hey y'all. I got started tearing my pickup apart yesterday. The rear main is bad, as some may recall, and it is leaking a fair amount. Since I have the time, I figured I would get to it. Ordered a second gen. flexplate, but I am now stumped on my choice of converter. I was thinking about the Hughes unit. Called em up and found that it would be somewhere around $350-$400 with shipping, considering that I would need to send them my converter for a core, since they are short on supply. I was talking to someone who indicated that the 1300-1400 rpm stall speed would maybe put me at a disadvantage when towing. It would definitely be a good converter when the pickup and trailer are moving down the road, since it would get mo-parr to the ground, but I am now worried that it may not provide the torque multiplication needed to get a 10,000+ lb load of bovines moving, at least without alot of smoke. Anyway, I am wondering if anyone here has had problems with a low stall converter like this when towing. Also, are there some other converters to look at? The Hughes is pushing my budget as it is, just to give you a perspective. In other words, a Suncoast is entirely out of the question. And no, I AM NOT GOING TO BREAK DOWN AND SPEND MORE! Out of the question!

Shoulda got a manual, should got a manual, SHOULDA GOT A MANUAL .............Oh well, gotta work with the junk I have!

 

Don't think it's a real issue. At least not a real big issue. It will help mightily if you have, or install, a smaller turbine housing. 16cm at the largest, and, depending on your altitute, a 14cm or a 12cm. That way, your turbo will spool up much quicker and you'll make more power down low so you can get those bovines truckin...without smokin them out.

 

I second that get the low stall torque converter and install a smaller exhaust housing to get the turbo spooling sooner and you will make enough power down low to overcome the low stall converter. Just go ahead and get that hughes unit I don't think you'll be dissapointed.

 

Ideal stall would be about 1700 -- below that rpm, the engine doesn't get full fuel, there is a limiter in the governor assembly. HOWEVER, if you tweak your pump a little, and use a smaller turbo housing, I think you will be fine, and get better milage, with the tighter converter. Not to mention, you always have low range to start-up in if necessary. I would say go for it.

 

Thats what I was thinking.

Right now, I have the AFC pin spun to the rich side, but everything else on the pump is somewhere around stock. I found that the full power screw was a bad idea, since I am getting better mileage after backing it off. I have thought about the 16 cm housing, but I will wait to see how the pickup does with a low stall converter. As far as the progress on my pickup, got the transmission out earlier this evening. It looks like I will have plenty of time to change the seal and install the flexplate.

Well, thanks for the replies everyone. With a few more positive opinions, I feel more confident about this. The Hughes unit sounds like the way to go, but are there any other inexpensive brands out there worth taking a look at?

 

Aloha MJDiesel,

I've got a 1990 4x4 W250 Cummins w/TorqueFlite A727. I've just had my transmission overhauled by a supposedly reputable shop but they are all a bunch of idiots. So much for their reputation. It took them five tries to get the truck in and out 95% sucessfully.

All in all, the truck runs down the road fine as a pickup but won't pull a load worth shitka. (I pull a 5500# boat and trailer) The stock rated torque converter is in-place but I need to install a low-stall model. I've asked for prices from several places but have only received one reply so far:
http://www.hughesperformance.com/
http://www.buddhapower.net/converters.htm
http://www.bankspower.com/bighoss/Te...stallspeed.cfm
http://www.specriteconverters.com/contact.asp
http://www.mojave-green.com/contact_us
http://www.protorque.com/contact_us.htm

I was hoping to find a 1100 - 1200 RPM stall converter but now reading the input from your posting makes me think I should change my mind. I don't have a ton of cash either but I need to make this truck pull my boat.

 

Thanks for the links, Captain Dean. I might have to check those companies out. That Banks writeup was interesting. Did you check out the Hughes 24XFM converter? I believe that it is the 727 converter that Hughes builds.

The first time that I towed a long distange with my pickup, it was terrible. 13-14K or so trailer, and a very hilly highway. I think that I ended up getting single digit fuel mileage, and every hill brought the pickup down to 40 mph or less.

Got the converter and flywheel off this morning. The converter was a real *****, but I eventually worked it off. I saw that little basin in the plate, but I dont think that it would have made the job too much easier. I got a few gaskets for the adaptor plate with the main seal. Do these gaskets ever have problems with leaking?

 

I don't know what the stall is, however; my converter is at Hughes right now getting over hauled to thier 15xfm model. Real great people to deal with, I have spoke with Matt from Hughes over the phone a few times, very knowledgable.

 

That would be the gasket for the rear main seal retainer. Don't worry about it. I've done dozens of rear main seals on these trucks and never had to remove the retainer. It's not a problem.

 

The 15XFM stalls at 13-1400 rpm, from what Matt told me. I called Hughes up the other day, and they seem to be great people. How long is it going to take to get your converter done, Kennedy? I am not in a hurry, but I would like the pickup put back together by haying time, since me and the shop will be needed.

I was kind of surprized. The seal looked like it was held in place by some kind of thread lock. That reminds me, what is the torque spec for the flexplate and converter bolts, and what kind of thread lock should I use?

P.S. Thanks for all of the replies so far!

 

Matt told me shop turn around is only 2-3 days. UPS is taking about five days to make the delivery though, so all total it should be around two weeks. Since I had to ship the converter from Indiana to Arizona I just did UPS ground, cost just under $40. It is about impossible to get all of the fluid out of the converter, so there i still alot of extra weight. When you ship it, get as much fluid as you can out, then stuff a rag in the hole, duct tape it, and then put it inside two heavy trashbags. I used the box that my new flexplate from Cummins came in, worked well.

As for torque specs, if my memory served me correct, The flexplate to crank is 55 ft/lbs, and the converter to flexplate is 277in/lbs, which is about 23ft/lbs.
As for the locktite, i'd probably just use the blue, medium-duty stuff.

Also remember that the tranny adapter on the back of the motor is aluminum, so when re-installing the bellhousing bolts be sure and use anti-seize, or you could have problems down the road if you ever need to remove the tranny again.

 

Well, I guess that I wasn't that careful about packaging, I just got as much fluid as I could out and put a rag in the hole, as well as stuffing the box with paper wads. I hope that there aren't any problems. Shipping was $26 for me from South Dakota, ups ground, 40 lbs. I need to pick up the flywheel sometime, but it is really no hurry. Thanks for the torque specs. I think that I heard the same somewhere else, so they are likely correct.

 

Just curious...how come nobody is even considering the BD TC? Maybe you all did...I kinda breezed fast like thru the replies. I just put one in about 3 months ago along with the 2nd gen FP. Major difference from OEM TC.

 

Mainly due to pricing. The Hughes was much cheaper then the BD, plus I have heard lots of good things about Hughes.

 

Same thing!