BAIN

iTrader: (5)

Actually I kinda agree with you. The only problem is that I just moved to TN and don't know any tuners up here

BLK02WS6

iTrader: (2)

I had a TCI SSF 3800 and had no issues with the performance - 1.53 to 1.58 60' times.

Last spring, I picked up a converter sponsor who wanted to use my car for some testing. Before I sold my TCI, I asked him to cut it open and check it out so I wouldn't screw my friend over that I was selling it to. Inside he found critical surfaces (I believe it was a bearing or hub) that were pitted badly from rust - like the part had sat on a shelf somewhere before assembly. He said in time it would have caused failure (I only had 10 or 12 passes on it). He replaced the parts for me so I could sell it.

I don't know, maybe I just got the exception, but that lack of quality control will keep me from buying TCI again. On the flip side, I have heard a lot of horror stories on some of the more expensive converters as well! I think you really have to do your homework and find out who makes the quality parts that perform no matter what part you are talking about!

slow3hoe2

iTrader: (3)

i get the exact same thing from my friends. its funny this post came up...because the day before this post came up...i had myself convinced that i should change converters. Now im gonna stick with the "if it aint broke dont fix it" theory.

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

Below is a quote from a few posts that DAVE AT YANK made.

"First let me start off buy saying that i have cut open many converters from all of the converter builders that you see on this forum and everyone of them has certain parts in them that are stock oem in them as you mention in your post. No converter builder is going to produce the pump or turbine of a converter from scratch the cost would be more than it would be worth.
That is why all of us building converters in the industry start out with oem cores. "

"We could go on about the internals of a torque converter all day.The bottom line is that we do not buy any billet covers from Sonnax and we make all of them here all of our splines are built buy us to our specs out of higher grades of alloy steel and Heat treated in california to my specs."

So it seems to me based on Dave’s posts that most of the internal parts in converters come from the same OEM or aftermarket builds of OEM parts.

The bottom line IMO is that in the past Yank converters might have been the best and most efficient by some margin but as time has gone on and there are more companies making converters for our cars the gap has been narrowed and now there is very little if any performance or quality difference between converters made by the companies in this discussion.

As with any manufacturing process a few “bad apples” make it through the quality assurance process. This is the point where the manufacture either stands behind their product with good customer service or they don’t.
In my experience great customer service is what separates company “X” from company “Y”.

John

spanky_55amg

from experience. the tci kicked so much ******* in bains car its not funny. the yank just sux. there is no other way i or im betting bain could put it. bain being the guy in the middle is just stating facts. me from driving his when i did and riding in it all the time. the tci did kick yanks *** on this one.

Magnus

iTrader: (4)

Bain, if you are getting the same results from no matter what RPM you launch the yank at, something is not right with your setup or combo.

I was able to dead hook my car from any RPM with the 28x10.5 ET's and a crap load of VHT.. I was even able to stall it up to around 4200 RPM and hit it (my brakes are good)..

I got the best results at 3500 RPM.. I have 2 1.40 60's in a 4L60E stock internals, and many 1.42-1.45 60's..

There's a LOT into a launch, to get the best 60' possible..

If you want to go with the TCI heck, go for it and prove me wrong.. I do know that the Yank 4400 is proven.. I highly doubt I would have cut a 1.3 with a TCI or gone quicker than I did..

I also went 120mph NA SI with the yank 4400.

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

Your Yank 4400 is proven. Bain’s Yank 4400 is not and his TCI 4400 is.

What was your race weight when you went 120 SI?

Magnus

iTrader: (4)

When I went 120 my raceweight was around 3050 or 3100.

Hugger

iTrader: (21)

Looks like this summer I will be pulling my Yank out and sending it to TCI. The Yank I have now is a new one because the original ST3500 I had broke after 8 months. When I sent it in to have it repaired under warranty it ended up costing me $128 to get it back since what was broke was not covered under the warranty, according to Mike at Yank. It's a long story that I won't get into but when it was rebuilt by Yank I told them I wanted it restalled as well to a 3800. When it got back it said 3500 right on the converter and the box. I called and talked to Dale at yank and he said, oh that was a mistake, I just put the wrong label on it. So there is really no telling what really happened or if it ever got restalled. I guess I will never know until I pull it out and have it rebuilt again. The only good news is that it hasn't broken again!

