When I am idle, then I accelerate, 1st gear is not kicking in immediately. There is a slight pause. Then, the transition from 1st to 2nd is very slow as well. It struggles for a second, then slowly goes into 2nd gear. I've been told it could be my torque converter.

What are the symptoms of a bad torque converter?

Also, if I need a new one, is this an opportunity for a modification?

Any ideas on a range of price?

 

Ok. Since nobody replied yet, I had time to research torque converters and I now understand what they do and how much they cost. However, I still don't know what happens when they go bad, or if they go bad.

Also, if this is my problem, would a 2800 stall work with my mostly stock setup?

 

Yes, it will have a night & day difference. I think the tourqe converter change is the single best (most noticeble difference) mod that you can make. Unfortunately as I have found out, having a 3200 tci converter, is that it likes to break your stock tranny, so you will need to have your tranny beefed up. Stick some gears in the rear while your at it and you will be Rockin!

You may want to make sure the TV cable is adjusted properly. I'm having a tranny issue now too, and this is a possible culprit.

 

So, you think it is my torque converter that is giving me problems? I only want to replace it if it will solve my problem.

Does anyone have an opinion on the SLP 2800?

What about the Yank 2600?

 

mine made a grinding sort of noise before it went south. Catch it before it goes because when your converter goes, so does your tranny.

 

Other than sound, what is another way to know if your torque converter is gone? I need to know if anyone has ever had their's go out.

If nobody knows from personal experience, does anyone have a good guess as to what performance issues I would have?

 

i remember when i blew my POS tranny last year AT THE DAM RACES it started making a loud tickin noise (i was able to drive it home tho) but as i was drivin it home the m/f wouldnt shift into nobodys gear and i was revving at like 3000 just to keep her rollin. i think the loud tickin noise i was hearing may have been the t/c, and it was one of the most expensive parts in my rebuild.
HTH, good luck!

 

That sounds like my tranny when it went, not my torque converter, but my mech did replace my TC when i had the tranny rebuilt.

 

wtf is a tv cable?


unless its something i missidentified, i don't have one cause im swapping out my converter/tranny as we speak

 

I know how I knew my torque converter went BAD, REALLY BAD! I had been hearing a scraping noise every so often fron underneath the front end of my car, the noise went away though for 5 months. Now that I have had seen my bellhousing cracked, leaking fliud, and while I am changing the case and low and behold. When I took of the transmission my torque converter was what the scraping noise was. It had been scraping the **** outta the scatter shield and the top of the tranny casing. It looks like somebody got a screwdriver and was stabbing the dang thing! I will have to get a picture of it up here.


Good news is that my caseing is in the replacement process, and I ordered a new torque converter. PRECISION INDUSTRIES VIGILANTE 2800 stall is on the was and will be here in a week from today. That thing is damn expensive($700 + $50Tax) but I am sure it will make a huge difference compared to the **** I had in their.

 

Thanks everyone for all of your input. I guess I will wait and see what the mechanic says today. I hope to God it is not my transmission, but with 107,000 miles anything is possible. Torque converters aren't cheap either. Wish me and my wallet luck!!!!

 

l


Don't worry about it, only 93's have them.

 

A good indication you have a bad torque conv. is the problem is the same in drive as in reverse. Typically low power because that is the torque conv. job, to multiply torque. If you have a problem on the shifts and you car comes out of the hole good, it's not the torque conv. You say first gear is not coming in immediately, do you mean it's sluggish off the line until you get some engine RPMs up. If so, then possibly the conv. is not working. Your sprag is not locking and the stator is freewheeling. If you are not starting in 1st then look elsewhere. Possibly a sticking 1-2 shift valve. Remember, if the problem is the same in drive and reverse, it is probably the torque conv. as this is the only common component in drive and reverse. Hope this helps.