Torque Converters Explained: High Stall is a GOOD Thing
Recommended Reading: Torque Converter Selection – CHP How It Works
Do you know what a torque converter is? If you have an automatic transmission and you’re looking for more performance, you should. Chevy High Performance magazine has a great article about torque converters that beginners and non-beginners will find interesting.
Nice diagram of torque converter from Banks - click to see the original image
First, what’s a torque converter?
It’s not that a performance [torque] converter makes more power…what it does is allow your car to transfer power better. By raising the stall speed, or slippage, a performance [torque] converter raises engine rpm at launch, which increases power at launch. For example, if an engine makes 100 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm and 175 lb-ft at 2,500, which would you rather have? With a higher-stall converter, your engine isn’t making any more power, but it’s allowing the motor to get to a place where it’s happier more quickly
Makes sense, right? The article mentions that “hot rods” benefit a lot from torque converters – more so than many other performance accessories. However, I think the use of the words “hot rods” is incorrect because that implies that only older vehicles can benefit. The fact is, brand new cars of all kinds could stand a torque converter upgrade. The article mentions that brand new 2010 Camaros are shaving half a second of the quarter mile going with a new torque converter.
That ain’t bad.
There are some downsides to a new torque converter, but nothing that a serious performance enthusiast will mind too much:
- First, there’s the expense (a few hundred for the part + a few hundred for labor).
- Second, torque converters don’t help fuel economy on daily drivers. By letting the engine rev higher before engaging, a higher stall torque converter can drop fuel economy
- Third, depending on how they’re tuned, you can get loose throttle response when you’re not racing.
If you have an automatic transmission and you’re concerned about performance – or if you’re a car geek like me and love to read – this is a good article.