To those with the TCI SSF4000 converters...
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southside
To those with the TCI SSF4000 converters... This question is only for those who have this exact converter, not any of their other converters. It is an advertised stall speed of 4000, but what does yours actually flash to and what are your mods? I had my car on the dyno after replacing my other TCI converter (that flashed to 5800 when it was supposed to be a 4500), and this one flashes to 5000. 
Let me know, thanks!
Matt
Let me know, thanks!
Matt
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,318
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From: Southside
I'm done dealing with them. The first converter was supposed to be a 4500 and it flashed to 5800 and wouldn't lock up after 3,000 miles. (It had the billet cover and was supposed to be the best without going to a multi-disk). I had to pay for the new one, send the old one back, and wait for a credit. I am not about to pull it out again and go through that hassle and be without a car for another week.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southside
Originally Posted by gator's 99TA
damn! 
sorry to hear the bad deal matt. i remember kevin winstead being the point of contact for TCI converters.
sorry to hear the bad deal matt. i remember kevin winstead being the point of contact for TCI converters. This is why you need to buy a custom converter. You can't expect every converter to "flash" what their advertised stall is. That is just a generalization, not an exact stall. Of course it isn't going to be right. Every car is different. That converter, and every other will flash different stalls in different applications.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southside
Oh I know, as I have seen a lot of cars have different results, but I had the same exact converter in my black '00, with the same mods except I had a 4.10 gear and this one has a 3.42, and it flashed to 4200. I can't believe it flashed 1000 rpms higher than what it was supposed to. That is just ridiculous. 
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Launching!
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From: Illinois
IMO stall speeds are subjective. It depends on how much torque your car produces. A TCI SSF will flash at 4000 under their circumstances. I think most manufactures of torque converters rate them at stock hp, but add some hp/tq and the stall will flash higher. Again, that's my onpinion. I had a ssf 3800 that eaisly hit 5500 with a 150-shot. When I ran n/a, it hit around 4200, but that was in a cammed/tuned 390rwhp setup.
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Originally Posted by Matt D
Oh I know, as I have seen a lot of cars have different results, but I had the same exact converter in my black '00, with the same mods except I had a 4.10 gear and this one has a 3.42, and it flashed to 4200. I can't believe it flashed 1000 rpms higher than what it was supposed to. That is just ridiculous.
Originally Posted by WE TODD DID
You just answered your own question and you don't even realize it. The gear change is why there is such a difference between the two cars. Put a 4.10 in your car, and it is going to flash about 1000 rpm less than it does now.
Rear gear ratior is directly related to the speed at which the converter will "stall". The 3.23 gear will "show" more load to the converter than a 4.10 will.Simple mechanical advantage in effect here. This could cause a 1,000 RPM stall speed increase in this particular application.
I put a TCI SF3000 that was intended for F-Bodies into a Silverado SS. This converter stalled to approximately 3400rpm in this application. This was due to the increased loading "seen" by the converter.That same converter when eating a 250shot out of the hole would stall in the 4,000+ range. I believe there was nothing out of line at all with this increase in stall speed.
I'm not in a position to guarantee that the OP's converter isn't defective BUT it sounds like the 4.10 to 3.23 swap is the culprit here.
Is the engine by chance now making more torque as well? If so this too could increase the stall speed of the converter.
I'm with WE TODD DID on this one.
I put a TCI SF3000 that was intended for F-Bodies into a Silverado SS. This converter stalled to approximately 3400rpm in this application. This was due to the increased loading "seen" by the converter.That same converter when eating a 250shot out of the hole would stall in the 4,000+ range. I believe there was nothing out of line at all with this increase in stall speed.
I'm not in a position to guarantee that the OP's converter isn't defective BUT it sounds like the 4.10 to 3.23 swap is the culprit here.
Is the engine by chance now making more torque as well? If so this too could increase the stall speed of the converter.
I'm with WE TODD DID on this one.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southside
They were two different cars, but with the same mods. Only difference was the gear ratios. I am going to throw a 3.90 gear in it and see where I'm at. The car made 300/297, unlocked on a Mustang dyno. A:F was smooth at 13.1 across the board.
Do you know what your raceweight is?
+1,000 over rated stall speed seems a bit high at that power level.
Sidenote: Have you tuned to 13:1 afr on purpose or is that just where is sits right now?
+1,000 over rated stall speed seems a bit high at that power level.
Sidenote: Have you tuned to 13:1 afr on purpose or is that just where is sits right now?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southside
Originally Posted by Cheatin' Chad
Do you know what your raceweight is?
+1,000 over rated stall speed seems a bit high at that power level.
Sidenote: Have you tuned to 13:1 afr on purpose or is that just where is sits right now?
+1,000 over rated stall speed seems a bit high at that power level.
Sidenote: Have you tuned to 13:1 afr on purpose or is that just where is sits right now?
And yes, it was dyno tuned to 13.1.
Originally Posted by gator's 99TA
going from a 4.10 to a 3.42 gear is NOT going to change most good converters out there to stalling 1000 rpms higher! its not that much extra torque multiplication
Originally Posted by Matt D
It was 3400 but I ditched the true duals & X pipe for Magnaflows dumped off the headers. I haven't weighed it since then, but it should be right about 3375.
And yes, it was dyno tuned to 13.1.
And yes, it was dyno tuned to 13.1.
Please post back and let us know what happens when you do the gear swap.
Well this is nearly identical to the issue I'm having. I have a SSF 4000 with 3:42 rear. I can footbrake this thing on street tires to 4000 on a paved surface, not a concrete racetrack. It's very loose, I'm guessing somewhere near 5000 or more. I'm working with Kevin at TCI to rectify the issue and get into a multi-disk converter.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,318
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From: Southside
This is an old thread. I had nothing but problems with my TCI converters, one after another. Jerry and Kevin at TCI were the ******** I dealt with. They can go **** themselves. I got my money back and went with Yank. I have never had one slight problem with Yank, and Dave's customer service is top notch.
**** TCI!
**** TCI!