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Running a 3000 stall on the street

7K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  Razor 
#1 ·
Hey guys, Im in the process of buying a new converter for my mustang.
This is everything so far
351C
Hooker Super Comps Dual 3 inch
305 duration and 528/530 lift cam
X-celerator intake
holley 750
C6 shift kit
3.73 gears and posi
I was thinking about a 3000, but does this mean its going to be smoking the tires all the time and be really hard to drive on the street? Its going to be driving on the street and racing some so any help would be great. More street than race time by far however. Thanks.
 
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#3 ·
Get the 3000. You'll like it.

Make sure it's built by a good shop, though. A cheepie will need 3000 rpm just to get rolling, a good one will be almost like a stock convertor at very light throttle, but when you floor it, here comes 3000, and BAM! You're frying tires or moving out, depending on your traction.

I've been using one in my Torino for quite a while now, and would never go back.

Get a good tranny cooler, as the extra stall speed makes alot of heat.

Good luck!

Greg
 
#4 ·
Hey Guys thanks. Im not sure yet what Im going to to do but I think that I will probably get the 3000. Any suggestions about what I should do to get it to hook up? Im going to run bfg drag radials. Ive got traction bars and posi currently. Any guesses on weathere it will hook up and fly or sit ans spin?
Thanks guys.
 
#5 ·
Greg P has this right. If you don't nail the gas it'll just ooze away from a stop. The 3000 will hit if stab the throttle or power brake. Usually you'll get a different launch with each technique depending on tires, traction device etc.

You'll definitely want the trans-cooler and you'll see a bit higher cruise RPM due to the "looser" converter.

I had a combination like this with 4:11's and it was a ball. Miserable highway cruiser though.
 
#6 ·
Don't mean to sound mean, but have you ever ridden in someone's vehicle with a non stock stall converter?
Every vehicle reacts differently. Every vehicle will stall differently, with the same converter.
Just because you say it's a 3g stall, does not by any stretch of the imagination mean it will stall @ 3000 rpm.
It's a sales pitch at best.
The best way to choose/get a converter is to call the different converter companies, and ask their suggestion. Have ALL pertinent information at hand. (i.e. hp/tq/weight of vehicle/gears/tire size/intended usage), etc. etc. etc.
You could buy 10 different converters from 10 different companies that all list 3 grand for a stall, and I guarantee every one will react/stall differently from the next.

The right converter will either make or break a good/great combination. Don't assume anything. Don't buy one just because a bud has the same one, in a similar car. (getting back to no converter is the same).
Again, I don't want to sound like a doomsayer, but it's alot easier to do it right the first time with a little shopping around, and getting as much available info as you can to have for yourself, and to give , then it is to purchase a half ass converter, and piss and moan what a ripoff either the converter company is, of have self doubts about what might have been an otherwise great engine/vehicle combo, just because of a bad choice/pick.
My .002..................(I'll get off my soapbox now)..............
 
#7 ·
Thanks, I feel the same and just did the same. I went down and saw a guy that makes them here. Im getting a 3000 stall custom made, done the right way, built with the correct high performance insides so im happy now
 
#9 ·
I would definetly run a convertor, Are you running 2bl or 4bl heads? I had a 351c in my Torino w/ a Lunati 300/310 234/244 @.050 w/ .566/5.88 lift, stock 2bl heads, Weiand Xcelerator w/a 750 vac sec Holley and Hooker Super Comp headers. I had a C6 w/ a 2500 stall and it wasn't enough I should have had a 3k-3500 I was running 3.89 and it had a flat spot till it hit about 3200. I am running a 3k stall in my C6 now with the 429 with a lot less cam and love it! Definetly run a cooler and the deeper the pan the better!
 
#10 ·
Funny that you guys get on this subject. I recently "bastardized" my Maverick with a powerglide, and I asked a torque converter guru about a reccomendation. In most circumstances, the techs just get you within 500-800 rpm of what they reccomend, usually on the low side for safety's sake. The guy I talked to got all my information, and told me that the only "true" way to check stall speed is with a transbrake. He's right. He told me that he'd build a converter that is loose enough on the bottom end to get it out of the hole, but tight enough to make some mph on the far end....also said that he'd get me "in the vicinity" of 4600 stall. Well, I checked the stall on the brake the other day, and sure enough, it's exactly on the nuts.
 
#11 ·
Im running 2bbl head on mine, the 4bbl ones are pretty much useless until 4500 rpm in my opinion. Not a good street head. Anyways, Im thinking a 3000 stall, I talked to the local guy here today, he pretty much custom builds all the converters for the local race teams and drag cars so he knows his stuff. I was impressed. We pretty much decided that a 3000 would work really well. You just cant stomp on it at every stoplight. Im putting bfg drag radilas out back so traction should be pretty good with my gearing and posi. I just cant wait to get behind the wheel
It will be awesome im thinking
 
#12 ·
Getting the stall dead on correct only works if you have dyno numbers. They can guestimate your horsepower but its just a guestimate. Likely as not, if you are not dead on with your horse power number they will miss on your stall. If that happens you are rotating it back for a re-stall. My new PTC 8 inch was custom made for my car and came with one free re-stall if they missed. It was less than 100 rpms dead on when I first ran it and I have more than made that up with some engine tuning.

