is anyone using a converter from these guys ?
seem pretty reasonable . how close are their verters ?
buying from Australia means I need to hit it first time .

Tex

A lot of NHRA stock and super stock guys run them.

I have one and love it. Dave Smith from Pro-Trans spec'd out a A-1, 8" 4800 stall converter for my car using the engine dyno sheet. Works awesome, no regrets. They are not cheap, but also works like you want it to. Better to buy the right part the first time.

Same thing here with the 8" in my Dart. It was in the Challenger for years and have sent it back about 3-4 times during freshen ups. Always great service, never a failure, went to 5,900 in the T/F behind the Challenger. I always dealt with Marv Ripes though. I hear the Bowdish guys are doing it right.

Yes Adam and Allan Bowdish
Looks like a 8" 5300 stall recommendation. Marginally bigger than my 9 1/2" 5000 stall
Bite the bullet tomorrow i guess

Tex

Friends with Adam and he and Alan are very knowledgeable. Just about every Comp car out there with an Auto runs A1 stuff. Most important thing for any converter guy is accurate Dyno numbers from a known dyno. otherwise it is always going to be their best assessment on what you need....
-

I have a 5300 stall 8" spragless A1 in my Rocky, Awesome converter, it is very consistent and I'm really just still scratching the surface of what I can do with it. I would really need wheelie bars to really wring-out my Rocky combo now but it would go sub 10.50's for sure if I could actually stand on the gas on the 2 step off the line.

I bought it used off of memeber Mshred a couple years ago, he had a very similar motor to mine in just a tad heavier A body so I knew it would be a good fit.

There's an In-car vid of it in my Sig

thanks again guys
yes I ordered a new vert Friday your time .turn around time sounds good , 12-14 days incl delivery . great for me if this works .
after talking to Adam he is going to go a 8"with a bit higher stall - 5500 up from my 5/5100 9 1/2" .
Al ,no engine dyno just chassis and track times
says should be faster and a bit more consistant, I hope so
he also had thoughts on maybe short shifting 1-2 and holding the 2-3 a little longer

Tex

Short shift 1-2 sounds like Adams advice for sure. Did he also want to lower your launch RPM

Why bother...

Well contrary to the last post they are in most of the fastest Comp and Super Stock stuff out there as well as many Stockers that run fast. SO I think they have a pretty good handle on what they are doing.

Chrysler had high stall converters in the late 60's working with B & M to build them.

Al , only ever run footbrake before . So no idea of launch rpm , aiming for around 3500 which will be about a 1000rpm higher than footbraking
Fred here in Sydney who put the trans together uses A1 for na cars , said Adam hits it well .
Will certainly be a new experiance . Unfortunately will only have 1 or 2 test hitouts before the new season starts in February
Streetwize mine will have a diode unit

Tex

good luck tex let me know how you go ,i have read lots of good stuff on them ,i run atm a 4200 aspro 9.5 inch 300 buck deal has been good so far 1.36 60 ft 3550 lbs every pass may be its last lol

IMO different converter companies seem to have their "specialty" areas. I think high RPM HP stuff A1 is hands down the best choice. I think for stocker stuff ATI is on point more often than not. For the throttle stop stuff ATI and FTI both seem to do very well. Big power adder stuff seems to be the converter of choice there is Neal Chance.

counting down the days .
Ian , will do . With no Calder in January now it will be tough without track time .
Thanks Al


Tex

Al so who would you recommend for a bottom bulb bracket car 750 hp low 9s in 1/4?
I currently have an ATI 8" 5500. Seems to do ok?
I am questioning the rpm drop of 750 rpm on my 6800 rpm shifts?

2850 lbs with me in it. 14x32, torqueflite with std ratios. 4.3 rear.

Thanks, Don

Don, FWIW I have been a HUGE ATI fan over the years. But the last two we have gotten from FTI were dead nuts on and repeat like crazy, so I would give them a shout.

Al, who is FTI and how do I find them

Greg and the guys at FTI have been very good to us. Their stuff has worked flawlessly and I have been nothing but impressed with them to this point. We have one of their Level 4 glides in the dragster behind a variety of engines and it has worked flawlessly. They have built three converters for it as well, with engines from 650-1000hp and they have all worked flawlessly and been spot on where we wanted them. They have had great shift recovery and been very efficient and repeat like a Xerox machine. I have been an ATI customer for years and always been happy, but decided to give FTI a shot and not regretted that for one minute.

Here is a link to their site. They have a facebook page and sponsor forums on DRR as well

http://ftiperformance.com/main.sc

Al,
Looks like FTI is GM transmissions and converters only.

Is that correct?

Thanks,
Bill

They do Ferd and Mopar stuff to. Just give them a call...

Thanks for the link Al

Thanks Al, I have the ATI 8" in my 451 ci 666 hp and and my 493 ci 760 hp, it was restalled for the bigger, more torque 493.
My biggest concern is the rpm only drops about 750 rpm on the shifts! This seems too tight?

I was told that the more times a converter is cut open the more the tolerances change from the width of the cut. Wouldn't a converter company put a new cover if this was the second or third time it was cut?

I also have a Winter's 8" for the 451 ci, it works the same as the 8" ATI did on that engine.

Thanks for your your help Al.

Don

Tex sorry for hijacking your post.
Happy new year and good luck with the new convertor!
Let us know how it does, it will be 2 more months (april) after you run before I will get on a track.

Don

The closure weld is on the outside of the front cover to impeller. This just holds the two together.

Once cut open, - if done properly - the weld is cleaned up without affecting the register which is on the inside of the front cover.

In a production environment (Reman, etc.) it is common to take too much off if you work too quick - then you have to weld a "wedding ring" on the front cover to make up for all the metal taken away.

As for tolerances - if you mean stator end play - that is taken up by thrust washers and needle bearings which are selectable to maintain the proper end play.

no worries Don . We are all here to try and learn .
i'd like to be running down a track 2nd week of January , see how it goes . may have to refit footbrake trans in a pinch
Happy new year

Tex