I read a message that if you get a torque converter it can whack some time off your ET's. Well what the heck is it, can we use it, whats it take to install it, & what;s the $$$ involved in doing it??? Oh ya what's a "stall converter"? As you can tell Im not to educated in the fine art of "Automatics"

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99' Black Bolt
Clear Corner lenses
PSP Filter
SVT #3443


[This message has been edited by Yoda (edited 11-27-1999).]

 

Its the devise that transfers the engine power to the tranny, An aftermarket unit usully is smaller in size and employs a higher than stock stall speed, What this does is it allows the motor to rev up higher on take off and less RPM drop between shifts, It works great as long you use sticky tires I.E. slicks/drag radials to take advantage of it, With the 99 Lightning's already potant low end power due to the Eaton blower, Stock tires will be toast for most of first gear I would think!
But head out to the strip with the stickies on and look out! It should knock about a 1/2 second in E.T. I think the only company making one for the 99 "L" is level 10. and they cost about $1000. (I think)
A coulple of bad things about is its not recomended for towing (if want to do that type of thing)and it gives the truck a different feel while driving, It will act a little more sluggish and require more throttle to get the truck moving but mash it down and you will be either spinning the tires or taking off like a bat out of hell!!!

 

Ice pick hit right on the head. If you do consider this mod buy a quality converter (there is some real junk out there in the converter market that could make you go slower). I use "high stall" converters in several other vehicles, and sugest you drive one before doing it - you may not like it. Now there is one possibilaty, if the lock up clucth can hold under full throttle you could use a high stall for a hard launch and lock the converter after launch for efficency. The Grand National guys do this with a manual switch. Like Ice said though not recomended for towing. High stall converters generate a lot of heat when 'slipping', the leading cause of trany failures. Here is what you could expect though - friends GN w/ stock converter 1.7 60' with high stall 1.5 60'(on slick of course) Remember that if torque remains constant HP increases with rpm, if you double the rpm and keep torque constant you double HP. So, a torque converter converts the higher rpm HP (torq x RPM) to a lower rpm (during launch mostly) resulting in a higher torque value(less any fricional losses, this is what generates the heat).

 

I have read that the lightning has a heavy duty torque converter borrowed from one of the super duty trucks, but the stall speed is basically unchanged from the regular F-150.