i don't guess there's a way to make a torque converter's stall speed higher via tuning changes is there? and if i were to get a higher stall speed converter put in my 03 Lightning, would I need any tuning changes?

Hey Mike, the tunes are working great (you tuned me a 6600 earlier this year) and so is the pinion snubber. unfortunately my truck really needs some help out of the hole!! with my hoosier QTPs, she sticks but i cannot get anything better than a 1.91 60' time. actually that was on F1s in cool air. i've been running 1.96-2.00 60s in the heat, great track prep, and there's no chance of me spinning on the drag tires. i've tried every launch technique there is, probably 100 passes this year... off idle flashes it highest, stomped as quick as possible to the floor. i guess i'm one of the unlucky ones with a low stalling converter I've kind of been thinking about a new converter (maybe a Factory Tech Steet 2400-2600), but i really need to be able to tow for a while longer with this truck. i've toyed with the idea of a 6lb lower to get some low rpm torque quicker. any thoughts folks?

 

No, there is no way to change the stall speed of any torque converter in the tuning - that has nothing to do with stall speed (K factor), the only way to change that is to cut upon the torque converter and rebuild - or replace it.

And as you already know, it's a complete mistake to "brake-torque" it - you need to leave at idle, and let the converter flash.

There's no telling how you are staging, or what is really going on with both the front and rear suspension, etc., and there is quite a bit of shift time to be had in proper setup =- and proper setup takes far more than just our pinion snubber alone. It takes much better shocks front & rear, it takes a set of bars on the back that can level the truck out, etc., etc. As well as sheer raw power.

If you want a torque converter with more stall, the way to go it with PI - that is the ONLY type of converter I will run in my Lightning. Absolute top quality, locks up every bit as tight as a stock unit (maybe more so), etc. And there is no reason why you can't tow with it - it has a 2 year UNCONDITIONAL warranty - no mileage limitation, no power limitation, no other limitation. Now I do NOT approve of towing with a raise boost pulley over a 2# pulley, I think that is a mistake without an EGT gauge, so I'd make sure to have an EGT gauge on there, installed with the probe located properly so it gets the highest readings.

All Lightning TQ's are pretty tight, there aren't any really "looser" units out there, generally speaking. There *are* stronger & weaker trucks, and there are trucks that do and do not have their suspensions set up right, and all kinds of other things.

The 1/8th mile time seems fine for what you have there, it indicates a 1/4 mile time well down into the 12's. However, that truck is heavy, and that Flowmaster exhaust could certainly be improved on - overall, for what you list in your signature the truck is doing fine - it simply needs more to do more, you know?

Sounds to me like the truck simply needs some setup work & maybe a TQ and some more power. Just give us a call if you want us to provide anything else for you.

 

thanks for the input, mike. yeah, i wasn't looking to go 1.60s, but i did expect to be well into the 1.80s on sticky tires. i would love to go 1.70s. a ported blower and converter will be the next mods I guess.

i did get an EGT gauge as per your advice. everything looks pretty good... i tow on the 2# pulley... do you think a ported blower on top of the 2# would still be safe to tow 3500-4000 lbs? i presume it would be best (necessary?) to get my chip reburned for that mod?

 

Hi SS,

Yes, the ported blower will require some additional work and MAF upgrade - it pushes the MAF's electronic capacity over the top - that can be handled by replacing the MAF itself, but I prefer to use a much less expensive route, the MAF Extender - that works wonders, it extends the range of the MAF, and then of course we do have to make tuning adjustments for this.

What happens with the ported blower is that the VE (calculated load, volumetric efficiency) goes up so much from the additional airflow that you peak (saturate) the 90mm MAF meter on the 2001 & newer Lightnings - so that has to be dealt with, and whether you deal with it be putting on a MAF meter with more capacity (like the SCT BA2400 or BA2800 units) or use the MAF Extender (which works fine & is what I recommend), the tune has to be redone as we have to do a new MAF transfer function - you'll also want to datalog so we cna double-check the A/F's afterwards.

As long as all that is done properly, and since you have an EGT gauge (excellent move!), then I don't see a problem towing that kind of weight on the 2# pulley.

The port job on the blower will throw another 30+ HP at the rear wheels on that truck, and allow that blower to really scream - I run that setup with a 6# pulley (I don't tow with the L, of course), and just about every other mod to run low 11's (on a sticky track, of course - otherwise it's mid to even high 11's)

By the way - you're going to want to shoot me, I'm afraid. Our staff said you called while I was on another line or something, but I think I misplaced your message with your phone number! (D-oh!) Please accept my apologies! If you'd like to give me another call, I'll be happy to go over everything with you.

Talk to you soon,

 

OK, cool. Thanks. It wasn't me that called today, sorry. I will call you though some time soon. I have blown my mod funds account if you know what I mean. It is like a disease. This winter was supposed to be the addition of some ghost flames for the bling bling factor. they may get postponed though in lieue of converter, blower port, retune, etc....

 

I think it was yesterday that this person called - anyway, sounds like it's someone *else's* message I think I've misplaced - better go searching thru the piles on my desk!