Ram50

Well, here is the plan. Talked with FTI Monday morning and the converter was ready to ship. I did not want to pay the overnight charge of $175 and apparently FTI didn't either. So, the converter is due in Friday. If I can get an early out Friday, I'll install the tranny Friday Evening/Night. Then, test a little on Saturday. Then, Flashlight Drags at Waynesburg, PA on Sunday. Maybe I'll finally get a chance to do some racing.

Somehow a weld BB (they called it slag) got down in the converter. Since the converters are mig welded, I sorta hope it wasn't slag.

If this things craps out this time, it's B&J time.
 
Finally..... I was able make some passes. I am disappointed in the runs, for the most part.

Just to review whats been going on for the past three weeks, I did get the converter back in time to go to the Flashlight drags. I picked the converter up out of the box and shook it to check for 'slag'. This will now be a common practice for any torque converter installation. Well, I actually heard two pieces of 'slag' rolling around in the thing and I finally lost all my cool with FTI. Once Greg called me back, he said he welded that converter himself and their was no way anything could be in there. Greg instructed me to install the converter anyway so I did. Shortly after the install and run in, the trans began leaking fluid out the converter seal. So, we didn't make the flashlight drags. I kept adding fluid now and then and beat the crap out of the tranny for next couple days. The trans is holding now with no issues. Line pressure is 210psi at idle and 290psi maxed out.

Greg was going to send me a new seal and some machined converter spacers and thank goodness I called him the next Thursday cause he had totally forgot to send the stuff. I went to a local auto parts store and bought a $3 seal. This seal did not fit any tighter on the converter hub than the other one so I mic'd it. It was 1.869". The correct od is 1.875". After speaking with Justin at FTI, he was absolutely certain this would not cause the leak.:bang

So, I installed the new seal and re-installed the trans. The new seal did not leak. We were loaded up and ready to go last weekend, but, the weather would not cooperate.

We made it to the track Friday evening and they rained out. Yesterday, after a very cold night sleeping in the race trailer, we were able to run.

This first pass was pure hell on the trans. The air wasn't bad, but, I was having a heck of a time getting up on the turbo and then the timing system didn't work. So, after all that heating, I had to start over. Somewhere during the pass, the converter seal began leaking again. I also was a little late on the shift and ended up turning the thing to 6600RPM. The trans temp gauge pegged at 250*F and I thought I was done. This pass netted a 1.5957 60' with a 6.5043 ET at 109.47MPH.

[ame="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/bodacious598/media/Run1_zps2b6a6e94.mp4.html"]Run1_zps2b6a6e94.mp4 Video by bodacious598 | Photobucket[/ame]

We let everything cool down and I ran it on a jack to see the leak. The leak had stopped so we wiped everything down and went for a second pass. The second pass was a waste. I couldn't get spooled up. It's not worth posting the video, but, I did get it spooled about half track and ended up trapping at 99MPH. lol

On the third pass, the air was changing and I got 'er to boost up really good. Shortly after I launched, a trans cooler line blew off and I made a nice u turn at about the 60' mark.

[ame="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/bodacious598/media/Run3_zps7f42d300.mp4.html"]Spin Out Video by bodacious598 | Photobucket[/ame]

The fourth and final pass was pretty much a waste as well. Some very nice and helpful racers pulled clamps off their fuel line so I could clamp the 4 barbed Summit Push Lock fittings. We wiped everything down again and added 4 qts of the $6.30 tranny fluid and headed out for another pass. She boosted pretty decent, but, this was the first round of eliminations so I let it go trying to cut a light. My 60' was 1.6115. When I hit high gear, she made a hard move toward the guardrail and I had to lift. Once back straight, I got back in it and ran a 6.8535 at 100.14MPH.

[ame="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/bodacious598/media/Run4_zpsef40a164.mp4.html"]Run4 Video by bodacious598 | Photobucket[/ame]

When I got back to the pits, the trans had been leaking fluid badly which I think started when I hit high gear causing the move to the guardrail. From what the fellas at the drag strip are telling me, she's blowing fluid out the vent??

I know my converter is too tight. Obviously, I need to be able to build boost quicker. I don't know if a converter can be built that will allow say 3000rpm of stall and still be stout enough??
 
A common practice is to have a vented puke canister on the transmission.. Especially when you are getting it that hot on spool up without lockup.. I can't tell you where they vent from.
but man it sounds like that thing moves! Get it sorted and it will be a monster!
 
There is BUT!

You just don't want to hear it. I don't mean to be rude but you need to try someone else! I talked to them at PRI is 2011 and was not impressed. You should never have the problems you are having. My junk does t run like it should but I promise it's not the tranny or converter! That's one of the few things not giving me any problems. I have run 4.70 at 151 so it makes a little power even being not right. I'm a idiot and I will be the first to say so but I do know when someone needs to go elsewhere. Also congrats on finally getting it down the track.
 
