I hate the sluggish throttle feel with my cammed 552 rwhp LS7,125mph trap speed, with a 3000 rpm stall converter on my strengthened 4L60E in my VZ Holden Ute. I do not want to drag race but at lower rpms on the road I want it to feel like a manual with the throttle, as in locked up fully at around 2000 rpm. I would accept needing a hard foot on the brake at the 1000rpm idle in gear. Is there a TC which can basically be a clutch eliminator only?

 

So...you want to do away with the benefit of a torque converter...while Still having a tq convertr?
Seems silly to me

Get a triple disc and have it lock up whenever you want. Say sorry to your hard parts in the trans before you do so, they're gonna get mad

 

What kind of car ?
What is your current torque converter brand and model ? Slippage/efficiency varies greatly between brands and models.

 

Thanks to Physics (Fluid Dynamics) , what you are asking for is simply not possible from a torque-converter in terms of how it transfers energy (and I mean this simply as in the way a 2-element fluid-coupling functions without torque multiplication).
3-element torque-converters (torque multiplying) further compound this via a stator which will reverse the fluid direction during low-speed acceleration.

Contact Dalton of FTI (Sponsor/ Member here) to have him spec you an ideal torque-converter for your vehicle/ combo... this would be about as good as you are going to get in terms of vehicle acceleration with an automatic transmission.

 

On my 98Z with the OEM factory converter (1800 stall rated) and 3.23 gears, 'blipping' the throttle would cause the front end to 'jump up' as a stick shift would. When I put a TCI 'breakaway' 2800 in, all that 'jump' was lost due to slippage inefftciency ( but still running the 3.23 gears). When I put a 4.56 rear end in (with that TCI 2800), some of the front end jump up returned because of the now better mechanical advantage of the powertrain over the weight resistance of the car, but it wasn't like the OEM converter with 3.23 gears..Next was a Yank SS3600 and that brought the front end jump almost all the way back (with either 3.23s or 4.56s'). So it depends on the built in looseness/tightness of the converter.
That's why I asked what car and what converter in a previous post.

 

Thanks for the replies. I need a manual transmission. The lack of throttle response for 99% of my driving just so I can run quick ETs ruins the enjoyment. It is part throttle 'feel the torque' is what I had with a milder cam and the stock converter and what I now miss. All I get now is a bunch of noise as I watch the tach zing up past 3000 rpm with next to no shove in the back until it locks up. I believe the stock TC had around a 1400 rpm stall. Yes it was a bit of a pain at idle in gear as it could slowly turn the tires on a painted workshop floor standing still with the brake holding it. You could drive along at 2000 rpm in 2nd gear and chirp the tires at will previously. If I put in a 2000 rpm stall TC with no intention of using full throttle below 4000 rpm, why would that excessively load the transmission? I do have a trans oil cooler installed.

 

Important question, a 2000 OEM factory stall OR an aftermarket 2000 stall (brand ?) ?

 

**I want to feel fast while actually being slow**
That's what this thread should have been titled

If you want that "feel" then get a triple disc and lock it up on a switch.
The tq converter will literally be locked like a clutch

otherwise just get a manual trans and move on

a tq converter doesn't drive like a stick car...never has...never will...isn't designed to.

 

I am not familiar with a "triple disc" lock up device for a TC. Could you please advise who sells these? Cheers. What I am suggesting will not make the car "slow" as when you want to go fast on the street you are always above 4000rpm so irrelevant when the TC locks up below that rpm. I already stated I don't need to go drag racing.

 

Just swap to a manual. You seem like a customer that won't be happy with anything less

 

STR is something that used to be discussed a lot on here. A converter with high Stall torque ratio supposedly gives that hard initial hit.

As mentioned above, my Yank SS3600 (2.5 STR) will easily jump the front end up with a throttle blip from a stop. Plenty of tip-in part throttle torque. This is on a 340rwhp motor and 3.42s.

I should mention that sticky tires are a must to really get it to jump. Otherwise the tires just spin.

 

you could always have your tuner set the converter lockup to not release with a higher % throttle. That is why some are suggesting a triple disc lockup converter (you have to change the tq converter) because it will take this abuse better...your transmission won't last as long if you are doing too much acceleration under lockup though.

 

The answer is to pull the hot cam, put in a stocker and add a supercharger and sufficient intake cooling. I have an SL55 Merc which also traps at 125mph despite being 200kg heavier than the LS7 Ute. That would need almost 800 fwhp. It jumps on the throttle, the car feels like a real performance car, unlike the ute, which except under full throttle, just makes noise. So for the street and no interest in drag racing, a hot cam needs a manual transmission. If stuck with an auto then a blown motor is the way to go. Thank you all for your comments, I have learned a lot. Cheers.

 

This is certainly not the case in general, but very well might be subjectively true in your case. It's really more about the overall package, but individual perception also plays a role. For example, some folks are particularly bothered by the "loose" feel of a higher stall speed, regardless of the cam, especially with a relatively mild axle ratio. This condition is much less bad with a higher quality converter, but some folks are still very sensitive to it and you can significantly tighten up the feel with a numerically higher gear ratio...FirstYrLS1Z outlined this above. For many (myself included), this creates a very fun street package which is actually preferable to a manual. On the other hand some folks just want a stick, so that's what they need regardless of the engine build type. These two transmission types are different animals, as mentioned above.

 

Someone asked earlier but I didn't see that you replied, What brand of converter and what stall speed? What is the rear gear ratio?
Just a converter change can make a night and day difference in how a car feels/drives. I've driven some cars with a very loose converter or poor quality converters and they feel sluggish and gives that all noise and little go feeling. The right converter will correct that as long as the engine isn't a mismatched over cammed underpowered slug.

 

"Someone asked earlier but I didn't see that you replied, What brand of converter and what stall speed? What is the rear gear ratio?
Just a converter change can make a night and day difference in how a car feels/drives. I've driven some cars with a very loose converter or poor quality converters and they feel sluggish and gives that all noise and little go feeling. The right converter will correct that as long as the engine isn't a mismatched over cammed underpowered slug."

The stall is over 3000 rpm, brand unknown, diff ratio 3.73:1, Kaaz diff center. I have asked what I should use in a 2000rpm stall TC. No answers other than I will over heat the transmission.

 

In your opening post you said a 3000 stall, your last post you said stall is over 3000, so which is it ?
But anyway, your stall could be the culprit of your complaint. I seen a 02 Z28 with a TCI 3000 Streetfighter stall and 3.73 gears that in 'blipping' the throttle provided no front end jump at all, only thing that jumped up was RPM, just like putting tranny in neutral and blipping the throttle.

 

Sounds like the performance one would get with a "Cheapo" torque-converter.

Honestly if a person does not have a minimum of $700 - $900 budget for a new torque-converter; than keep saving.

A $200 - $400 torque-converter is just a waste of money.

 

You guys here have it great in my opinion... Just call up FTI ask for Dalton, and spend sub-$1,000 and have a great operating unit.

LMAO... you should see what Neal Chance charges me for the 3,000 - 5,000 HP cars in my shop.
I would be lucky to only pay $8,000 - $10,000 per converter.

 

Holy sh*t, what goes into a $10K torque converter, and how long does one last?