why a custom built converter isn't for everyone....

do you agree with the 1st post?

  • yes, I agree

    Votes: 20 62.5%

  • Nope, I disagree

    Votes: 12 37.5%
  • Total voters
    32
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Because North America butchered it lol. Altho it's easier to say the "new way".
Metric system is waaaaaayyyyy more logical. You know the one that 95% of the world uses. Everything by 10's.
 
318willrun said:
And as Dartfreak spoke of, sometimes cost is a factor. In general, if you pay less than 600 bucks for a converter, you didn't buy "a good one". A real nice 9.5 street converter starts at 750 bucks and many will get you 900. I said a good one. If you have a transbrake, or NOS, or turbo, you'll be on the North side of a 1000. Now I happen to have 7 classic vehicles. If somebody wants to pay the low end of 5000 dollars to put a quality converter in each of them, get me your credit card and I'll get to ordering today. Then, when I motor swap, cam swap, gear swap, I'll be HAPPY to send them back in on your dime and run up another 3k on your card :) Oh, my grey '89 van has a TCI tranny and a Hughes converter in it, I didn't buy either one ... LOL.
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I wouldn't say that high. You can get a good custom starting around 400. But they can go up to ten times that depending on what you're doing.
 
Here’s an example of FTI 9.5” converters with part numbers listed in their catalog, and the wide range of stalls available including a custom option. One could call them “off the shelf” but they build them as ordered I believe, at least for Mopars. I think you’d have to have a pretty unique build to really require a truly custom in a 9.5” street/weekend strip up to 750hp setup. IMO, I’m thinking everyone else that sells, in this case 9.5” converters, may not list their offerings like FTI or TA do, but when calling one just assumes it’s going to be a “custom” but it’ll be one of theirs they have sold to many others. Won’t be built “just for your setup” They’ll just recommend one of them with the stall they offer best suited for your deal Street Racer Series Torque Converter - 9.5" for 727 - TF8
 
12many said:
Here’s an example of FTI 9.5” converters with part numbers listed in their catalog, and the wide range of stalls available including a custom option. One could call them “off the shelf” but they build them as ordered I believe, at least for Mopars. I think you’d have to have a pretty unique build to really require a truly custom in a 9.5” street/weekend strip up to 750hp setup. IMO, I’m thinking everyone else that sells, in this case 9.5” converters, may not list their offerings like FTI or TA do, but when calling one just assumes it’s going to be a “custom” but it’ll be one of theirs they have sold to many others. Won’t be built “just for your setup” They’ll just recommend one of them with the stall they offer best suited for your deal Street Racer Series Torque Converter - 9.5" for 727 - TF8
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Exactly what I mentioned earlier. People call and tell their build, and most of the time one of their "off the shelf" already built converters is close enough to fill the bill and that's what they ship. People get all shook up because they want to think every turbine was fully implemented with their build, and only their build in mind. So many builds are so similar that the need to weld every tooth on the ring gears especially for Jon Doe's car is ridiculous.
 
318willrun said:
Exactly what I mentioned earlier. People call and tell their build, and most of the time one of their "off the shelf" already built converters is close enough to fill the bill and that's what they ship. People get all shook up because they want to think every turbine was fully implemented with their build, and only their build in mind. So many builds are so similar that the need to weld every tooth on the ring gears especially for Jon Doe's car is ridiculous.
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In other words, every 408 stroker pushing 380-450 hp in a Duster with 3.55 - 4.30 gears would be very happy with part number XXXXX. And that's what they pull off the shelf. Less % than what people think actually get a specific TC that was never built before for their application. If it was built 10x before, then isn't that the same as "off the shelf"... ?? LOL
 
318willrun said:
Exactly what I mentioned earlier. People call and tell their build, and most of the time one of their "off the shelf" already built converters is close enough to fill the bill and that's what they ship. People get all shook up because they want to think every turbine was fully implemented with their build, and only their build in mind. So many builds are so similar that the need to weld every tooth on the ring gears especially for Jon Doe's car is ridiculous.
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Maybe one way of looking at it is that you are calling for a “recommendation” not so much “custom” Some companies like the two I mentioned above have a slew of stalls available and actually list them. Other companies do not, so you call for that recommendation and they say you need a 3800. It’s one they make often, but it’s not really “custom” is it?
 
12many said:
Maybe one way of looking at it is that you are calling for a “recommendation” not so much “custom” Some companies like the two I mentioned above have a slew of stalls available and actually list them. Other companies do not, so you call for that recommendation and they say you need a 3800. It’s one they make often, but it’s not really “custom” is it?
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Put your armor of steel on, they are coming for you now... LOL. Now QUALITY of converter is huge....
 
318willrun said:
Exactly what I mentioned earlier. People call and tell their build, and most of the time one of their "off the shelf" already built converters is close enough to fill the bill and that's what they ship. People get all shook up because they want to think every turbine was fully implemented with their build, and only their build in mind. So many builds are so similar that the need to weld every tooth on the ring gears especially for Jon Doe's car is ridiculous.
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I gave you an example, a real world example of two almost identical combinations taking two different converters. I can’t speak for any other than PTC, but I know when you call them they don’t have one “on the shelf”. Two identical 9.5 inch cases with different internals.

It’s the same with cams. You call Comp their job is to sell you a cam on the shelf. You call Racer Brown, or Bullet, or Cam Motion and they pick the lobes, the LSA and that’s what makes the difference. Jones too.

