honda, you are correct in your assumption, but let's get the terminology right. Everyone says "stall converter". That's like saying "horsepower motor". You have to give it a value for it to mean anything, like high-stall converter or low-stall converter or 3,000 stall converter or 2,200 stall converter.

When cars are delivered from the factory, the converter is matched to the motor to please 99.9% of the buying public. Grandma doesn't want the motor revving past its normal operating range when she's heading out to Bingo and making excessive engine noise. She also won't tolerate the dismal fuel mileage that comes with a looser converter, so the factory installs a converter that will do the job for the majority of the public.

The problem arises when Henry Hot Rod decides to change the cam in his motor to get more horsepower. Any aftermarket cam that he installs will move the powerband up in the rpm range and no longer makes power down low where Grandma likes it. The new wilder grind cam also does not want to idle like a stocker and requires more rpm to idle. Now, with a higher idle, the motor is stalling up against the stock (for instance 1,200 rpm stall) converter, so holding the car at a standstill requires both feet on the brake. So Henry opts for a converter with a higher stall so he can sit at stoplights with the motor idling higher and the car will not want to creep. Also, with the motor making power at a higher rpm, Henry can get into the power band of the motor quicker with a looser converter.

Use your search function on your home page and research these titles, you'll soon be an expert....

How does a stall converter work
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