what exactly does a stall converter do.........what happens idle, when i give it gas at a red light, when i punch it, stuff like that........if someone can tell me everything possiable before i get one it would really help....thanks. i have a 5.3, headers, fipk, hpp2, getting a cam shortly. thanks

 

ok basicaly a converter which all automatics have slip for instance at idle. well a stock converter only slips a little while a higher stall converter will slip more before it grabs. idle is normal and when you give it gas at a red light to go you will notice the need for a little more gas to get going but the amoung will depend on the stall rating. when you punch it for instance with a stock converter it will flash to maybe 1300 or something but if you have say a 3000 stall it will jump to close to 3000 rpms and take off like popping a cluch in a manual. also a higher performance converter will reduce the drop in rpm's when the vehicle shifts.

many people that dont know or have never rode in a vehicle with a converter think if you get a 3000 stall then when taking off slowly you have to reach 3000 rpms before it moves. this is not true. when you let off the brake the car will still inch forward like normal. you will notice a converter more with a lower gear like a 3.42 because it takes more torque to get going than if you had 4.10's.

i have a yank tt3000 and like it. it has a good driving maner and you can still tow a bit with it.

also you can expect about a .3 drop in et

 

Here's my typical Copy+Paste:

"Converters are the "black holes" and "voodoo" of cars and trucks. They are strange, complicated, and misunderstood.

First, stall is based on input torque mainly and also based off vehicle weight. I.e. an anemic, low compression 350 may be able to stall a converter to about 2000 rpm. A hot, higher compression with good heads 350 may be able to get that stall up to 2600 rpm due to making more torque. That is with the same converter. It really depends on your application.

Stall also is in different forms. There is flash stall, brake stall, and actual stall.

Flash stall is, with no traction problems, the peak RPM or the quick jump of the engine RPM's on with the converter. This isn't the best way to measure stall. Insane amounts of torque can make a 3000rpm stall to 4500rpm+
Brake stall is, holding down your brake and gassing the ride with the other foot. That doesn't work too well either b/c you will generally begin to light up the rear tires.
Actual stall is if you had a transbrake on your trans (holds R+D together) so you don't move and your RPM's rise to your stall speed. If you have a 3000rpm stall, that is what your engine should rev to with the transbrake on. You would launch off of that.

Softness depends on the stall and size you go with. High stall, small converters are "loose" converters if you will. Larger diameter usually help keep the looseness away and keep the factory towing up. These act more stock with higher stall. The softness is more likely to be with the part-throttle shift than the WOT ones.

Looseness is hard to explain. Like you'd have to give the vehicle a bit more gas to get moving and depending on diameter. Generally your part throttle putting around rpms are about 2000-2400rpm again depending on converter and vehicle.

Also stall converters help with shift extension on the upshifts...meaning you will have a higher RPM in the next gear you shift into. This is very nice for wide ratio boxes like the 4L60E. In addition to that, low throttle/cruising is also improved in that weird area where you are going too fast for a 2-1 downshift and too slow for 3rd...your RPMs will be a bit higher so it will not feel as much like a dead spot. That happens due to the big jump in ratios between 1st and 2nd gears.

Finally, with a high stall converter, install a large transmission cooler. Even if the instructions say it is okay to use the factory cooler/heat exchanger get one. They are cheap insurance. $50 cooler or $2000+ transmission?"



That should answer a lot of questions

 

im i gonna have major traction problems with say a stall convertor of 3000, i need to still get a posi and i run 295/30/22 tires in the back so that should be a good contact patch but i still feel that i might have major traction probelems.

 

If you don't have a posi,now would be a good time to invest in one.As for 22" wheels they are for looks and not performance,you add about an extra 120-130lbs of unsprung weight with them,if want performance stay away from 22" wheels and tires.

 

i had major traction problems before the posi. after posi, i had less traction problems, but it sure is still easy too break those tires loose with the yank. i still have stock all terrain tires though