Stock stall speed converter vs higher

[Ornamental]

I used to have a stock stall speed converter in my Chally, and I was happy with that.
Then it went and died on me, so I got a new one, a B&M Holeshot 2400 converter. Doesn't really happen much before 3000 rpm.

It's a nightmare to live with. I have the powerband like a diesel engine, only a few thousand rpm, but without any power on low rpm. 
Roundabouts and regular street use are embarrasing experiences, lot of noise before it catches on, sounds like I'm messing up a simple gear change on a manual. Backing up in my garage is a noisy thing, unneccessary troublesome.

Before I start saving for a manual tranny, I wonder if I can have a stock converter behind a engine with a little more power than stock?
Or a engine with a lot more power than stock, say 400HP+
Because a high stallspeed is absolutely $hit for me. Sure, I can drive it, it's entirely possible and doable, but it's not fun, it's a PITA.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Go back to stock IMO. NIKKI has stock and over 400hp... no issues... You got power but can drive "normal"  without the garage/parking lot hassles.

[CUDA JAS]

Hmmm that's interesting...one of my planned upgrades is going to a 2500 3000 conevrter from stock. I have read that it would not be that bad. Could it be a bad converter?

What are the specs on your engine?

[RUSTY Cuda]

Hmmm, I have a 25-2800 with a mildy built 360 (est 350hp) been having issues with really early shifts under no load(in drive well before 20) with a clunk, almost sounds like tranny is ahead of the engine & then kicks in with that clunk?
Seems to shift well manually,nice & firm under load, Reverse is a little weird sometimes, like it doesn't wanna go backwards a lotta gas to move it, other times it rolls nice with a little gas.
Seems like some of the same issues? Rich

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Hmmm that's interesting...one of my planned upgrades is going to a 2500 3000 conevrter from stock. I have read that it would not be that bad. Could it be a bad converter?

What are the specs on your engine?

I posted a response and it dissapeared...  

Any way..

Granted only "IMO" a stall is great if you wanna play "stoplight dragstrip" all the time. But if you just wanna cruz (not that I dont give her a blast now and then) and have some drivability in traffic/parkinglot situations stay stock.
I'm sure there will be other opinions here, but everyone has there own driving style.

What issues are you having.. is you rod adjustment correct???

Motor '01 MP 426 (ya cummins I know). She's had a few minor tweeks, but was rated at 465hp ( I think) out of the box. I'm sure its close to that.

[Super Blue 72]

What's the stock stall speed for a '72 340?    (Assuming you have a 340.)

I thought the stock stall speed was around 2,500rpm, no?  It was surprisingly high I thought when I heard someone mention it.  I know that my car, especially when not warmed up, can be made to sound like a stick shift car.

[tactransman]

There is definitely something wrong here! I have never heard a converter that sounds like "messing up a simple gear change on a manual."   

[Cuda72]

I have a similar issue with my '72 Cuda in which the converter drains back after a day or so (sometimes in just a few hours), and when I start the car then put it into gear I have to rev it up to get moving (it sounds like I'm letting out the clutch, which makes people wonder if it is stick or auto). If however I put the car into neutral for a few minutes first (which engages the pump and allows fluid to build in the converter) all is normal as soon as I place it into gear.

I'm hoping to pull the tranny this winter and rebuild, at which time I'll be replacing all the seals and worn bushings. Could the converter drainback be caused by worn bushings?

Also, how can the stall speed be determined on an unknown converter? If I brake torque it, my RPM will come up to around 3200-3400 but if I nail it from a standstill, it "flashes" up to around 3600 RPM.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Terry can answer the more technical questions. But as for drain back. get it out of park cause it dont pump in park. 

[Cooter]

Herin lies the ever popular debate about stall converters and how the REALLY work...No, contrary to ever growing belief, they do not rev uo and slam into gear.

Sounds like you got a bad converter, or your trans is hurt one..I've driven and have seen up to 4500 Stalls driven on the street with NONE of the problems you mentioned here. Sure, you can drive a 400 HP engine with a stock converter as long as you don't want anybody to "Hit it" until you've hit around 35-40 MPH..Any engine with a "big" cam will suffer on bottom end without a stall converter. Sure, it will run "ok", but if embarrassment is a concern, then get ready for a whole new kind with that 400 HP engine between stoplights, against that new Mustank GT....

[Supercuda]

With less than 500 bhp and less than 500 lb/ft of torque, the factory high-stall convertor works just fine. Yes, more performance can be had with a higher stall speed or a modern convertor, but the factory unit was built well, and causes no concerns. Remember that the convertor will react differently with different engines; higher torque production always raises stall speed. The 2,400 rpm stall speed of my factory convertor is closer to about 2,600 in my car with a 383 making 470bhp and about 450 lb/ft of torque. Making huge torque with a long-stroke engine? Buy a good aftermarket convertor, matched to your engine's torque characteristics (4,000 stall speed doesn't match well with a 3,600 rpm torque peak).

[nqkjw]

A good stall convertor won't even feel like a stall convertor under light throttle.
It needs hp put through it to make it slip.
I've got a 4000 stall behind my 69 cuda with only 400hp of 440.Shift at 5300rpm.
It works brilliant on street and strip.
Built by a mob called Autoflite engineering in Australia and branded as Dominator Convertors.
They are the Rolls royce of convertor manufacturers downunder.

[73restomod]

I had the same probblem once before, I built a street/strip 700R4 for a friend a few years back (yeah I know yucky chevs hehe), with a TCI 3000 rpm stall (no lock up) convertor and a complete TCI trans kit. When we first got it back together we reused the stock front pump (specced out ok...barely) and his tranny would do the same thing, rev up then hit hard, really hard, and sounded like someone trying to drive a stick for the first time...lol. I knew something was up so we pulled the pump put a new one in. After that it drove normal at part throttle and would still frag the skinnies on a 1-2 at full throttle...that was until he over heated his motor and fragged it.

[mopar12372]

when you order a torque converter you definately get what you pay for . a good converter will be ordered on the phone custome to your application.
the after market shelf converters are just (OK) FOR THAT SO CALLED LAZY PENNY PINCHER ! haha just call ptc or atc converters and price will determine what combo you have and the happiness will forever be instilled in the performance and your wallet.

[Aussie Challenger]

A standard or mild motor will usually only need a standard convertor, when you get into serious modifications with motors idling above 1,000rpm then a higher stall may be warranted but also a lower diff ratio should be used to take advantage also, that is 3.9 or 4.1:1. On the street a higher stall can become a nuisance when the motor is running around or under the stall speed.