How do you choose who to build your converters?

I'm planning on changing the converter behind the 434 small block in my Dart over the winter and talked to four compaines today, Edge Racing, Abruzzi, BTE and Coan. They recommended 9.5" 10" and the last two recommended 8". I gave them my dyno information and particulars on the car. Coan asked way more questions and asked for dyno sheets, data logs and video of the tach during a run if I had any.

My head is about explode! I'm thinking I'll put all four company names on pieces of paper and drawing one out of a hat. lol

Get a PTC 8". Seems everyone pushes the 9.5" lately. I think the 8" cores are scarcer.

Kenny went through the 8" converter I have and helped it but it's still not right, it originally came from Ultimate.

I’ve ran an 8” 5500 stall behind my 417 inch motor and it was built by Dynamic converters. Always seemed to perform flawlessly but I now have a 9.5” 4500 stall GM converter from FTI due to a trans swap. But more than likely the company who is asking the most questions is going to probably build a converter more closely suited to your exact combination. COAN will build you a good converter for sure but you’ll pay for it. I’ve read a lot of good stuff about PTC too and they won’t cost as much as a Coan I don’t believe. And of course I’ve had good luck with Dynamic.

IMO I have dealt with MOST the companies listed and talked about. The last two years I have been dealing with FTI and could not be happier. They have nailed all 5 converters I have purchased from them in the past two years. Those are from 600hp pieces to 1250hp ones You will not be disappointed if you call the guys at FTI.

https://ftiperformance.com/main.sc;jsessionid=EB762E07DA054AA582AE5D9CCB60B062.p3plqscsfapp004

Thanks Al, I'll give them a look.

I'm trying to get my 60' back, with my 408 and a $450 9 1/2 Edge converter I ran a bunch of 1.38 60. I killed the Edge and had Ultimate build me a new 8" and my 60' went into the low 1.50's. Before I could send it back I decided to freshen the 408 nad found some issues so I built the 434. After some testing the converter was sent back and gone through, it ran high 1.40's after that. I then sent it to Kenny and he tightened it up a little and it has gone 1.40 one time, most of the time 1.43-44.

The 434 added close to 60 pounds to the front but I also have moved the battery to the trunk to help offset it some. IMO with the added 60-80 hp it should 60' better than the 408 did.

I would say do not buy a Edge, Andre is full of crap. 9.5 billet cover weighs a bunch and was not efficient for me.

Changed to a Continental 8" picked up .15 ET with 300rpm more flash and less stripe rpm. The problem is Kris is no longer in business

Edit
If you got a good Edge, you are a lottery winner.

Depending on cam/ compression, bigger head etc, it might not necessarly 60 foot better.
Convertors as you know can be tricky getting right
Last year i went 1.63 sixty and went 11.26 with too tight of a convertor.
This year i went 1.51 and 11.32 with too loose a convertor after swapping to a 904 and expecting to knock on the door of 10’s.
1.51 is great for an 11.30’s to 40’s heavier car, but it was so bad in all the other incrementals it gave it all back and more. Never took the time to get it out and adjust it this season

Yes Brad.

Lenny built it for the 408 initally, when I built the 434 I talked to Lenny after it was on the dyno and he told me to run it as it should be close. It didn't work, the 60' was way off and it was slipping on the big end. It was sent back to Lenny and gone and configured for the 434. It still didn't work, that's when I sent it to Kenny Ford at PTC.

What I’ve found is, the “bigger head” combos are fussier about how they interact with the converter than a smaller head combo.
Especially when there are some compromises made to the engine combo for street duty.

It’s sort of like..... big heads, without the big compression and big cam, have a smaller tuning window at the starting line.
It’s just easier to make them work when it’s 14:1 and 280@.050...... you start with a 5800 8” unit and go from there.

I wish I had more experience with converter companies. I had a Coan 11" that worked great, but they said if I exceeded 500 HP it wouldn't hold up... and they were right. Once that car was dipping well into the 11s, it was like the converter's fuse was lit.

Tried a J.W. Performance 10" that was too loose for what it was sold for (10+% slippage), so I pulled it and put in a Frank Lupo Dynamic 9.5" which was very "popular" at that time (late '90s). But I don't hear people talk about Dynamic much these days...

In my car, that Dynamic worked really well, even after changing the engine and picking up about 50 HP over the original application. Now I've picked up another 50+ HP and am hoping it is at least still in the ballpark to get a new baseline.

In a friend's car that Dynamic spec'd a different 9.5" for, not so good... waaaaay too loose, so he yanked it and put in something much tighter. Very disappointing, especially because he knew how well mine worked for me.

ATI is probably an hour's drive from me (no traffic), but I've never been sure they were the way to go, either. They told me years ago that I should run an 8", which I thought was a bit absurd for a low-11 second car (at that time).

Dayum... I don't know that I helped the OP one bit, but I just reminded myself about how much I don't want to change converters again.

I'm sure there are few good companies out there, but I have had great luck with PTC. Excellent customer service, and reasonable pricing as well. Never had a problem w any of their converters and Ive used in 4-5 diff cars. Always worked great.

Sorry, I hadn't read all your replies before I posted my question, and then I thought I'd deleted it soon enough that you wouldn't have had to answer it.

Converters are like beer - you choose what you like and others may not agree .
I have run a Dynamic for several years as I progressed through different power levels . 9 1/2" 5000 stall . Was great won a championship with it - footbraking .
I now have a A1 Performance unit to go with my transbrake .
It is a 8" , specced to my 505 with stock port heads and 4150 carb . Was around 5500 .Fitted TF270 heads and went 4500carb stall was just over 6000 . Blew that motor , refitted 440 with big top end stall is 5800 .
This is on a pump gas street/strip motor . I always felt a little to high a stall wont hurt , to tight does .

Tex

All of Kris's stuff was purchased by Steve Casner at CRE if you still want to use the product. Just FYI

I’ve had real good luck with Transmission Specialties behind my small block powerglide combos. It’s a spragless 8 inch turbo spline. I’ve never given them dyno numbers because I don’t dyno my stuff but when I told them I wanted 5800 stall on my last freshen it came back at 5760. I consider that pretty close. I will be sending another in over the winter to duplicate it so I have a spare sitting here.

No one mention Turbo Action ?

GER?

[/quote]

All of Kris's stuff was purchased by Steve Casner at CRE if you still want to use the product. Just FYI [/quote]

Thanks Al, as always I appreciate the info.

I did not know where the stuff went, the kid Peter was trying to put something together when they 1st closed. But that obviously did not happen.

We're using FTI with good results.
We are basing initial build/stall off of engine dyno hp curve, re-stall come with purchase and we have only needed it once so far.
fwiw