I don't know a whole lot about transmission so im trying to learn a bit more. I'm in the process of removing my stock trans and bringing it in to have it rebuilt. My Trans guy said i should look into upgrading the torque converter and I've seen a few post about it being the first upgrade i should do. But why? Where do i look? Not sure what specs or brand is good? My current set up is it has a procharger on it, headers, exhaust, intake, msd ignition, bigger injectors, an so fourth i was told i when I bought it it runs 12.5. Not sure if that's 100 percent accurate but im guessing im close to 360hp and a little over 400 torque and i don't plan on adding or doing anything else motor wise. With that being said and my specs can a stock torque converter handle /hold it? Or should i just upgrade it?

 

when you yank the tranny, the TC will be right there. You may have lucked out and the guy that built/installed the engine, may have already upgraded the TC. B.and M., TCI and Huges make quality products. if you decide to upgrade, keep in mind the use the car has for you. an all race TC might be a bit unpleasent on the street,. other will chime in, far superior in knowledge on this subject than me.

 

yeah, you eed t KNOW a cople things ad make soe deisions before buyng a new TC..

first, you need to know exacty where the power band is for your engine as it sits. 3000 to 6000? 2000 to 5000? Where is the power? What RPM will be able to pull the gear?

You need this info to select the right TC lock-up. You want the engine to be in the power band when the TC locks so i wil pull,. but you do not want to let it spin to much and waste power thats not getting to the tires. If te TC locks up before good power then it may bog the motor until it gets into the right RPM range.

Get a dyno sheet, then consult a speed shop or tranny shop that knows race engines. A full on racing TC might not be any fun on the street if it lets the eng spin way up before it grabs the gear.

 

I wuold reccomend a 3,000 rpm 9.5" EDGE converter. Quality piece at a good price and there customer service is great. B&M and TCI are cheaper and yes you get what you pay for when dealing with TC's. Yank makes a great stall as well but they are a little more expensive.
3,000 stall is perfect for the street and I wouldn't go much more for a daily driver. You should be making some good hp. with your setup. Like mentioned you need to know what gear you have, etc. To much stall with a tall gear and a motor that makes power and you will end up spinning your tires and your 60ft. times will suffer. Give us a little more info or go on-line / call EDGE and give them all your specs so they can steer you in the right direction.

 

If you don't already have one this would be a good time to install a trans cooler also. A higher stall converter creates more heat.

 

Good Point !
They get real hot, too.

I bolted a section of 3/4" C-channel in the bottom of my radiator air-box just in front of the condensor. The tranny cooler sits down in the C-channel where plastic plumbers tape secures it to the floor. Hoses run around right side directly to the steel lines from the trans so there is not a bunch of extra hose needed. I also "double bagged" all the hose by splitting a larger heater hose and laying the trans hose inside that with tie-straps to hold it. This prevents any edges or corners from slowly sawing into the trans cooler hoses. And it does work ! Before, I could not grab a trans line when it was fully warmed up,. now I can easily hold a steel line since its much much cooler than it used to be.

another thing...

do some research on the 700r4 before buying ANY TC. Your trans has TCC that manages converter lock-up. I am not sure how that would work if a TC with a 3500 stall was installed...since the stock is down around 16-1800.
The TCC locks it up so it drives and feels like a stick....positive drive or direct drive is what its called. This lets you engine brake until you tap the brake or until it slows down to under 1500 more or less. It also allows you to bypass TCC if you want to, by leaving the shifter in OD and driving intown like that. Harms nothing as long as theTV cable is set right.
You;d be surprised at how many people do not know what or how TCC works or even what it is...A good performance tranny shop would understand how this works with a higher stall TC. I don't !

 

I am going to give one piece of advice, call Precision, in the morning, order one to fit your combination. Last converter you will ever buy....

 

I have 2 Precision Industries converters. One to race and one for a backup. I have them freshened up every 3 years or so and swap in the spare. I lock up the converter after the 1-2 shift which is brutal on the converter. Haven't had one fail yet in any way.

 

My TCI failed after 150 miles. Edge in there now.

You get what you pay for. TCI: $200. Edge: $350.