Greetings gurus!

I have an 86 sports Coupe 305 V8 with the mods shown in the signature. My rear gears are 2.73s and a TH700R4 tranny.

I want to install a better torque converter than the stock one, which stalls at 1600 rpm. I'm thinking along the lines of about 2200 rpm or so. But I'm not rich and the $700 Vigilante and Yanks are completely out of the question. Besides, I live in Canada and that would be more than $1000 in our funny money!

My local transimission shop guy doesn't like the idea of a higher stall converter at all. He figures it will rip first gear and the reverse gear to pieces in no time. I don't see why, as I don't drive like some teenager anyway, but some of these shop guys think they are gods of some sort when it comes to recommending what to do.

In any event, which torque converter brand and model do you recommend? Please keep it in the $200 range, if at all possible.

Also, would a 2200 rpm tc be the equivelent of changing the rear end ratio to something like 3.23 or 3.42? Is there any sort of formula you guys know of? And how long does it take for a shop to do a tc change? What am I looking at for labour?

Thanks a bunch!

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1986 Camaro Sports Coupe
Flame Red Metallic with Black accents and Red interior
T-tops, variable wiper, power hatch, rear defrost, third brake light
LG4 305 V8, Hooker Shorty headers, 3" pipe into Walker Quiet Flow dual exhaust
Edelbrock Performer intake, "Damonized" Q-Jet 4bbl, K&N filter, Crane ignition kit
TH700R4 transmission and Derale cooler
Air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, power brakes, power steering, tilt wheel
Kenwood cassette, Pioneer 6x4 component front speakers
Rockford Fosgate 6x9 Punch rear speakers
Z-28 front and rear sway bars
Aluminum slots and Goodyear 225x60R15 Eagle HP tires
243 horsepower and 326 foot pounds of torque at the flywheel
_ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _
Yea verily, and he smote the smog heathens from his small block Chevy, even from the air pump to the converter ...
Todd 1:1

 

Check out SLP, they have a torque converter with a 2400 stall for the 700R4 for about $300.00. I have one and like it.


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1987 Black Camaro IROC-Z (original owner) Replaced LB9 @ 86100 miles.
New 350 Crate engine
Balanced & blueprinted
World Prod SR 67cc Heads 9.6:1 C.R.
Cam: 454lift,216dur@50,110ls
TPI Induction(from 305)
22# Fuel Injectors
AFPR & Gauge
SLP Intake runners
Fastchip stage 2 chip
K&N filters & Air Foil
Hothkis STB
SLP 1 3/4 Headers
CATCO 3" Catalytic conv.
SLP 3" Cat Back Exhaust
700R4 Auto
SLP Torque Converter (2400 stall)
1LE Aluminum Dr Shaft
B-W 9 bolt rear 2:77 Possi. Four wheel disc brakes,245/45/ZR-17 Tires
17x8.5 ATI 5 Razze Wheels
Dyno results: 211 RWHP & 282 RWTQ.
271 HP & 362#/ft at flywheel with all Emission controls installed. New Toy!

 

i bought the OEM corvette convertor from dacco/detroit for $80.00 exchange. flashes to 2100 easily.

 

dont even bother with those garbage rear gears, your trans will just be slipping all the time from a higher stall. get some better rear gears first, that alone will make a world of diffrence.

 

Hey mrr23,

Thanks for the reply. Can you be more specific about the converter you bought? Is it for the 700r4? What is its part number? Is it only for specific years of trans?

How is the driveability of your car now? Does it "slip all over the place" as some people claim about TCs?

 

Hi,

Please explain what you mean by "slipping all the time." I thought the TC would simply lock up when you reach a cruising speed.

 

Changing the converter is not comparable to changing the gear. I would change the rear gear to 3.73 first. I would make a cam change
then buy a converter. Buy the way you can swap in a "corvette, Iroc, S10" 2100 stall
pretty cheap, even in our "duck bucks". You can identify them by the factory 4 didgit code on them.
The ones with "B" for the second didgit
have a 2100 stall. behind your 305 it will be slightly lower.
http://photos.yahoo.com/russ_q

 

My Vette vertor flashes to 2200 with ease and I've only a 305 nut cammed TPI.

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86 T/A 5.0 A4 & 2.77 gear
15.62 @ 86 mph
93 Civic 1.6L
13.5 @ 100 mph

 

Thanks guys, you've given me a lot to think about and look into. But keep posting your info so I can learn as much as possible before taking the plunge

 

check out www.phoenixhardparts.com -They have torque converters for the 700r-4 that stall at about 2500 r.p.m. for $159.00,I'm thinking about getting one.

------------------
82 firebird with 305H.O.,Block bored .30 over,Keith black hyperutectic flat top pistons for 10 to 1 compression,Turned crank,Magnafluxed connecting rods,Melling H.V. oil pump,and double roller timeing chain,Ported and shaved heads w/3angle valve job,Z-28springs,Summit push rods and comp cams magnum roller rockers,Ported Edelbrock performer r.p.m.intake,Carter 625 afbcarb,Accell spark plugs,wires,and H.E.I.super coil,Heavy duty cap and rotor,Clevite performance cam with 450-460 inches of lift,Comp cams lifters,700r-4 tranny rebuilt with trans-go rebuild kit,corvette servo,New torQue converter,Flowtech headers,Flowmaster muffler,3.73limited slip rear end,Energy suspension bushings from front to rear,Energy suspension tranny mount,New center link,ball joints,trans-am steering box,ASP power pully,Boxed L.C.A.'s.

