Why lock up the converter?

[turboost]

I have always wondered....how does manually locking up the converter give you more horsepower? Tried figuring it out but can't. How much HP does it give you and at what point in which gears should you lock it? Thanks

 

[MeanBuicks]

Locking the converter sends more horsepower to the rear wheels because you are eliminating the remaining hydraulic slippage in the converter.

A stock converter, at peak hydraulic efficiency, still slips roughly 5% at wide-open throttle. A more aggressive converter can slip a bit more.

That slippage is power being converted to heat and wasted. Locking the converter provides a direct mechanical link of the flywheel to the transmission input; like a manual transmission setup.

Utilizing that last bit of wasted energy, many TR owners have seen a 1-3 MPH increase in the 1/4.

 

[REGALLIMITED]

and dont forget , something we ALL are REALLY concerned with........fule economy

 

[REGALLIMITED]

and dont forget , something we ALL are REALLY concerned with........fuel economy

 

[boostedLC2]

Back when my car was closer to stock I had it on a chassis dyno. Made back to back runs with the stock D5 locked and unlocked. The difference was a 30 ft-lb DC offset in the torque curves and the peak power went from 333 hp to 363 hp at the wheels!! I did the same check at the track and picked up .2 sec and 3 mph in the quarter by locking the converter. Needless to say, I'm a believer in locking the converter.

 

[turboost]

How hard is this on the converter (how much longer will it last), and how do you make a manually locking switch? Is there a kit out there to buy or is it homeade? When do you all lock it (what gear and when)? Thanks

 

[MeanBuicks]

Making a manual TCC switch is cake. Insert a wire into the upper leftmost & upper right most terminals in the ALDL port under the dash. Then, put a switch between the wires. Chips can also be burned to lock up the TCC at WOT.

It's probably best to lock the converter just after the third gear shift. Locking it earlier punishes the converter & transmission more and may actually hurt performance due to lack of torque multiplication on the shifts.

How long the converter will last is a hard question to answer. It depends on how often it's done, how powerful your car is and what converter you're running. A stock D5 converter will hold out decently on a typical street/strip 12-sec TR.

 

[turboost]

Originally posted by MeanBuicks
Making a manual TCC switch is cake. Insert a wire into the upper leftmost & upper right most terminals in the ALDL port under the dash. Then, put a switch between the wires. Chips can also be burned to lock up the TCC at WOT.

It's probably best to lock the converter just after the third gear shift. Locking it earlier punishes the converter & transmission more and may actually hurt performance due to lack of torque multiplication on the shifts.

How long the converter will last is a hard question to answer. It depends on how often it's done, how powerful your car is and what converter you're running. A stock D5 converter will hold out decently on a typical street/strip 12-sec TR.

How should I hook up the wire to the ALDL, with a crimp or solder it on? What kind of switch would I need? Sorry about the questions its just I have never seen it done and don't understand it too much?