Silent but Violent

I agree with Magnus. I don't see a TCI pulling a better 60' or giving me more ET in my car. But, I could be wrong. This Yank converter has gave me unbelieveable 60' times and ET. Not to mention the impressive 1/8th and 1/4 trap speeds....

02Reaper

iTrader: (2)

Mike and Dave at Yank have both told me that the smaller converter was more efficient than the larger converters. Who is right and who is wrong?

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

There are many different answers to your question. The answer depends on what RPM you are talking about.

For example:
At 4000 RPM a 3200 stall will be more efficient than a 4000 stall. At 2000 RPM your stock converter will kill any 2800+ stall as far as efficiency goes.
When the converter lockup clutch engages all converters will be equal as long as the clutch is not slipping.

The main reason the higher RPM stall converters are smaller is because in general you can not get a 12” converter to stall at a high RPM because it will loose all its efficiency. You can be sure that your stock 12” converter will be MORE efficient over most of your operating RPM range.


John

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

Don’t take this the wrong way but I would think your extremely light race weight (3050 or 3100 )had more to do with your 120mph trap speed than your converter did although it was a contributing factor.

John

CHRISPY

What sort of sixties are the TCI 3800 getting? How efficient are those converters locked vs unlocked?

JaSSon

iTrader: (11)

Yank is the best out there. Most people that are having a problem with their Yank verter dont have the suspension set up right or their not ready for the loosness of the PT series on the street. If you get the set up right the e.t. and mph will be there.

spanky_55amg

bain i think got a 1.48 1.49 or something like out of his tci 3800. and as much as he races he knows how to race. his launching does not need to be improved. some of you act like this is first time out. how is his combo wrong. its just the tci he was doing better. maybe he got a dud yank???? i mean it was used out of another car. or maybe he got a freak tci. either way, how can some of you just sit here and basically bash tci for nothing????

and as for the suspension set up...he has that down fine. once again, how do you KNOW yank is the BEST. pft. and on the street, the yank just sucked compaired to the tci.

MNR-0

If that were the case you would gain HP on the dyno. Generally a higher stall converter will lose you HP. Its all about relative pumping efficiencies and how you perceive the term "efficiency".

It is far easier for a bigger pump, like that in a 12" converter, to move the same volume of fluid as a 9.5" pump due to its sheer pumping capacity. Think of a small hand held fan versus a pedestal fan. The smaller fan has to work harder to push the same volume of air so is less efficient in terms energy exerted.

The 9.5" is working harder to pump the same volume of fluid, it gets hotter and so you lose more energy via greater frictional forces in the fluid coupling. This is countered by less rotational mass somewhat.

Now consider the relative pumping efficiencies of each converter. The 9.5" has to pump the same volume of fluid as the 12" at stall RPM and for similar engine RPM. It can be said the 9.5" is a smaller yet pumps the same volume of fluid. So in relative terms the 9.5" is more "efficient".

This is my understanding of the relative differences.

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

Let me list the possible reasons for this:

1-Ignorance.
2-Justifacation to themselves for spending too much on a converter.
3-Yank has been touted as the "best" for so long that people are not willing to accept that what they have been told might no longer be true.

What is funny to me is that people are willing to believe that Yank is the best converter out there by word of mouth. But when REAL proof is shown to dispel the myth they choose not to accept it.

Both TCI and Yank build fine converters and I am sure that on any given day both the TCI 4400 and the Yank 4400 will perform very well and very similar to each other. The difference between them in this test is small.

John

Yank

iTrader: (181)

Most of the time we put the org. label on the converter as that how it was built and the work order reflects the work to be done and I do all the converter builds and restalls and have restalled your converter for you! also the cost was to upgrade to the newer stlye insides, that was way below cost!

JNorris

iTrader: (4)

$128 to fix and update a converter!!

WOW prices sure have dropped from the $600 you quoted me 1.5 years ago to have mine fixed and updated.

PM sent to you.


John