This is the quote I got from a guy over at Continental Converters in L.A. I'm running a mild big block, with mild gears (3.55:1), a mild cam, dual plane......basically a street big block. It's seems like a lot of stall and converter for my combo, yet they were intent on selling me a 10" converter for my car. I thought an 11" was more practical. Any truth to what the guy, "Jim", was telling me?

Thanx,

Lindsey

My best e.t. to date (11.78@114.59) was accomplished with an 11" B&M converter in front of a th350/3.73 gears a mild street/strip big block. I have since switched to a th400 with a 10" ATI converter,same 3.73's with no improvements, but ask again when we get the good fall air,it may or may not happen,the 454 has to be gettin tired, on my 3rd year of full time racing no/e and over 5 years in the car.

I think the reasoning has to do with longevity of the converter and heat build up. Depending on how high of a stall you were discussing, a tight 10" converter will generate less heat than a loose 11" unit for the same stall. At least that is how I understand it.

Converters are one of those items that there is no one right way to do it. A lot of variables ca

Converters are one of those items that there is not always one right way to do it. A lot of variables can come into play. Get together any number of converter builders and you are likely to get as many different answers back as how to best set it up. Continental enjoys a strong local reputation. I think that a lot of what a converter builder recomends has to do with feedback from customers.

Good luck, Thomas

I have a very tight 2850 stall 9 inch with an 11 inch clutch pack with a 2004R tranny. The point being a smaller but tight convertor is possible.

I talked to Munsinger a couple years ago and he said a higher stall with a larger converter was asking for trouble. He recommended a 10" as the max for anything much above stock.

Lindsey,

FYI,

The converter I run is a 10" TCI unit (originally about 3500 stall) that I had freshened up and changed the stall to 3000. With a smaller diameter converter (10" compared to 11"), you get a greater torque multiplication up to stall speed. The range that the converter operates in is more controlled. My converter foot brake stalls at 2500 and will flash to 3000. But at 3000+ it doesn't slip anymore.

Incidentally - I also run a mild small BBC - 408CI motor.

He knows his stuff, their 10 inch P1 converters are very tight converters and ive seen them ran and work very well in almost stock applications all the way to wheels up launches.

They nailed my converter in my car. I have a 10" Continental and it works great so far. I think I might be running out of fuel on the top end holding the car back but it 60's really good. And the 10" starts moving the car around 13-1500 and flashes in the 4000 range. He knows what he's talking about.

Matt

Okay......well.....sounds like I wasn't being fed a load of B.S. Because I don't understand the physics of how a torque converter works, and only know the simple rule that the smaller the diameter, the higher the thing seems to stall, I didn't want to spin my motor to well above where it's supposed to make power and burn up my transmission too. Thanks for the opinions. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Lindsey