Just wondering if you guys can help me out here and give me some answers on torque converters, I have a truck that I bought recently that came with a crate 502 and has fast fuel injection, the trans is a built turbo 400 and it has 3:73 gears in it and Dana 60 spool with strange axles, now to the converter questions, it has a 3000 stall in it, it cruises along on the highway at 2500 or so, am I doing harm to the transmission and the converter with heat buildup and slipping seeing as its cruising along at under 3000 rpm, should I look into changing the converter or leave things alone. Its a Neal Chance converter 3404 SS 10" Race Low Stall, Steel Stator foot brake converter. If you can give me any information or help that would be appreciated, like to know if i am doing damage to anything or should it be changed to a lower stall converter, thanks.
Forgive me if I'm wrong (I'm not the most knowledgable guy here.. lol) But the converter will still lockup (assuming it's not a non-lockup) under 3000rpm when cruising. It just flashes at 3000 when you get on it.
I had a 3500 in my last truck but I added in a transcooler. I had 4.56's and 29.5-30" tires or so. It would cruise around 2400-2500.
You will build more heat as it will be slipping below its rated stall, but it should be fine. Just run a big cooler, which you should be doing anytime you run a stall converter.
Temperature gauge
Stall speed is like a woman's weight somewhere close but no one knows the real number. The same convertor will be different in 2 different cars as a "general" rule more power raises stall, less gear raises stall, more curb weight raises stall. Basically the harder you try to turn the torque and the more the car fight to stand still, the higher the stall speed.
The 3.73s help to lower the theoretical stall speed so it is generating less heat than is you had 2.73
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The Stall in the Ranchero shown in my avatar is advertised as a 3800, but it's quite likely closer to 4200-4300 with the set up in it right now. It does fine on the highway, although I do limit my 400 series highway useage to short trips - long stints at elevated RPM is a valve spring killer. It's not really slipping as much as you think when you are just cruising along on a flat road, but temps will come up on a long grade or under repeated acceleration (under load). Just follow the advice above and add the biggest trans cooler you can fit/ afford
Happy Cruising ~ Fordy
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