TCI Streetfighter TC experiences?

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DQ81

'73 Dart
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
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The Netherlands (Holland)
I can get a TCI Streetfighter Torque Converter for 150,-

I've got a mild 318 w/ Edelbrock's cam, Streetmaster 318 intake, Hooker headders, dual exhaust, 4bbl Holley with 3.23 gears.

I can get this Streetfighter cheap but was also looking at their specs on the Breakaway and wondering if it's a better converter for me?

Anybody have a Streetfighter TC? What is the flash speed and is it a tight or loose converter?

I don't wanna have to get up to over 2krpm just to move forward. Just a good help with a WOT launch, other then that it's pretty much a weekend cruiser.

TIA
 
I ran one along time ago & didn't like it in my mopar, it have too much slippage, tried them agian about 4 yrs. ago for a BB, the converter wouldn't seat back on the splines, also knew of a mild 360 duster with one, it was a POS, go with a reputable company thats known for good quality converters like PTC/Hughes/Turbo Action, they have in-exspensive 11" converters for less then 300.00.
 
There may be a reason your getting it "Soooo cheap!" Think.... think....

What Edel. cam are you running? One is way to small for anything and the other is a bit bigger, fine for a mild street striper.
 
rumblefish360 said:
There may be a reason your getting it "Soooo cheap!" Think.... think....

What Edel. cam are you running? One is way to small for anything and the other is a bit bigger, fine for a mild street striper.
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the smaller of the two...the 2177

Specs:

Duration at 0.006" Lift: Intake: 270° Exhaust: 270° Duration at 0.050" Lift: Intake: 204° Exhaust: 204° Lift at Cam: Intake: 0.280" Exhaust: 0.280" Lift at Valve: Intake: 0.420" Exhaust: 0.420"













It's cheap 'cause it's of a good friend who found it lying around after cleaning out his garage. New in the box...he runs a shop on the side, mainly buying and parting out stuff. Guess this came with a car once upon a time...

Why do you guys hate these things? Poor build quality? Die at the track? Slippy? Just saying it's crap doesn't give me any insight...what you dislike I might like.

I'm not trying to doubt anyone, it's just that these things are such a matter of opinion and I'd love to hear experiences to help me judge. I've read on other forums of guys running these things hard for 11 years without issue, and others who have chewed through 2 in 6 months. If it's gonna mess up my trans I'll skip it, but if it seems like anything is better than my current stock converter. Car is sooooo slow of the line, it should have more pep with the mods I've done. I'd like to avoid the 3.94 gears I can get just because I'd like to be able to do some highway...

TIA
 
DQ81,

I have had one in my car since '91 and it is GREAT. Never an issue with it. I have a massaged 340 in my Duster and you can't feel it is in there untill you need it. My car runs hard with it . Stalls 3200 in my car when I run the convertor against the brakes. If you are sure it is a good one..$150. is a good deal for someone..if not you, then someone else.

Terry
 
DQ81 said:
Why do you guys hate these things? Poor build quality? Die at the track? Slippy? Just saying it's crap doesn't give me any insight...what you dislike I might like.


TIA
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These are all the reasons to stay clear of them, you ask for our opinions, you got more - then +, but still you say "Just saying ats crap doesn't give me any insight", I personally gave you "insight" on my exsperiences with 2 of them, i guess you'll have to find out for yourself, Ok, so you get it for 150.00, in no time you'll be sending it off to be "properly fixed" so you can be happy with it, then you'll have a good 350.00 in it plus shipping cost.

I will tell you from "exsperience", once YOU own a "decent" quality converter, you THEN know when you've gotten a "lemon", whether it runs down the road or not, so what i'm saying is, the converter doesn't "need not work" to be junk, does this make any sence? You have to understand that converters are very "vitel" when it comes down to there performance, its VERY important to get a good "quality" unit.
 
IMO, it's to much stall for the cam. That cam is smaller than most stock cams by the way.
 
JoeDust451 said:
These are all the reasons to stay clear of them, you ask for our opinions, you got more - then +, but still you say "Just saying ats crap doesn't give me any insight", I personally gave you "insight" on my exsperiences with 2 of them, i guess you'll have to find out for yourself, Ok, so you get it for 150.00, in no time you'll be sending it off to be "properly fixed" so you can be happy with it, then you'll have a good 350.00 in it plus shipping cost..........
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JoeDust451 said:
These are all the reasons to stay clear of them, you ask for our opinions, you got more - then +, but still you say "Just saying ats crap doesn't give me any insight.......
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I meant to reference that you had given me specific experience and I thank you for it. It's just that I'm not going to be running 1/4's any time soon, all I meant was that one mans crap is anothers gold. Thanks for you input...

rumblefish360 said:
IMO, it's to much stall for the cam. That cam is smaller than most stock cams by the way.
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rumblefish360:

Yeah, it came with the motor. I don't get why they put such a tiny cam in. This summer I wanna pull it and get someting choppy in by Lunati or Crane so I'm thinking this converter is too much for now but would pair up with a 'real' cam nicely. I've got good compression, high in fact aprox. 9:1 all over.

JoeDust451 said:
Where have i gone wrong before thinking like this lol. Yeah, & i've paid in the long run.
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I have to disagree here, obviously you have to be carefull but I've gotten a lot of good deals in the past years.

Sometimes it's a question of right time right place, or me and my mates help each other out.

I'm gonna give this thing a shot and if it's junk, out it goes and someone else can have it for a buck...
 
D-mailman said:
DQ81,

I have had one in my car since '91 and it is GREAT. Never an issue with it. I have a massaged 340 in my Duster and you can't feel it is in there untill you need it. My car runs hard with it . Stalls 3200 in my car when I run the convertor against the brakes. If you are sure it is a good one..$150. is a good deal for someone..if not you, then someone else.