So they are custom converters and cams.
 
yellow rose said:
I gave you an example, a real world example of two almost identical combinations taking two different converters. I can’t speak for any other than PTC, but I know when you call them they don’t have one “on the shelf”. Two identical 9.5 inch cases with different internals.

It’s the same with cams. You call Comp their job is to sell you a cam on the shelf. You call Racer Brown, or Bullet, or Cam Motion and they pick the lobes, the LSA and that’s what makes the difference. Jones too.

So they are custom converters and cams.
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Yep....
Anything built to suit your specific application is indeed “ custom”
 
yellow rose said:
I gave you an example, a real world example of two almost identical combinations taking two different converters. I can’t speak for any other than PTC, but I know when you call them they don’t have one “on the shelf”. Two identical 9.5 inch cases with different internals.

It’s the same with cams. You call Comp their job is to sell you a cam on the shelf. You call Racer Brown, or Bullet, or Cam Motion and they pick the lobes, the LSA and that’s what makes the difference. Jones too.

So they are custom converters and cams.
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I getcha. And remember, I have been in support of custom converters throughout this thread. Just stating that there are instances where it's more practical to not have a custom converter and I think I'm in that scenario. I know we disagree
 
318willrun said:
I getcha. And remember, I have been in support of custom converters throughout this thread. Just stating that there are instances where it's more practical to not have a custom converter and I think I'm in that scenario. I know we disagree
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The only time it would be practical to not have a custom convertor would be for walletary reasons.
In other words, financial reasons dictate a given build is OK to sacrifice performance.
Say you are buying shoes and wear an 11.5. Shoes only come in 11 and 12.Half sizes cost extra. Would you pay the extra for the extra comfort every day you have the shoes on?
 
B3422w5 said:
The only time it would be practical to not have a custom convertor would be for walletary reasons.
In other words, financial reasons dictate a given build is OK to sacrifice performance.
Say you are buying shoes and wear an 11.5. Shoes only come in 11 and 12.Half sizes cost extra. Would you pay the extra for the extra comfort every day you have the shoes on?
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Clip your toe nails short and by the 11's. :D Well, I appreciate the analogy, but physical pain isn't quite the same as 2 tenths. My opening post suggest that with the changes I'll be making to Drag TRuck and the whole idea behind the project, it doesn't make sense financially
 
318willrun said:
Clip your toe nails short and by the 11's. :D Well, I appreciate the analogy, but physical pain isn't quite the same as 2 tenths. My opening post suggest that with the changes I'll be making to Drag TRuck and the whole idea behind the project, it doesn't make sense financially
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yellow rose said:
Yeah, just under 600 bucks shipped.
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Exactly my point. So I have a 175 bucks In my boss hogg converter Vs 600! That would have set me back for months! Drving around cruising on the street really how much difference is there gonna be??
 
6 pages and 28 votes in 24 hrs! Wow, no "stalling" on this TC thread... LOL
 
Just remember that most of the better companies that do the custom as well as maybe also have ones with part numbers/listed come with “one free re-stall” within one year to the original purchaser, I know TA and FTI do. I’d assume all the others will too. The common less costly off the shelf brands from Summit, Jegs or similar probably do not. A TCI, B&M, and Hughes I’ve used in years past did not. Something to factor into the equation
 
318willrun said:
Clip your toe nails short and by the 11's. :D Well, I appreciate the analogy, but physical pain isn't quite the same as 2 tenths. My opening post suggest that with the changes I'll be making to Drag TRuck and the whole idea behind the project, it doesn't make sense financially
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Some people might be in physical pain over two tenths lol
 
dartfreak75 said:
Exactly my point. So I have a 175 bucks In my boss hogg converter Vs 600! That would have set me back for months! Drving around cruising on the street really how much difference is there gonna be??
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It depends on what you expect. I’m saying the extra money is worth it, and that’s been verified many times over the years.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Exactly my point. So I have a 175 bucks In my boss hogg converter Vs 600! That would have set me back for months! Drving around cruising on the street really how much difference is there gonna be??
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You might REALLY be surprised at the difference. It can be big.

If you are on a budget, you have to buy what you can get. People will spend thousands on an engine, then cripple it with a junk converter. I used to comment like this. People that love tti headers... with 1K available, I tell them you spend 700-800 on headers and 200-300 on a converter, I'll spend 400 on headers and 600 on a converter and kick the crap out of you with the same combination. Even if my combo has 5-10 less HP or TQ... Why? The converter is the magic bean. There are better places to skimp than converter. Carb, intake, heads, headers, bolt ons... plenty of spots to find alternatives to fund a decent converter. BTDT.

I've also been involved in stuff where all we had was a shelf 3500 hughes converter. The car had run 1.36-1.37 60' with the sorted out converter it had. We tossed the hughes in and the car went 1.41-1.42, not bad for a shelf converter... BUT, it was a $500 shelf piece. When you change a converter and the car picks up 3-4 tenths and 5 mph, yeah a good piece makes a difference.

I'd rather drive a car that has too much converter than one that doesn't have enough if I was looking for a hot street car. It's not the 80's anymore where high stall meant cruise speeds were like stepping on a marshmellow.

The converter is the item that transfers power from the engine to every piece behind it. Would you like to ride a bicycle with a really rusty chain that doesn't work smoothly, of course not. Same deal here. Buy the best that you can afford because it absolutely makes a difference.
 
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For the wife’s build, I went out of my way for a custom converter. (When they were down the street from me) I went to Pro Torque to have them work on the older converter of the early 904, which is a problem spline wise to find anything for. IMO, even for the mostly cruiser state of the vehicle, it was the best move I made at a price I’d pay for again in a drop of a hat.
 
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