Choosing a Torque Converter
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Choosing a Torque Converter
I'm getting everything together to rebuild my TH400 and I'm stuck on what torque converter to put it. I'm planning on adding a transgo shift kit during the rebuild and want to get nice acceleration and hard shifts out of it without barking the tires and throwing the car sideways. I use the car for street driving and rarely even get it up to 70mph, not looking for top performance, just don't want to completely bog the car down by putting the wrong converter in. Anyone with the same experience have any suggestions?
Engine: 1979 LM1
Transmission: TH400
Also my tachometer is busted so I have to do everything by ear and cant stand on the brakes to see check the stall speed.
Engine: 1979 LM1
Transmission: TH400
Also my tachometer is busted so I have to do everything by ear and cant stand on the brakes to see check the stall speed.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 495
Torque converter has to match the camshaft and torque curve . Stock regular GM converter has a 1650 rpm stall speed in the normal stuff .
If it’s a stock type engine and you want a little more take off power than stock , a 1900 to 2200 rpm stall puts the engine in a much favorable area of the torque curve be cause most engines have around a 100 ft lbs more torque at 2000 rpm than 1650 rpm . A decent 2000 to 2200 stall doesn’t hurt drive ability much like a 3500 stall would although 3500 is great for a drag race car but you loose some drive ability
If it’s a stock type engine and you want a little more take off power than stock , a 1900 to 2200 rpm stall puts the engine in a much favorable area of the torque curve be cause most engines have around a 100 ft lbs more torque at 2000 rpm than 1650 rpm . A decent 2000 to 2200 stall doesn’t hurt drive ability much like a 3500 stall would although 3500 is great for a drag race car but you loose some drive ability
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Torque converter has to match the camshaft and torque curve . Stock regular GM converter has a 1650 rpm stall speed in the normal stuff .
If it’s a stock type engine and you want a little more take off power than stock , a 1900 to 2200 rpm stall puts the engine in a much favorable area of the torque curve be cause most engines have around a 100 ft lbs more torque at 2000 rpm than 1650 rpm . A decent 2000 to 2200 stall doesn’t hurt drive ability much like a 3500 stall would although 3500 is great for a drag race car but you loose some drive ability
If it’s a stock type engine and you want a little more take off power than stock , a 1900 to 2200 rpm stall puts the engine in a much favorable area of the torque curve be cause most engines have around a 100 ft lbs more torque at 2000 rpm than 1650 rpm . A decent 2000 to 2200 stall doesn’t hurt drive ability much like a 3500 stall would although 3500 is great for a drag race car but you loose some drive ability
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
In this day and age of modern highly efficient TC's Why would you use the mind set of 40 - 50 years ago about low stall or even crap high stall TC;s? I drove 50,000 miles with 3500 and above stalls that only drive with very little slip when cruising down a freeway on level ground without lockup. It's not like the saturday night special 3000 stall.
9.5 inch is like using a light weight flywheel on a manual tranny. Right into the power range.
9.5 inch is like using a light weight flywheel on a manual tranny. Right into the power range.
