Spray during converter slip or lock-up?

Alright here is the question do you want to spray after the converter has locked up, or unlocked? It seems if you sprayed when it was unlock it would be very hard on it. It just crossed my mind the other day and wondered what you guys thought.

AFAIK the convertor isn't going to lock up at WOT, and if it did I doubt it would be able to hold on the spray. There are some lockup convertors made that are meant for lockup at WOT which would work pretty well, though I don't have any personal experience with them. If you're drag racing from a stop you'd want to start spraying as soon as traction was available for the best possible E.T. and MPH. Hopefully someone who actually know how the 4L60E works can chime in and help you out a little more.

You don't want to lock a converter untill it's in 3rd gear. If you locked it in 1st or 2nd it would break somthing when it shifted. Most guys have there A4's shifting to hard as it is. I wouldn't expect a trans to last to many times spraying and being locked.

My buddy had a 700R4 with a lockup converter. The 4L60E is supposed to be the electronic version of the same trans.

He locked up the converter on that for a .2-.3 gain and 2 or 3 mph in the quarter.

I have heard of peopl doing that when there rpm peaks in 3rd for the last sec ot the 1/4 and it has helped I dont know how that works but if someone could explain it to me that would be nice :confused: :D

I think my buddy locked it up in first or second gear. I suppose it just increases the torque converter efficiency (applies more torque to the rear wheels). It definately worked.

So i guess it doesn't matter. I just wondered if that's why it's so hard on the trans when you spray it out of the hole--becuase it's unlocked.

A lot of people lock them up near the end--or so i have heard....

I have a manual lockup switch and lock the converter as soon as I hit 3rd gear.

You shouldn't be locking the converter anyways.

you lock it up in higher gears, that way you get more effieciency from your motor and run faster times. It does work.

So in all actuallity you should lock it, most of us don't because it's not worth it to us.

I don't believe in it, and in my experience it will slow you down locking it. If you have a good converter you should be within 95% efficient anyways and it just puts unneeded stress on the converter, not to mention inconsistant. I have experienced a forced WOT lockup from the ecm before, and have had the best success from raising the lockup mph in the ecm.

Derrick Redd, whats the lockup in third gear worth? And how are you doing it?

Derrick Redd, whats the lockup in third gear worth? And how are you doing it?
I'd say on nitrous it should be worth at least .1-.2 and 1-2 mph. I wired a switch to the pcm, and all you do is ground it and the converter locks up. When I locked it on the 175 shot in 3rd it pulled like a mofo. :D I would only use it at the track, because I agree on the added wear it creates on the converter. :cool:

That's about what my buddy's car did (et wise). We got the 11.90 at the time from the 12.1x or so. That's all that mattered.

I've since given up on the 4 speed and put in the 350. It's just to cheap and durable.

But the whole idea of loading a spray car is a valid one.

Nice ride by the way.

Check you PM Derrick,

Check you PM Derrick,
Replied. :)

I don't believe in it, and in my experience it will slow you down locking it. If you have a good converter you should be within 95% efficient anyways and it just puts unneeded stress on the converter, not to mention inconsistant. I have experienced a forced WOT lockup from the ecm before, and have had the best success from raising the lockup mph in the ecm.

Believe it or not you will see the .1-.2 that Derrick Redd has posted. Do I say you should do it....NO. I personally don't feel it's worth the extra strain on the components.

Believe it or not you will see the .1-.2 that Derrick Redd has posted. Do I say you should do it....NO. I personally don't feel it's worth the extra strain on the components.


No I will not see anything, as I said before, I have had best experience running unlocked, meaning I am faster UNLOCKED. Most of the major TC manufacturers and tranny builders agree with me as well. Just ask Probuilt.