 

My stall is lock-up one from Dacco/Detroit. It is not the same as the corvette converter but is rated to around the same rpm: 2200 to 2500 rpm, depending on application. The actual stall converter will always be different due to the weight of the vehicle, size of engine, torque output of engine and whatnot. That 2200 to 2500 stalls up to right near 2500 when fully stressed and is reasonable during street driving.... it does get up there in the rpms when in higher gears at slow speeds.... Overall, I am pleased with my converter and it cost me $145 through the local Dacco/Detroit dealer......

------------------
1987 GTA L98 MD8
355, TFS Heads, LT4 Hot Cam
My GTA

The Minnesota F-body Club

 

If you catch them on Ebay, you can possibly get one for a little cheaper. I saw one go for $132.

They are 12", lock-up style, so they will look stock. Which in my opinion is good for the 'sleeper look.'

AJ

 

Why don't more people use the L35 Converter. From what I hear, they stall around 2100-2200 and are a dime a dozen in the boneyard. They are a direct swap, and have the lockup feature.

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If you live in Southeastern US, check us out!
South East Thirdgen

1987 Trans Am 305
14.88 @ 92.81

 

I think that is what is in my TA. I need to look at sales reciept. The former owner optted for the better vette vertor for the extra $13.

Now to get rid of that peanut cam!

------------------
86 T/A 5.0 A4 & 2.77 gear
15.62 @ 86 mph
93 Civic 1.6L
13.5 @ 100 mph

 

Please tell me more about the L35 TC. What exactly is its part number and which cars did it come on? Is it a well behaved unit? Does it have a hard time deciding whether to upshift or downshift? Does it actually stall at 2100 rpm with a mild 305? How can I tell if I have found one?

All help is much appreciated

 

Here is a GM converer that will fit the 30 spline shafts and is rated at 2025 but will go up to 21-2200 with higher power mods: GM #24202310

 

Thanks Transfixleo. Unfortunately that converter is priced at $300 Canadian, rather out of my price range

Any other ideas?

 

Wow! I think I paid @$140 (US) or so last time (I suffer from CRS, can't remember s...). Maybe you could come accross the border or even have one shipped to you?

[This message has been edited by transfixleo (edited October 28, 2001).]

 

Wow! is right ...

I think tomorrow I'm going to check around some of the wreckers in town and see if they have any of these in stock. Grrr ... Calgary is a "get rich quick" type of town and thus full of shysters running franchises. One guy on Friday told me he would not install a torque converter for me unless he sold it to me. What ever happened to doing what the paying customer asks you to do? I guess his business is too good to bother with the likes of me--a paying customer with cash in hand. It's not like I was asking for a warranty or anything. So many of them think you came down with the last raindrop and they can pull a quick one

 

Transfixleo,

Actually, I was just converting the price of the TC from US to Canadian yesterday to come up with the $300 guesstimate, using the GM Parts Direct price.

Today I called a local Calgary GM dealership. For that particular TC they want $565 plus 7% GST--or over $600 Canadian!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

IF it comes back online try this: http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/http%3A...artsdirect.com

 

Nope, it doesn't come back.

 

here is the phone number (407)295-9265. the man to atalk to is willard jenkins. i cannot find my receipt. he'll know what your asking for if you say its for a 700r4 corvette convertor. i'll call him to and try to get you the part number. drives fine when you floor it, it'll flash to 2100 rpm in my car which is a stock 5.7l with 3.27 gears.


[This message has been edited by mrr23 (edited October 29, 2001).]

 

another cheap one

 

finding a new high stall convertor for less than 300 Canadian could be tough Sitting Bull. i know i sure had trouble finding a reasonably priced one. i ended up getting one from a local speed shop. It is 2700 rpm stall and made by Markham Converters, a place in Markham, Onatrio that makes torque convertors. it was $375 new. i was told it is plently strong as long as i dont "shock it" with nitrous and/or true wrinkle wall slicks. seeing as i dont like nitrous and will never be able to afford real slicks (i use CASCAR slicks right now, they are a radial slick, cause they are for circle track), this thing should be fine for me, and lord knows its better than the stock piece of garbage.

 

You guys realize how old this thread is?

 

hahhaha...i just noticed that......very good point.

 

I have a question. Why does that say , but then in the description is says...... "Unit does contain a lock-up clutch" ?

I wonder which it is?

AJ

 

w/ means with, so they are both saying that it has lockup. I think you must have misread it.

Ben

 

GØD DAMN you're so right!!!!!!

I must had have two minnie shots of buddurshots lass nite. :lala:

AJ

 

Guys, even I am shocked that this one is back from the dead!