Lesson learned (For auto guys)
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 6
From: Oceanside California
Maybe this is where my confusion is coming from.. If my converter is in fact faulty, then its causing me to misunderstand the operation of the torque converter. I think I will try to explain whats happening to Yank again and see what is happening here.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 46
From: Springfield IL.
Oldtimer
I did a lot of drag racing and never power braked my car that hard with an auto to hold it on the line. I always left slightly off idle, just enough to load the drive line (1100-1200rpm) and then let the hammer down on the 3rd yellow.
The converter should jump to the stall speed immediately. My friends even notice it when they drive it on the street. If it isn't doing that, I suspect that there may be a fault with the converter.
The converter should jump to the stall speed immediately. My friends even notice it when they drive it on the street. If it isn't doing that, I suspect that there may be a fault with the converter.
NukeC5 try staging at a fast idle, keep the rpm at the same every time. When you see the blink of the 3rd yellow mash it. If the tune on the engine is right the converter should flash real close to what they sold you. I have a 650 hp sbc in a 96 Firebird, leaving off the transbrake at 4000 and the converter with flash 5100. I can only foot brake this car to about 3000 before it pushes through the lights. I can stage the car at 1000 rpm and mash it, it'll still carry the front end and run dammed near the same number as it does on the transbrake. If you are staging the car against the converter it has no choise but to stumble. You are also loading the chassis when you are against the converter. Is this car a street driven car? If you go too loose on the converter it won't be any fun to drive in short order. The cam in my car is 660/645 and 274/268 so I'm sure it's much larger than any street cam.
You don't want to load the chassis, if you do the car won't react on launch. Look at any car at the track, that launchs from a transbrake. The chassis is relaxed, as soon as the transbrake is applied. My son is doing the driving now and he was keeping his foot on the brake even after setting the transbrake, chassis was still loaded from staging, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. We were spinning a 32x14 slick on launch, when no body else was having problems. Something as simple as this cost him several rounds this season. How does the car drive on the street, with out braking against the converter? Is it a slug? Or does it smoke the tires?
Last edited by 92GA; Nov 26, 2013 at 10:02 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 6
From: Oceanside California
Well my tuner is experienced in drag racing and also said that he couldn't get the thing to launch right. Were still trying to find time to do some more testing.
It drives like normal but takes a bit more peddle to accelerate to overcome what stall it does have. If I just mash it it will smoke the tires. But it did that before the converter too.
It drives like normal but takes a bit more peddle to accelerate to overcome what stall it does have. If I just mash it it will smoke the tires. But it did that before the converter too.
