Interestingly (not a real word, but I will use it anyway), the stock stall is right at about 1800rpms...
With my 2500 stall and 3.50 gears I am running 3500 rpm to go 65-70 mph. If you are going to run the 3.00's for a period of time with a 3000 stall, I would wait until you got your gears. Just slide the trans. back and install the larger converter. That is JMO
I have a mild e303 FRPP with a TCI 2000 rpm stall, in my 92 5.0, performer rpm,polished holley 600 and hooker 6901/2.5 flowmasters. with the 2.79 gear, exellent on the highway. good mpg !! if I keep my foot out of it. I'm thinking on some 3.80 and swaping out the c-4 for a AOD !! (theirs 3 in the shed collecting dust anyway !!) I'm also using a 18,000 lbs gov.wt. trans. cooler with a in-line filter, by passing the radiator cooler !!
I think I need to return this converter, and get a 2,400 stall instead. That would allow me to stall around 60-70 mph on the highway. I'm going to call edge on wednesday and see about the exchange.
Can I swap converters by just "sliding the trans back and installing it"? I was going to wait until I had my trans rebuilt and do it all at one time. That will be another year or two.
It's all in what you are going to do with the car. If you want to go fast keep what you got. if its a descent converter and you have a cooler on it it wont be a problem. Highway or not. Just because it rated at 3000 doesnt mean it will flash that high especialy with a near stock engine. my gues is about 2500 at most if it flashes higher the gear will corect it. as far as cruising rpm(highway speeds) thats when heat will be the least problem. More airflow across the cooler. My combination was very similar years ago and just because you arent above the stall speed doesnt mean it will just slip all the time it just wont be as efficient. just my experience with this setup.
If I flashed at 2500 with my current setup, it would have me right about the bottom of my power band. Sounds about perfect for me. I have been leaning more toward a 2500 stall, but now I am afraid it wouldn't flash high enough for those few times I use it at the track. After I build up to 347, the 3000 still sounds like it should work for me, so I wouldn't have to buy anoher one.
sounds like you got a pretty good handle on it. But remember most converters are tighter than rated. Or should i say tci converters are.
This is getting so confusing. I just don't know what to do. First of all, what is a good rpm to be running on the highway, around 2500 or so? Second, my motor isn't quite stock: 306ci KB flat top pistons eagle i-beam rods polished crank main girdle tfs stage 1 cam (.499/.510 w/1.6's) 1.7 roller rockers (changes the cam specs I know) hooker 6901 headers e7te heads, shaved for 9.5:1 comp weiand stealth intake holley 600 carb. running ahead of a c4 and 3.00 open rear. I just don't know what to do with this converter. It's a top of the line piece from edge racing, I could return it for a lower stall. I will be driving this car on the highway quite a bit and I don't want to have the converter slipping while I'm going 2300 rpm @ 65mph.
it wont hurt it to be at that rpm but for best performance thats a decision only you can make. economy or hot rod. But i guarante that if you go to a lower one performance will suffer. I have ran cars at 3000 on the highway for hours at at time but, personally if youre driving it alot the 2000-2500 range would definetly be my limit.
i think u will need the 3000 stall for performance. how about a cheap pair of short rear tires until u get the gears in? that would cut the 3.0 gear a bit. the thing to remember is that stall changes with the rear gear. as the gear ratio rises numerically, the stall decreases. so, a conv that stalls at 3000 with a 4.10 gear might stall 3300 with a 3.0 gear.
This isn't going to be a weekend racer. Just a daily driver with a little go. I'm going to call Edge in the morning and talk to them, I'm really leaning towards going down to 2400 with the stall.
I called Edge this morning and talked to Andre, and he ended my concerns. He told me that the "math" that edge converters are designed on is "K" math, instead of just clearances. Sparing a bunch of technical information, the basics of it are that because of the stator design in my converter, after about 85-100 feet, the converter will act just like a stock converter, allowing me to, and I quote, "deliver newspapers at 1600 rpm if you wanted to." I'm going to keep the converter, I still have plenty of my satisfaction warranty left in case I change my mind once it's in the car.
