7 " vs 8 " converter?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Adger Smith

Mark,
PM to you

Thanks for the info, bud

[Glenn Hayes]

It would be great to see what Lennie from Ultimate Convertors has to say in regards to this, I would like to read about it and learn too.

[danny waters sr]

Thanks for the comments. I plan on putting the 8" in it when i get back from Fla. I will let you know what it does. I also am thinking of getting a little tighter 7". I don't really want ot send my 7" back to play with it ,. If i do that i may lose what i have got already .It just seems to me it should have at least around high 1.50's or very low 1.60's.

[Adger Smith]

Danny,
I think you are correct in NOT sending the 7" back and messing with it. You have already run your best time with it. No sense having that disappear.
A long time ago Marv was giving me some schooling on converters. One of the many things he said was: I can make a 7" do things an 8" won't do.
There are several reasons that I think that rings true with your combination. You are concerned with 60's... Hanging a heavier, more fluid to pump and larger diameter converter on the back of your engine doesn't seem to be the way to improve 60's. Getting the "Right" configuration of pump, fin angle and stator for your combination is the key. You can get specific results with combinations of stator/pump and blade configurations. You can put a combo together that is loose leaving the line and then is more efficient down track. Then there are ways to make a converter "Pull off the shift" without bogging the engine. We all know there is a lot more to it than just stall or size.
Kenny Ford @ PTC has a real small "stocker" converter that when built right works. I've had dealings with 3 customers that used them. 2 were used in Crate mtrs and one a low HP stocker. I think it is close to a 7 1/2, but a real pancake design.
Takes about a quart less fluid to fill it. I'm not sure what converter Co you are using, but keep in mind some have a hard time getting cores. At one time A-1 was having a hard time getting the parts to build the "N" converters. Good luck with your quest.

[Ultimate Converter Concepts]

I would tend to agree with Mark as to the 8" being faster in this particular combo. From what Danny's saying in regards to the small engine needing to be in it's torque range quickly, because of the amount of torque and where it is,the 7'' gets it there quick enough, but is not turning enough RPM to sustain lockup in the 7". A lightweight 8" piece, loose enough to get it to approx. 3-400 over peak torque ,as the PG is a little more conv. sensitive even with a 2.02 and needs a bit more to leave. Gear selection is important also as the 8" will couple better in high because it has more fluid capacity, you should be able to get away with a little more gear. With the right 8" piece and corresponding gear it should help on the leave, on the fall back which is critical on the PG and keep it locked up fairly well in high gear. After all is said and done, your combo will run it's best where the engine is operating at it's happiest, and every one is different. Hopefully this will help out a little.