I've got a 2600 RPM stall speed converter. Do you guys usually have better luck holding your foot on the brake and revving to just below the stall speed, or waiting for the light and simply mashing the gas to have it flash to the stall speed and go? Traction is not an issue...I've got plenty of it. Thanks.

 

Traction is the key.

My converter stalls at 5700 rpm on the transbrake but I usually only launch at 3000 rpm. Any higher and I get too much wheel spin. Letting the converter flash takes some of the shock out of the driveline and hits the tires softer.

When you're holding the converter at a high rpm, the converter is building a lot of heat in the tranny oil. Don't do it until the lights are about to come down (both stage lights have just lit). Invest in a good aftermarket tranny cooler and if you can, install a seperate fan in front of it. Hot tranny oil will kill the tranny and also make it slower and more inconsistant.

What works best depends on your car and engine. What works best in somebody elses car may not be what works best for you. It's a trial and error method. Launch at different rpms and check 60' times.

 

I've already got an external trans cooler, and dual radiator fans controlled by switches, one of which is near the cooler. I've got another question maybe you can answer Stephen. I will be towing my car up to the strip, and therefore it will be cold when it arrives. What should I do for a warm up procedure? Should I just let it run at around 200 degrees or so for a few minutes, or even higher? Like I said earlier, I have my fans controlled by toggles, so I can kick them on as soon or as late as I want. Thanks for the reply.

 

Warm the engine up to operating temperature to build heat in the metal. Go for a drive through the pits or up and down the return road. Most tracks have some place that lets you do some warm ups. You want to heat up the oil in the tranny and diff too. Some people just put the car on jack stands and run it up to get everything warmed up.

After it's warm, shut if off and let the metal equalize the heat. A cold engine is anything below 140*. You want the heat buildup in the metal. Especially things like valve springs. They'll last longer if they're warmed up before making that blast down the track. Not many of us can afford to change valve springs a couple of times a year. I'd like mine to last at least 5 years.

As for the dual factory fans, they'll work but they're also trying to pull air through a tranny cooler and the rad. They're not efficient enough to remove that much heat. A tranny temp gauge is the best way to monitor the temperature of the oil. It should be about the same temp as the engine. When tranny oil gets over 230*, bad things start to happen especially for long periods of time. At 250* you should consider changing the frictions and seals. Chances are you're not going to build near as much heat as I am but any converter will still build a lot of heat. Even a stock converter doing a brake stand will build enough heat to cook the oil.

 

I've tried it both ways, and it all depends. It has a lot to do with how the carb is set up too. You just have to experiment and watch the 60 ft times.