kylessc400

is the dragon torque converter the best one out there for a SC400?

i was goning to get one soon i was just wondering if i'm getting the best one?

thanks for all the advice....

bigmalik00

good question... I have also heard some good things about the one from Lextreme.

jibbby

The Dragon Torque converter is probably the best TC and most expensive....$900

Lextreme.com offers a cheaper deal where you send your TQ in and that then it is reworked with a good stall rate and then mailed back to you for around $400... They come back in good shape and is almost as good as the Dragon.....

Any transmission shop should be abel to install for no more then $300


This is not a cheap mod but probably the most important...Good luck

Sly Guy Yu

how is the ride quality after u install a better torque convertor, and can someone explain the stall speds and how it would relate to ride quality/performance. THX

jibbby

I have been running a dragon t.c. for about a year now on my SC400...and I love it... Ride quality does not suffer... You will just instantly gain throttle reponse at the rear tires or tire...Go real easy on the gas pedal off the line and it rides like stock....Press down half throttle from a dead stop and your head will jerk back, and you will spill your coffee in your lap...Press full throttle from a dead stop and you will do a burn out... Can you ever image your sc400 doing a burnout from a dead stop? Well it will happen with the Dragon T.C. change out...

Believe it or not the Torque Converter will change the dynamic's of the stock power feel...The tranny shifts are the same and smoothe... It is just a wonderful upgrade on the SC's...and LS's and I recommend it for everyone if you can afford it... You will be able to stay with most average sportscars 0-30mph after that upgrade. Like the 4.6 mustangs, camaro's, 350z's, etc..

In conclusion, you will lose top end power, probably the difference between using the ETC button at freeway speeds and not.. 10-15% loss at high rpms is my guess...Remember the torque is transferred to lowend as apposed to topend... The gains are much greater then the losses...

If after the T.C. change out you desire to have your topend power back, just change out your stock muffler and Cat converter to manaflows and install two highflow resonators to keep the noise down..Then you will still have your luxury ride with now sports car speed...Good luck

Sly Guy Yu

awesome, thx for that write up, really helps me alot. DRAGON TC IS ON THE LIST!

kylessc400

So what do you run in the 1/4 mile?

Also do they have a shift kit for the SC400....to speed up those shifts a little bit...?

nasc300

You can also send your stock TC out to protorque.com to be restalled. That is where boostlogic get it done.

verylost

My stock 1/4 mile time was 15.8

After the Dragon TC, headers, exhaust, and removing the spare tire, I ran a 15.0.

I attribute most of the gain from the TC. I believe my 60ft times improved significantly too. I'm being lazy by not looking for my timeslips, but I think I went from a 2.3 to a 2.1 or 2.0 60ft time. Don't quote me on that though

jibbby

No problem, glad I can be of help....

kylessc400- I Never clocked my quarter mile time but I am guessing somewhere in the13's while riding the juice maybe, but to be honest I really don't know...My car is pretty fast 0-60mph if the tranny shifts are timely (which is a hit and miss at times) and I do lose a little on the back end so my quarter mile times are problably not all that...No dyno's and quarter times yet...but coming soon... No shift kit either and I didn't know they have one for our sc400's?..., Although I have upped the tranny line pressure in my tranny, so shifts are a little more crispier... Stock auto trannies are the biggest limitations in these cars... I have lost races because of untimely tranny shifts and not from the lack of engine power...

Thinking of the stock tranny build up or V160 manual Supra tranny swap.. Waiting on a few things first...

Verylost - Don't you think the D.T.C is the single most important upgrade other then A.F.I or NOS? I just think the torque converters turn the car around 0-30mph....

Ps..You remove the spare while I use to add 300lbs of sand bags in the truck to help with traction....how couter productive was that?...That was many moons ago when all I was interested in was 0-60 times........

kylessc400

cool thanks jibbby....

that is a good wealth of infomation....i cant wait to start modding on my sc400

thanks again for the info

sourcemine

IPT transmission has a shift kit, or rather will modify your valve body for the SC400.

jibbby

IPT Transmissions? Any more indo...What kind of valve body mod are we talking about, any pics or contact info...Tell me more I am interested.....

rdm20fan

A Torque Converter changes the RPM that the Trans starts moving. there is no direct conection from the motor to the trans in an Automatic. The TQ is like 2 fans facing each other. turn 1 on, and the air moves the second one. Thats how a TQ works, but it uses fluid to push rather then air.

Dragon TQ is the same as anyone elses.
Increasing the stall will raise the RPM at which the car starts to move. you make more HP the higher the RPM, so the harder the car takes off.
The Negitive is less gas mileage, and a heavier sluglish feel when putzing around.

The postive of the stock trans is it has a lockup. so above 40MPH (I think it's 40) the lock up turns on, and locks the engine RPM to the Trans input RPM. this is why the car feels the same under highway crusing. and your highway MPG shouldn't be effected.
The stock TQ can only be effected about 400-600 RPM because of it's size. So a stall of 22-2400 is about max.
this means it will require 2200 RPM to start moving the car rather then the stock 1800 stall.

Talk to a trans shop, and tell then you would like you converter rebuilt, with a higher stall, and cut stator

Dynamic Manufacturing is the largest TQ manufactuer & rebuilder in the world, and make most of the TQ used in new cars.
They can increase your stall to the max of about 22-2400RPM due to the size of the stock converter. (The 6-speeds can go higher since the TQ size is smaller)
I had mine done for I belive just under $200.
They are based out of Chicago (Stone Park actually)
This is probably where most of the TQ you can purchase in the aftermarket are manufactured. I'll bet $ that everyone one this board with a rebuilt TQ has a Dynamic TQ which has been marked up & relabeled.

Helpfull links
Torque Converter 101
http://www.dynamicmanufacturinginc.c...verter101.html

Here is a # to call for info about the TQ
http://www.dynamicmanufacturinginc.c...lrequests.html

Dynamic Manufacturing, Inc.
1809 N. Manheim Road
Stone Park, Illinois 60165
708-343-5444

Hope this helps, and maybe saves you a buck or 2.

jibbby

Sluggish feel when putzing around? Not my torque converter RDM....Although maybe slightly sluggish when hammering it on the freeway in higher gears compared to stock...That is the only difference I noticed...I Gained tons at lowend and lost a little at topend...Countered the top end loss with exhaust mods...

Laymans terms.....

Also, If all you do is the Torque converter you will not see a big difference in your quarter mile time... The difference is night and day in your 0-40mph times