I will be putting in my 3.42 gears soon and guys are suggesting a stall converter. The only auto trans vehicles I have had are trucks, so this is new to me. What does the stall do? I was told if you put in a 2800 stall it won't engage the trans untill that RPM. Is that correct?

 

Who ever told you this doesnt know much about converters or auto transmissions.
A stalled converter will allow the engine to rev to 2800 rpm before the converter will reach 1:1 between the turbine and stator.
However it will still move the vehicle during this time, it'll just feel a bit soft or sloppy depending on the stall speed and converter efficiency.
It will also increase heat because of the slippage so add a cooler.

 

This is a DD and will never see the track. Is the stall really worth it? Don't want to spend the extra money if it causes drivability issues on the street.

 

You original message did not say wether you were upgrading to a 3.42 or you were putting 3.42s back in or what the deal was. Anyhow, if you are upgrading from a stock 2.73 to a 3.42 a 2800 stall is not at all that bad. Driveability is not hindered to the extreme and if used mainly on the street this stall level should not bother you at all and will actually get you moving a bit quicker than stock.

 

I bought a new factory 3.42 diff. I will most likely keep the 3.42 but may change to 3.73

 

Go with a Yank SS3200 and don't look back. There are some other good brands as well, but I've had great experiences with Yank.

Thier SS3200 is a 3200 RPM stall, but has a high STR, so it is not sloppy at all like some lower STR converters. I put that with some 3.42's in my car and it is probably one of the best all around combos around.

Also keep in mind that install cost is minimal doing the stall while also doing the gear change, but if you want to add it later, it will cost quite a bit more since most of the labor cost of doing a gear diff swap is dropping the entire rear cradle and lowering the driveline.

Also have 3.73's and SS3600 stall in my cammed TA.

 

OP and I are in the same position....I'm going to 3.42 this week. Having read many stories on both sides of doing the SC on a daily driver that will never see the track, just an occasional stomp on the street, what am I risking by not doing the SC? Can the stock set up not handle the lower gears?

 

Not much risk if its not an extreme build. It's when you start talking HP and TQ increases which will demand more of the tranny and drive train that you really take risks by not upgrading elements to the equations.

Here is a couple of basics for you:

"The basic purpose of installing a modified torque converter is to allow the engine (RPM) to increase to where the engine is making greater power before driving the wheels, thus allowing the vehicle to accelerate from a standing start much quicker. Selecting the correct stall for a converter is critical to gaining the best performance possible for an intended use. The powerband or operating range of the engine is influenced by the camshaft design, carburation, manifold and head flow, the converter must be designed to work within this range to deliver the best performance results. DRIVABILITY of a vehicle with a higher stall speed can be substantially reduced with a poorly designed torque converter. Excessive heat generating slippage and rpm flair up can make street driving miserable and costly with a converter that is too loose."

Get with a good shop to help you get a solid combo but as previously stated however, the SC swap is easy while doing the rear end but if later you decided you wanted to do it then you are paying $$ once again to have work done you could have already done. Finally a new rear end with a good SC will make a world of difference in the feel of the car- even if just on the street and giving it that little stomp every once in a while.

 

3.73 gears, Yank SS3200 and several other mods, here. That stall works great with nearly any gearset and is super with the 3.73s. The car creeps, at idle in Drive, or Reverse, and drives nearly like a stock stall. When adding significant throttle, hang on! It is a combination you will never regret. No slop to it at all.
Ed

 

there is a perfect low-cost converter for people like you and I:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-da-floor.html

 

My 03 Coupe has been upgraded to the 3:42's and a Yank 2800 Stall. I recently did a H/C install. I'm pushing 416 rwhp and 392 rwtq. This stall allowed me to run up the rpms (~1800) for a hard launch and still drives like a stock converter (with little discernable slip).

Hope that helps.

EDIT: When i say "slip", I mean I noticed I had to push the accelerator a little bit further to get it to go. This is no longer true with the new cam.

There never was any actual slipping happening.

 

Man what he said ...I have the yank 3200 , 3.42... still drive almost like stock ,they are not loose like the old mechanical TC from the 60& 70ths, after a day or two you whont see the differencr till you hammer it, the TC more than the gear will give you the SOPT ++ when you step on it. I had to get a tune for mine so get a tune .
I like above I'm now going whit a H/C....mods dont ever stop. DO THE TC you will not regret it.

 

I remember reading that some time ago but could NOT remember the story. I'll try finding one online. Tried a few ago real quick without any success.

 

After talking to Dave at Yank I am going with the SS3200. I am basically stock except for a Vararam, Borla x-pipe and Stinger cat-back exhaust. I am going to do a set of 3.42s, a transmission cooler, a 160 stat and re-tune the car.

The SS3200 seems to be a good all-around converter especially for my set up. The converter will work really with with the 3.42s and won't destroy the tires since it has a 2.1 STR which it exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something lower than a 2.5 but something that would multiply torque for a longer period of time which is what a lower STR will do.

Can't wait to see the results.

When in doubt... talk to the experts!

 

You will love the SS3200. It's a great stall. I am more heavily modified than you plan on going, but it is the one I run and would never trade it. I set my car up for streetability, and reliability, with a lot of "go" because we take long road trips every summer. It's a "tight" stall and drives beautifully. Enjoy!
Ed

 

I feel I have made the right choice. Seeing you use the words "streetability and reliability" makes me feel confident, but knowing someone else who has this converter also likes to take long summer road trips too make me feel even better!

 

i have a rather large lumpy cam and i am in need of a stall,
what is the stock one?
my car pulls on idle a bit, and will pull all the way to 40mph with out throttle

i was just going to start doing some research and came across this thread

 

I read this thread & I am having a Yank ss3600 installed as I speak. I will make a suggestion:
Go ahead & get a filter, & do service changing from dexron III to dexron VI synthetic. You will decrease wear, have lower temps & GM recomends it when doing a flush. I had the same problems with 60' times around 1.8-2.0. I am gitty with anticipation about the launch with this stall & a new set on MT et street radials.

 

Using a Yank SS3600 and 3:73 gears and a set of M&H slicks my best 60 ft is 1.4 sec. Ye ha fun fun fun

 

I had the same problem when I cammed mine - was pretty hard to hold it back at a stoplight.... getting the tune right really helped to solve that problem though.... you'll probably still need to change the TC with a really big cam however...