Torque converter questions

[BlooDSMeaR]

I have a 360 based 408 stroker motor. It is making 500HP with 540 TQ, I'm running 4.10 gears and a TCI built trans.
The converter I used is a B&M hole shot 2000 with about 5k miles on it. It had the dust cap on, and it was not exposed to the elements but did sit for many years on the shelf., after installing the motor and trans, running it a few times up and down the road, a sound started (kinda like a rolling train wheel on a track) that seems like the back of the motor . I freaked out and yanked the motor tore it down and found no issues at all.
I assume that the trans is good (only 10 miles since installation), I drained the fluid and dropped the pan, I didn't see any sparkle or glitter. The filter was spotless as well.
I did notice that there was a loss of power from the first run to the last run I did with it, around 4k RPM and up.
Only thing I can think of is the converter went south while it was in storage.
How can you tell if a converter is bad?
If it is the converter, what do you guys recommend for a replacement?
I think a 3k stall would do well, as its a street and strip car focused more on the strip.
What brand would you guys recommend?
What stall do you guys think it should be?

 

[493 Mike]

I recommend that you contact one of the converter manufacturers for the best results.
Mike

 

[moes]

contact Dynamic Converters, tell them what you have for a motor, transmission setup and rear gears and they will set you up with the right converter for your car. I use the 9 ½" Race/ Street, 3500 stall and that converter works great.

Features - Dual anti-ballooning plates (where applicable), triple bearing package, full furnace brazing, all fins are hand welded for extra reinforcement, bulletproof sprag and stator design great for bracket cars or serious street cars. Super efficient

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I've never figured out a way to check for a bad converter other than cutting it open & looking at the fins. I'm pretty sure they can't go bad from sitting, but may have been manufactured bad. Not to freak you out, but new transmissions, just like new converters can be bad too.

Were the torque converter & flex plate bolts tight & lock-tighted? Oddly enough, I had a whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound on a "brand X" car once & it was a flywheel (in your case, ring gear) to bellcrank clearance issue, sort of like 4spd bellhousing runout issue....maybe check the inside of the bellcrank to see if there are any shiny spots from contact? I had to clearance my "brand X" bellcrank after replacing the transmission...maybe 1/8" in two spots.

Oh yeah, everyone wants to talk about the "stall speed" a torque converter is rated to. The same torque converter will stall at different speeds depending on the weight of the car, the engine, etc. that it's installed in. What you need to know is the "K factor" for convertor to convertor comparison. Higher K = higher stall.

 

[oldbee]

I've never figured out a way to check for a bad converter other than cutting it open & looking at the fins. I'm pretty sure they can't go bad from sitting, but may have been manufactured bad. Not to freak you out, but new transmissions, just like new converters can be bad too.

Were the torque converter & flex plate bolts tight & lock-tighted? Oddly enough, I had a whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound on a "brand X" car once & it was a flywheel (in your case, ring gear) to bellcrank clearance issue, sort of like 4spd bellhousing runout issue....maybe check the inside of the bellcrank to see if there are any shiny spots from contact? I had to clearance my "brand X" bellcrank after replacing the transmission...maybe 1/8" in two spots.

Oh yeah, everyone wants to talk about the "stall speed" a torque converter is rated to. The same torque converter will stall at different speeds depending on the weight of the car, the engine, etc. that it's installed in. What you need to know is the "K factor" for convertor to convertor comparison. Higher K = higher stall.

How much torque the engine puts out also determines stall speed.