What is stall-speed?

Stall- speed is the RPM of the engine when the transmission puts full power to the drive wheels. If an engine has a cam shaft that has an effective power range of 2800-5500 RPM, than your Torque Converter should be designed to “hook-up” at 2800 RPM to maximize the potential of your engine.

How do I know where my Torque Converter stalls?

In vehicles without a Trans-brake, put the vehicle in drive, and rolling at 1-2 MPH, stab the accelerator to the floor, the RPM on the Tachometer when the vehicle launches, is the stall-speed of your converter.

How do I correctly install my Torque Converter into my transmission?

There are three points of engagement to the transmission on every Torque Converter, they are the input shaft, the pump stator, and the pump gears. Your Torque Converter must “plug into” all three. The first engagement is the input shaft, the long, narrow shaft protruding from the transmission with splines on the end. These splines engage the turbine inside the Torque Converter. The next set of splines on the transmission are those of the pump stator, they are larger in diameter and they plug into the stator inside the Torque Converter. The third engagement on the transmission is the pump gears and cannot be seen, because they are behind the pump seal. The hub on the Torque Converter plugs in to the pump gears in the transmission.  Some Torque Converter hubs have slots, and some have flats on their leading edge, and both styles are designed to engage the transmission’s pump. This engagement can sometimes be the hardest to achieve, but is necessary to complete or damage to the transmission pump, and the Torque Converter will result.
Before installation pour one quart of ATF into the Torque Converter.

To install slide the Torque Converter onto the input shaft until the turbine splines engage the input shaft. Begin spinning the converter with one hand while balancing the weight of the Torque Converter on its pilot in the other. Push the unit forward while spinning until it engages the stator splines. Continue to push and spin until you feel and hear the unit click in and bottom out on the pump gears.

How do I know if my Torque Converter is installed correctly?

Before bolting the bell-housing to the engine block check the following:

Check the flywheel / flex-plate for signs of cracking or worn teeth due to poor starter engagement.
Check the engine crankshaft for signs of wear, walking, out-of-round, or burrs. Remove all grease, rust, and dirt, then lightly sand with emery cloth and lightly grease or add anti-seize to the pilot pocket.

Check the pilot of the Torque Converter and remove any paint with emery cloth if necessary.

NOTE: Your Torque Converter from Precision Converters of Ohio has been spin-balanced during the production test phase. If you notice a vibration after installation it is likely something was missed during the crank preparation phase listed above, causing the Torque Converter to be drawn to the flywheel / flex-plate crooked or “cocked”.

Bolt the bell-housing to the engine block. Once the bell-housing bolts are tight, the Torque Converter should spin free, and have 1/16” to 1/8” clearance between the flats of the mounting pads and the flywheel / flex-plate. If there is more clearance then listed above it will be necessary to install washers of equal thickness between each mounting pad and the flywheel / flex-plate so the 1/16” to 1/8” clearance is achieved.

NOTE: If there is too much clearance between the flywheel / flex-plate and the Torque Converter mounting pads, the Torque Converter will ride too far out of the pump gears allowing them to rock or travel. This will cause premature wear and will usually be accompanied by a high-pitched whine. If there is no clearance, the Torque Converter is in a bind and not seated correctly into the pump. This will cause damage to both the pump and the Torque Converter. Remove the transmission and insure the Torque Converter is installed into the transmission correctly. Install the Torque Converter bolts or nuts by hand and then tighten EVENLY with hand tools until tight. Never use power torque wrenches for this step of the installation.