off my credit card.
