Hey guys, as the titles says... is there an advantage/disadvantage to a WOT lock-up on a torque converter? Is there only certain mods that can take advantage of this? Any negative effects? I have a Fuddle 2800 stall with the oversize clutch on a 94 LT1 with 3.42 gears.

 

What's the point of having a high-stall converter if it locks up at WOT?

 

I don't know. I hoping someone would tell me.

 

Locking the converter will usually result in worse quarter mile times. Too many people get confused because the car will make more RWHP on a dyno with it locked, but it runs slower ET's. The reason is pretty simple though. Locking the converter in a quarter mile run will USUALLY pull the engine down below the RPM range where it makes peak power.

I see no advantage to locking the converter under WOT.

Frank
CPT

 

Only on the dyno or a top speed run. Also, of course, for cruising.

Rich

 

it is also very abuseful to do that...the tcc is made to lock at part throttle not at max power

 

eks how is that 2800 stall and the 342's working for you. Ive got a hotcam camaro with stock stall and 3.23's, thinking about going with a 2800 and 342 or 373, any suggestions.

 

do it

 

I agree.
I have only toyed with my own car. Locking up the converter did not help my et's at all. I tried locking it at many, many different points during the 1/4 mile run. My car actually lost et and mph in the 1/4 mile.

 

This has been proven many times. There may be certain combos that benefit from converter lock up, but the vast majority slow down. I think people figure that "if it makes better dyno numbers locked up, it must be faster that way". Wrong, generally speaking

Rich

 

I would go with the 3.73's instead. My car already had the 3.42 so I had to choice.

That's the reason I was asking.

Anyone know why the converter makes more power on the dyno, but not at the track?

 

With the converter locked, the engine and tranny spin in unison. More of your power is being transferred to the rear wheels. At the track, a locked up converter keeps your rpm's down and keeps you more "out of your powerband."

 

Converters multiply torque this is lost when lockup is enabled, on the dyno however the conditions are very different and the dyno sees this as slip and there for power loss , the only time I could see that having it locked on a run might be good is in a top end run with a loose converter, Though I have heard some turbo guys says it works well with theres but in any case you should have a multidisk clutch if you plan on doing it the stock clutch and even most aftermarket converters were not intended to do that though a good one can survive it a while,But for I would say 99 percent of applications lockingthe converter at WOT would hurt times.