I still agree with Sting. I said it earlier in this thread. You are getting the round around without lube or a reach around and there are better tranny shops to deal with. I am glad you got to make a few passes. Short not fully powered it sucks but that kinda fuel has got to flame the fire! keep your head high and get a full powered pass!!!! IIRC I have seen jeffs converter flash 5000 without problems for passes on end. Jeff please correct me if im wrong but I think jeff's converter was sent back a couple times because it wasn't tight enough. I Know when he hit the trans brake and brought it up boost was instant and could leave like a NA car!!!
 
A common practice is to have a vented puke canister on the transmission.
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Yep, thanks for the info. I had several folks at the drags come & tell me that very thing. I'm learning.

I don't mean to be rude but you need to try someone else!
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Hey Stingpuller, you are not being rude. I had the very same impression when they sent the converter back with a shorter hub. You have to wonder what the heck is going on at the shop with these absurd mistakes?? Regardless, one thing I will say, even though their work or QC is a little questionable, they took on the challenge and haven't given up on me. Take the line pressure for instance, I was sorta bragging about the big pressures the tranny is carrying to Toby Cunningham (he said he knew ya). Toby said these pressures are normal on his customers turbo rides. Why the heck would you just not crank it up the first time and save all the cost and heartache something this simple has caused me. And then theirs the 'slag' issue. Something is amiss on this issue. The first time I called about the converter after I sent it back for 'slag' removal, Troy (salesman) told me they had found a piece of 'slag'. When I spoke to Greg later that week, he told me they didn't find anything. I sent an email requesting an explanation and I never got a reply. Again, I'm not an expert, but, I know what I heard the second time around. I'm just hoping the pieces of 'slag' made there way into the pan and will do no damage. I'm also switching to a regular type F fluid from now on. This Amelie crap I've been buying is over $6/qt. I've bought 56 +/- qts. That's over $300 in tranny fluid alone. Now add on the two times I shipped the tranny at $280 each time and the pure aggravation of getting the thing boxed up to ship and taken to the terminal. Yea, your not being rude at all.
 
Tranny

Toby is a good guy and has done a lot with high powered stuff, a LOT. I wondered on the pressure at first also but they should know what there doing. You need to go to Tractor Supply and get Travlers tractor hyd. Oil and run it in the tranny. It's way cheaper and will handle the heat with a turbo motor better. It sounds strange but ask Toby he will tell you the same thing. It's like $40 for 5 gallon. You won't regret it. Good luck and get it out there and have some fun.
 
Stingpuller said:
Toby is a good guy and has done a lot with high powered stuff, a LOT. I wondered on the pressure at first also but they should know what there doing. You need to go to Tractor Supply and get Travlers tractor hyd. Oil and run it in the tranny. It's way cheaper and will handle the heat with a turbo motor better. It sounds strange but ask Toby he will tell you the same thing. It's like $40 for 5 gallon. You won't regret it. Good luck and get it out there and have some fun.
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Just be mindful that the thicker the fluid, the tighter the stall speed will be, so if the tq converter is already too tight, running thicker fluid will make it worse.

They do make cold weather tractor fluid with a lower viscosity, you might try that if you come up with converter issues trying a cheaper "better" fluid.
 
Tranny fluid

I have been running that fluid many years. It will tighten your converter up MAYBE 200 rpm. Sometimes times "more" doesn't always mean it's better. If it was $500 for 5 gallon's that's what I would run. It sounds like there may be other issues that need addressed. I don't have the money to do things two or three times.
 
I just put that travelers hyd oil in my loose azz 1st gen tranny. It tightened up the converter noticeably. $40 for the premium and $30 for the regular.
 
I know you said you were disappointed in the runs, but I say congrats on the 6.50....it's not setting the world on fire, but it's a good start!
 
A guy at work was down there racing and was bragging you up. Said the thing was sweet!
 
Nitrous Kit

Said the thing was sweet!
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lol, this is one thing I was not disappointed with. Folks came over and just loved the littel Ram. I had trouble getting my big head into my helmet. lol

I called Greg at FTI this morning in hopes he could just build me another converter and send it quickly. Unfortunately, he needs this converter back. I don't want to risk not getting it back in time for "The Challenge in The Hills" at Parson's this weekend so I will send it back next week.

It's calling for 70*F temps so I'm gonna have to do something to get spooled. I have spoken with a few buddies and I think my best route is to throw on some *nx* to get spooled.

What are your opinions on this kit. http://www.jegs.com/i/ZEX+Nitrous/243/82357/10002/-1
 
For that 300-340 dollars you could have bought a real convertor from the guy that I told you of from the beginning. Funny to me who people take advise from on these message boards, on average it's not the ones that post real useable info that's proven but good ol ideas from those that read about it some where....not possible to make good since of that to me.

You may take the time to go back over your entire thread and re read it, you may learn some thing and you may not.

