I am having trouble deciding if I should spend the $ and the time to install a higher stall torque convertor (currently at apx 1400). If I do I will probably put a trany cooler in at the same time. What I dont want to do is make my car less street worthey and also make it more difficult to hook up. The engine builder for my car recommended about 2400 rpm stall would be ideal. Any advice will help.

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'84 Camaro 327ci Bored .030 over w/ 5.7" Rods. Large Jouranl 327! 3.73 geared Auburn Limited Slip Diff. FlowMaster Muffler w/ Shortie Headers. TH-350 Built Trany Underneath B&M Mega-Shifter. Many Engine compartment Dress Up Mods. Edelbrock High Flow Water Pump w/ Flex-a-Lite Cooling Fan.
It is still under construction @ www.iserv.net~brodgers

 

It will make your Camaro more fun to drive on the street and won't make it less street worthy. I have a Precision Industries 12" high-stall converter in my '87 IROC 305TPI that is rated at 2200 rpm and actually stalls at 2400 rpm. I lowered my 60-foot time by about 2 tenths, which dropped my 1/4-mile time by about 3 tenths or so. A tranny cooler is good to have regardless which converter you have, even the stock one, to keep the fluid cool and preserve the tranny.

I'd go with at least a 2400 stall, more if you are drag-racing and have some decent tires to hook up. With street tires and a higher-stall converter, it'll be harder to keep them from spinning when launching, but I still dropped my et with nearly-bald 34k-mile BF Goodrich Comp T/A ZRs. If you have drag radials or slicks and the extra money, I'd get a Precision Industries Vigilante converter with a stall speed of at least 2600 rpm, more if you have a bigger cam...

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Greg Westphal
'87 IROC 305TPI/A4

 

I have never heard of the Precision Industries Vigilante converter. Where is this product available and what are its advantages?

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'84 Camaro w/ Large Jouranl 327 bored .030 over; 3.73 geared Auburn Limited Slip Diff. FlowMaster Muffler w/ Shortie Headers. TH-350 Built Trany Underneath B&M Mega-Shifter. Many Engine compartment Dress Up Mods. Edelbrock High Flow Water Pump w/ Flex-a-Lite Cooling Fan.
It is still under construction @ www.iserv.net~brodgers

 

http://www.converter.com/ says it all. They have a very good reputation for their GM torque converters, especially the Vigilante line. http://www.thunderracing.com/ sells P.I. converters, and I got my converter and a Trans-Go shift kit from them, as well as other parts.

One of their converter's advantages over other cheaper converters is that they work great in street cars. I know guys with 2800 to 3200 stall converters in daily drivers. Just because the stall speed is that high, it doesn't mean that the car doesn't move until the engine's revving that high. They've designed them to have less slippage (more efficient design) so they don't add as much heat to the tranny fluid as other converters do.

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Greg Westphal
'87 IROC 305TPI/A4