Terry
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So it has a stock feel untill you mash it? Tha's what I want! I'm goin' for it...What kind of stuff you done to your 340? You run a 904 or 727? Shift kit? Rear gears and tire size? Thanks man and everyone for input.
 
A performanc convertor will slip a little more. You should not notice much difference until you mash the gas. TCI used to be decent. I have a super street fighter from '91 that is good. But after that.... they turned to crap. They are not worth anything now. I've found the Mancini brand convertors cheap and charming. I wouldnt buy GER or TCI.
 
DQ81 said:
Car is sooooo slow of the line, it should have more pep with the mods I've done. I'd like to avoid the 3.94 gears I can get just because I'd like to be able to do some highway...

TIA
Click to expand...


You might be experiencing slow takeoff because of too large a carb and the single plane intake. It doesn't take much to bog out a 318, they seem to run much better with a dual plane intake and a carb with very small primaries, like a small Quadrajet or TQ. I don't remember if you said you have a 727 or 904, but a 904 has lower first gears, better for takeoff with your combo as well.
 
D-mailman said:
DQ81,

I have had one in my car since '91 and it is GREAT. Never an issue with it. I have a massaged 340 in my Duster and you can't feel it is in there untill you need it. My car runs hard with it . Stalls 3200 in my car when I run the convertor against the brakes. If you are sure it is a good one..$150. is a good deal for someone..if not you, then someone else.

Terry
Click to expand...

moparman9 said:
You might be experiencing slow takeoff because of too large a carb and the single plane intake. It doesn't take much to bog out a 318, they seem to run much better with a dual plane intake and a carb with very small primaries, like a small Quadrajet or TQ. I don't remember if you said you have a 727 or 904, but a 904 has lower first gears, better for takeoff with your combo as well.
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Food for thought...

I have a 904. 600 cfm Holley on there which shouldn't be too big. I have a TQ I could try...but this engine has performed very well in a truck with lower gears....
 
what are your current rear end gears? that is probably the thing most contributing to your lazy takeoff in conjunction with the stock converter. it needs much more torque to the rear to move a tall (highway) gear and with the stock converter its probably just bogging your motor down.
i have a fairly lumpy cam in my 360 ([email protected]/.512 lift) and a converter somewhere in the range of 2400-2800. However i'm running only 2.93 gears in the rear for a small mileage savings since its a DD that sees the highway often. this converter is about perfect for my combo right now except for takeoff the car still feels a little sluggish. I'm sure a 3.23 or 3.55 gear would wake it up much more. But once you get going it will break the tires loose in first and second if you mash it. I got my converter from ACC, just called them and told them my combo and they custom-built it for me for like $300. Also its balanced for a 360 with a stock flexplate. couldn't be happier with it.
-Tim
 
Optik said:
what are your current rear end gears? that is probably the thing most contributing to your lazy takeoff in conjunction with the stock converter. it needs much more torque to the rear to move a tall (highway) gear and with the stock converter its probably just bogging your motor down.
i have a fairly lumpy cam in my 360 ([email protected]/.512 lift) and a converter somewhere in the range of 2400-2800. However i'm running only 2.93 gears in the rear for a small mileage savings since its a DD that sees the highway often. this converter is about perfect for my combo right now except for takeoff the car still feels a little sluggish. I'm sure a 3.23 or 3.55 gear would wake it up much more. But once you get going it will break the tires loose in first and second if you mash it. I got my converter from ACC, just called them and told them my combo and they custom-built it for me for like $300. Also its balanced for a 360 with a stock flexplate. couldn't be happier with it.
-Tim
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I've got 3.23's so those are fine... The stock TC is bogging the engine down up to 2k rpm it just takes too long getting there and my TC feels like it locks up at 1100rpm if not lower. Once she's going it's a peppy little 318 and moves pretty darn well, it's just that take off...
 
DQ,
What year heads are you running on that 318? Most of the stock heads are not that great, with the exception of the '85 up swirl-port heads, and if you are running 360 heads it will be too much. I still think you are bogging the engine out with the single plane and holley. The reason the same engine performed differently in a truck with lower gears is because the lower gears allowed the engine to run in the rpm range where the single plane intake and larger carb are most efficient. I think you have two choices, either change rear end gears, or install a good dual plane intake with a small TQ or Quadrajet. I don't think the torque converter will make as much of a difference as one of these changes. Just my opinion, but keep us posted on what works for you.
 
moparman9 said:
DQ,
What year heads are you running on that 318? Most of the stock heads are not that great, with the exception of the '85 up swirl-port heads, and if you are running 360 heads it will be too much. I still think you are bogging the engine out with the single plane and holley. The reason the same engine performed differently in a truck with lower gears is because the lower gears allowed the engine to run in the rpm range where the single plane intake and larger carb are most efficient. I think you have two choices, either change rear end gears, or install a good dual plane intake with a small TQ or Quadrajet. I don't think the torque converter will make as much of a difference as one of these changes. Just my opinion, but keep us posted on what works for you.
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Interesting train of thought...

To answer your question: stock '81 318 heads with the emissions ports plugged.

The intake is a Streetmaster so the skinny runners should compensate considerably for torque loss of the single plain due to increased velocity.

Who else agrees or disagrees with Moparman9 ?
 
DQ,
You have the 63cc chambers, 8.4:1 compression. You are bogging the engine, feeding it more than it can handle at low rpms. Yes, the streetmaster has relatively small runners, but you have huge chambers to fill and you are losing velocity. A set of the '85 "swirl port" heads and a dual plane intake with a small carb would help immensely. As blasphemous as it sounds, that 81 318 would perform better off the line with the stock intake and 2bbl.
 
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