It is also wise to recalculate your run out based on about a 7 percent slip rate. Most significant stall converters will have about that. It is enough to affect your trap rpms/mph and if you are topped out it could put you over.
 
#13 ·
wow...that's the first time I've heard anything good about a PTC converter. A buddy had two or 'em in a '56 ford, 440-powered, and ballooned both. I had one in my maverick, the guy said it should get me to around 3800-4000 stall, and I could only get around 2800 out of it. I think the guy was smoking crack when I talked to him, cause I gave him all the dyno numbers. The one I have now in the 'glide is a 9.5" 4600 stall, and the man that built it guaranteed that it would be right on the stall. He also guaranteed it against ballooning and sprag/stator failure for as long as I have it.
 
#14 ·
Geez...3000 stall is only a little more than stock. I drive around with a 4500 stall, no big deal. I used to think the same thing about converters , big slippage , too hot for the street. I even put transmission fluid temperature gauge on it. You know what, when you just putt around town it doesn't get any hotter than it did with a stock converter, but anytime you start leaning on it, doing burnouts, putting any kind of real load on it the temperature starts to go up right away. You have a lot of leeway there, cause just as fast as it rises in temp it cools down right away too. My temp. is around 180 just putting around. Regular temp for any car is 170 to 180. At the end of a 1/4 mile pass it's about 220 and thats after a burnout and a foot brake launch for about 3 to 5 seconds on the starting line. I just use a deep pan and a 24,000 gvw cooler in front of the radiator. Engine is a Dart headed 351 making about 450 hp. in a 1968 Mustang which weighs about 3000 lbs. I drive around all summer with 4.88 rear gear and a 4500 stall converter.
 
#16 ·
On 2002-11-12 03:09, Razor wrote:
At the end of a 1/4 mile pass it's about 220 and thats after a burnout and a foot brake launch for about 3 to 5 seconds on the starting line.
Wow, mine doesnt get hot till I make 3 or more passes in less than 20 minutes. My convertor stalls 6200 rpm, and I use a transbrake, and mine only gets over 180* if I make back to back passes. I "put it to the mat" when both cars are pre-staged, so it's sitting on the chip at 4400 rpm for a couple of seconds. After a high nine second pass mine is usually only around 160* when I am done.


Back to the original subject, if you get a good convertor, you'll love it. If it's not a good one, you'll be very unhappy.
 
#17 ·
On 2002-11-12 03:09, Razor wrote:
Geez...3000 stall is only a little more than stock. I drive around with a 4500 stall, no big deal. I used to think the same thing about converters , big slippage , too hot for the street. I even put transmission fluid temperature gauge on it. You know what, when you just putt around town it doesn't get any hotter than it did with a stock converter, but anytime you start leaning on it, doing burnouts, putting any kind of real load on it the temperature starts to go up right away. You have a lot of leeway there, cause just as fast as it rises in temp it cools down right away too. My temp. is around 180 just putting around. Regular temp for any car is 170 to 180. At the end of a 1/4 mile pass it's about 220 and thats after a burnout and a foot brake launch for about 3 to 5 seconds on the starting line. I just use a deep pan and a 24,000 gvw cooler in front of the radiator. Engine is a Dart headed 351 making about 450 hp. in a 1968 Mustang which weighs about 3000 lbs. I drive around all summer with 4.88 rear gear and a 4500 stall converter.
This really depends on the combo.Put your 4500 stall in a 5000Lb land yacht with 2:75 gears and see how it works.You'll be screaming all the time.Also I think most stock converters are probably under 1500 rpm stall.Generally a convertor will stall higher in a heavier vehicle or with a motor with more torque such as a big block vs a small block.
 
#18 ·
Notice where RAZOR lives. Up where it is cold. I just put in a 3500 stall in mine with a big a$$ cooler and it ran too hot. I had it re-adjusted down to 2700 and I now love it. Yes, it was a custom converter for my application. 99% street driven. Now, look where I live. Makes a big difference. The 2700 stall converter runs 20 cooler that the 3500. And the burnouts are fun as hell!!! That line-lock is one of the best things I did.
 
#19 ·
I run a 3200 TCI 10" and it works fine on the street. A bit different feel (like you're stuck in first gear at low speed) but you get used to it. Worked fine in our once-a-year Cruise Night traffic. I run a 3.7 gear and turn 3200~3400 at 65 on the highway. The converter flashes to 2800 or so under light throttle. Have not been to the track with it, so I can't tell you what the launch flash is because the street tires (275-50x15 BFG radials) won't hook for s@#t with it. We'll find out at the new track next year.
 
#21 ·
What...up in Canada where it is cold...geez..you think we cruise around in the snow . Our summers are 80 to 90 degrees from end of May till September. I'm in Niagara Falls and we only have snow here for about 2 months max and you wouldn't put a converter like a 4500 in a land yacht. You have to use common sense and match engine power curve to the converter. You can't really tell how much converter I have unless I really stab the throttle. Cruises like any other car when you're putting around.
 
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