I have posted this on NLOC and in the Factory Tech forum... Hoping to get some answers to the questions as I know a lot of you guys would like to know them as well.

Basically it boils down to this: After lockup, I feel like my truck sucks. I would like to see it lock up at a higer speed (mph) so I can continue to benefit from torque multiplication. I think it locks now around 40 or so, not too sure.

If I put in a converter that locks just a little higher than stock -- say 2100 or so, what will it do? I know lockup and stall are separate things, but is one a function of the other?

 

I'm not going to take the chance that it will be right. I'm reinstalling the stock one and if I decide to go with an aftermarket one later on it will be a PI. I don't think I should be a guinea pig. They sold me a 2400 stall and it is a 3800 stall. I guess if they paid for my time to R&R the tranny it would be a different story. This is a $200-$300 job at most shops each time the tranny is removed.

 

Lock up can be tuned through a chip. Any mph you desire.

 

Silver-

My understanding was that tweaking the speed at which lockup occurs is a function of line pressure. If that is indeed the case, I do not want my chip messing with line pressures. I don't know the answer to this one for sure, just what I have heard.

 

Lock-up is controlled by chip, not line pressure; can be set at any speed. Super Chips (SC) used to eliminate lock-up until 4th gear. SC and JDM have been locking them up sooner on some programs to keep from wasting HP and ET's seem to have improved. Yes, I used to feel like mine bogged some when lock-up occurred about time of 1-2 shift. Current chip has lock-up occurring at ~1000 ft; this phantom shift drops rpm 200-300 rpm.

When lockup occurs it negates slippage of higher stall converers. Stall and lock-up are independent. Stock stall is ~1800 rpm. My 2400 rpm stall works great on the street, I even pull a car on trailer occasionally without problem. Finned pan, stock cooler, and 160 thermostat keep tranny at ~150F in steady 90-100F air temp highway or intown driving. Tranny is more like 120-150 or less at track and have not seen any heat-up during burn-outs. Stage at 1,500-1,700 rpm. Staging at higher rpm does not improve my times, actually run about same 60' times at 1,000 rpm. For me, hard launch comes from converter flash on take-off, not loaded stall.

Engine temp is exactly 100F above air temp at 70 - 100F and tranny temp 20-30 less than engine temp when fully stabilized.

My poor boy altered stock converter was done locally for a price too low for you to believe. It has now increased to ~$300 exchange with a billet front plate. Saw ~0.15 sec improvement at all points on the track. Not selling anything, just sharing.

 

I thought there was more torque available before lockup, but then that is why I am asking... Something like a 2:1 torque multiplication vs. 1:1 after lockup? How could locking sooner create a better ET? I do appreciate the education as always.

thanks

ken