Never understood why ask questions and or go back and forth with PM's offering up all this advise and then not use it, but go a direction where several people told you they had problems with them before? At least you ended up with the correct size unit and your on the tight side of things which would not even be possible if you were anyone else's typical glide size convertor.

Last piece of great advise: get a source of crank rpm and driveshaft rpm so you can see what the convertor is even doing other wise its all a big quess no matter who's your running. If its tight or eff. enough now then there could be room to loosen it some more for spool rather than nitrous. Its simple math once the parts are in place
 
Hey stock600. Glad to see ya finally broke your vow of silence and posted back on the thread.

You are, without argument, correct in your advice on this thread. However, given the fact that FTI was the ONLY ones interested in giving it a try, I had to go with their converter. If you remember back when I sent the converter off for the first re-stall, I requested at that point to raise the stall up 1500rpms because I was having trouble spooling with 30*F temps. When I got it back, it only gained 500rpm in stall. The second time, it gained another 200RPM, but they changed the hub length on me and I didn't check the pull out. Now, I'm only seeing 2500-2600rpm. I asked Greg today if he could give me what I needed on the converter and he said sure. I also requested +.130" on the hub and the correct 1.875"OD. I get free re-stalls for ever with FTI so I can't just go out and lay down another $1200 for a new converter.

I can't thank you enough for yours and everyone else's help on here. Bodacious is a CompD child born & raised. With continued support, it's only going to get better.
 
This weekend's plans

The nitrous kit is ordered. The wife will take the bottle to Clarksburg Thursday and get it filled.

I am installing my chain drive and front drive shaft this evening.

The nitrous kit will be here tomorrow and I'm gonna plum it in where the water injection boost switch currently resides. I'll just flip the water injection on if time allows.

If she is still alive after the sand drag portion of the event on Saturday, I'm gonna stab 'er in one of the nastiest mud holes know to man on Sunday. I wont win noth'n 'cause with the scoops, I'll have to run with the alcohol blower boys. However, I built this thing for pure fun and I can tell ya, if she'll get on top of it with all that smoke blow'n, it should be a crowd favorite at the least.

I ordered some pre-filter foam wrap for the K&N so hopefully the mud won't kill my air.

Wish me luck. LOL LOL LOL
 
Bodacious said:
Hey stock600. Glad to see ya finally broke your vow of silence and posted back on the thread.

You are, without argument, correct in your advice on this thread. However, given the fact that FTI was the ONLY ones interested in giving it a try, I had to go with their converter. If you remember back when I sent the converter off for the first re-stall, I requested at that point to raise the stall up 1500rpms because I was having trouble spooling with 30*F temps. When I got it back, it only gained 500rpm in stall. The second time, it gained another 200RPM, but they changed the hub length on me and I didn't check the pull out. Now, I'm only seeing 2500-2600rpm. I asked Greg today if he could give me what I needed on the converter and he said sure. I also requested +.130" on the hub and the correct 1.875"OD. I get free re-stalls for ever with FTI so I can't just go out and lay down another $1200 for a new converter.

I can't thank you enough for yours and everyone else's help on here. Bodacious is a CompD child born & raised. With continued support, it's only going to get better.
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I agree and understand. The point was I knew you probably paid well north of a grand for your convertor, most do; the convertor that I could have had built for you would have probably cost You less than 350 bucks.... and it would have been right the first time, looking back what's that worth?

I to if you remember delt with every conv. man. out there and they all failed, once my guy tooled up for the diesel deal and fiqured out what it took to make it work life for me was so much better, theres no telling how many attempts it took to get it all fiqured out, that's why at the time I thought it was such valuable info to pass to you. For what you just spent for a solenoid, bottle, and a couple lines, you could have bought a conv. that was spot on for the same cost, that cost me tons in R@D......

Not saying there's a thing wrong with putting juice on it either though, it makes spooling super easy in any condition just don't go overboard on the jet size or it will kill the engine if its to far in front of the fuel. You will find a .024to .032 jet all you will ever need, although Im sure others will tell you and you'll end up with a .120. LOL. Another big learning curve

Have fun
 
Blah. Can't believe your going to run that thing in the mud! You are from WV though!!! LOL just kidden.....Not the mud part though. I had a nitrous perge kit that ricers use to show off. I plumed it up for a direct shot off the noid without a jet. Noid was small so prob was only a 70hp shot but worked really well. It was cheap like 300 bucks with a 10LB bottle. It was made by nitros express iirc. Got it from jegs. Alittle late on that i know sorry. Tryin to seed my yard through the evenings. http://www.jegs.com/i/NOS/741/16029/10002/-1?parentProductId=762121 Never mind. Found it and it went up in price.
 
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Converters

Stock600, I will take a converter for $400! I can't see anything lasting more than a few passes at that price. The ones I run are hand made everything! They won't sell a street converter for $400. I will be your Huckleberry who do I have to call to get one? Be forewarned if it's **** i'll say so! But if it's the real deal I will be the first to say so.
 
finally a put up or shut man.... been waitn for ya buddy!!!!
 
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