opinions on this converter
well there article on str is saying that the higher str will kill top end and high rpm power and wont pull as hard. the 3600 is 2.5 str and the 3200 is 2.1 so does that mean the 3200 will pull harder?. i want it to launch harder but i would rather have good higher rpm power on the hwy.
I had a TCI 3000. It was a very efficient converter,
97% at the top end. It would roast the hell out of
the tires. It was very well balanced, smooth as
stock. Its lockup clutch was the weak point, it
got weak in a hurry due in part, I think, to using
B&M Trick Shift fluid. It never recovered even after
multiple fluid changes and I had to really raise line
pressure and so on, to get it to hold on even light
grades. Seen some others with the same trouble.
I swapped it out for a Fuddle 3500/2.0 that I had
built to my particular specifications. The Fuddle
was not as well balanced, I had to turn off misfire
detection to get lockup consistent. TCI claims to
spin-balance all converters, that's rare. The Fuddle
cruises about the same due to lower STR and a
design for efficiency foremost. The Fuddle is a
point or two less efficient (still hits 95%) and it
has a lockup clutch that is tough enough to not
just stay locked, but pull it in at WOT. I get some
torque multiplication out past 5000RPM still, with
the low STR, and it's easier on the tires. I am still
traction limited for 60' on ET Streets so do not feel
any loss from the lower STR tradeoff. It has
been a good converter for me and will stay in the
car until I break the trans or something. The deal
with Fuddle is, you have to ask for what you want.
Generic may or may not be what you like. I had
pushed them hard on every aspect I could think
of and the result has been good. Damn good if you
factor in the price. I might have got more than I
paid for.
But I have also seen a lot of complaining about
the delivery / response aspects which a ship-
from-stock converter will bypass for you.
97% at the top end. It would roast the hell out of
the tires. It was very well balanced, smooth as
stock. Its lockup clutch was the weak point, it
got weak in a hurry due in part, I think, to using
B&M Trick Shift fluid. It never recovered even after
multiple fluid changes and I had to really raise line
pressure and so on, to get it to hold on even light
grades. Seen some others with the same trouble.
I swapped it out for a Fuddle 3500/2.0 that I had
built to my particular specifications. The Fuddle
was not as well balanced, I had to turn off misfire
detection to get lockup consistent. TCI claims to
spin-balance all converters, that's rare. The Fuddle
cruises about the same due to lower STR and a
design for efficiency foremost. The Fuddle is a
point or two less efficient (still hits 95%) and it
has a lockup clutch that is tough enough to not
just stay locked, but pull it in at WOT. I get some
torque multiplication out past 5000RPM still, with
the low STR, and it's easier on the tires. I am still
traction limited for 60' on ET Streets so do not feel
any loss from the lower STR tradeoff. It has
been a good converter for me and will stay in the
car until I break the trans or something. The deal
with Fuddle is, you have to ask for what you want.
Generic may or may not be what you like. I had
pushed them hard on every aspect I could think
of and the result has been good. Damn good if you
factor in the price. I might have got more than I
paid for.
But I have also seen a lot of complaining about
the delivery / response aspects which a ship-
from-stock converter will bypass for you.
I ran a fuddle 3400 which felt a little loose for street application but got used to it fairly quick and flogged the s**t out of it. Now running a Yank 3600 and just absolutely love it. DId the upgrade cause the car is going a different direction. I have a Brand New Fuddle 3400 in box never opened for sale if your interested, very very reasonable if you are interested. Sorry for the minor Hijack.
Last edited by jitsumania; Feb 14, 2008 at 04:58 PM.
Get a VIG, yank, or circle D. YOu definitely get what you pay for. My fuddle lasted me one year before the clutch gave up. It was sloppy as hell for a 3600. When I put in a 3600 Vig my car drove almost like stock. Sent it back to get restalled to a 4000. Bill is a great guy to deal with and was super quick with the turnaround. Unless you have a lift or like pulling trannys get a good one the first time. take it from a guy who swapped 4 verters and 3 trannys last summer in under 1000 miles. On the other hand I can now swap a trans in a camaro faster than most of the pros. Real helpful in my line of work --electrical engineering .
