Torque Converter? Where am I at? What is compromised?

And try this:
Get cruising in 3rd, but not so slow that it downshifts, then quickly mash the throttle while watching the tach. The needle will instantly jump to a certain RPM and then slowly climb with engine speed. That point that it jumps to is your (approximate) 'flash' stall which is more relevant to your individual combo than advertised stall ratings.