Lock Up or Non Lock up stall??

[84GN-TX]

Im going to buy a stall but not sure to get a lock up or non lock up, whats the difference?

 

[ChrisCairns]

Im going to buy a stall but not sure to get a lock up or non lock up, whats the difference?

A torque converter is to an automatic transmission what a clutch is to a standard transmission. It connects the power produced by the engine to the transmission.

In a standard transmission equipped car you use your foot to make the connection. I.E. let the clutch out. In an automatic transmission equipped car the torque converter uses fluid (the transmission fluid) to connect the engine and the transmission. It also "multiplies" the amount of torque produced by the engine.

Simply written the stall is at what rpm the engine is connected to the transmission and makes the car move.

A higher stall means the engine has to reach a higher rpm before the car will move. Good for our turbo cars since we need more rpm (and hot exhaust gases) to spool the turbo. Good for NA engines so they can get into their power band.

A non lockup converter just uses a hydraulic connection and it ALWAYS has from a small amount of slippage to a larger amount of slippage. Kinda like riding the clutch in a standard transmission car. You don't put all of the power being produced by the engine to the transmission. But they require very little maintainance.

Lockup means a mechanical means of connecting the engine and the transmission. In other words a clutch. It actually uses both a hydraulic connection (to start the car moving) and then the mechanical connection so there isn't any slippage.

It seems more people (including me) in a street car or a street/strip car use the lockup converter. The common one used is called the 9/11. Meaning a 9 inch stator in the converter for making higher rpm, then an 11 clutch that will engage to stop the slippage. I believe one of the vendors now makes a 10/11 also.

Whew, I didn't know I could type so much.

Anyway, if you need higher rpm to get your bigger turbo to spool, but still like decent gas mileage on the street get a lockup converter.

If your car is strictly race then use the non lockup converter. Although lots of people prefer the lockup for racing also since you're able to launch at higher rpm then lockup it up while going down the strip for less slippage. This second part is hard on the converter's clutch but racing is hard on everything so who cares.

Get in touch with Chris at www.ckperformance.com Get his phone number off that site.

He's the vendor who mfg the 10/11 I believe and an all around good guy. Hey, he has to be, he's named Chris.