MR HYDROSEED

What do you suggest? i'm going to be towing a 15k trailer around everyday this summer and i'm hoping to get about 400 hp after i buy a converter and rebuild my tranny. Is there much truth to what Bill @ Dieseltrans says? it seems like he's the only one that says triple disc converters are a bad idea. Also who has the best deals on converters?

Tmc243

I'd recommend you call Dave at Goerend Bros. He's a great guy and builds one of the better converters out there. I've got his converter and valve body and love it.

mcoleman

Well I went with Bill K.s transmission because of their reputation and I've never regretted it. And I don't have to worry about my flexplate breaking because of the weight. I've talked with Goerend a bunch but chose the DTT because of Dave's reluctance to use billet shafts. I race my truck and stock shafts will not handle a 15 psi launch with a 1000 pounds of torque. And they don't break at the gear change like certain manufacturers are trying to claim. They break on the line while you are building boost or they break right when you release the brake pedal. However if I was putting a tranny in a mostly stock truck I might use one of Daves as the price is nice.

RowJ

Don't remember the "bad idea" comment from Bill. I remember him saying it not the best way to go. Obviously ATS and others have made them work ok.
I do remember Bill saying the triple disk was unnecessary. This I agree with based on my personal expirience with my DTT...45,000 miles and 300+ HP added.
RJ

Cowhand

Read Bill's comments on his website forum.......to me, he comes across as pretty down on triple disc converters.

mcoleman, Dave talked me out of billet shafts because billet input and output shafts increase the chance of intermediate shaft breakage. His comment to me was that billet input and intermediate shafts were the best way to go, a broken output shaft could conceivably be changed on the side of the road by swapping overdrive units. Shouldn't need to drop the whole trans.

BigBlue

Or you could buy all 3 billet shafts and not worry about any of them. Of course you'll have to give up an arm, a leg, a kidney, and your first born child to afford them, but you won't have to worry about your shafts breaking.

RowJ

Just have to worry about the next weakest component down the line....the drum maybe? The idea of leaving the output shaft as the "weakest link" may have real merit. Would love to hear opinions from members with more tranny expirience than I have.
RJ

Eskimo

When there are trucks well over 600RWHP that use a single disc converter, I don't see any need to go with a triple. It's all about making sure the pressure MAKES it to the convertor to lock it up!

justinp20012500

You are correct in one sense. Yes a single clutch TC will survive, but if you are running 600HP and using a large single turbo, tubo lag will be an issue. It would be hard to drive the truck on the street.

It really becomes a driveablity issue.

Running a single disk TC with a very low stall also makes it very hard to get a load moving.

These are all things you have to consider.

Have you ever thought of using a lower stall stator in a multi disk converter?? Best of both world's??




Justin


Edit to clarify the point I was trying to convey.

mcoleman

The intermediate shaft is a much heavier piece than the input and output shafts and input drum. And not near as likely to break. I broke my stock output with an easy 10 pound launch. Switched to a billet output and I've never looked back 1.6 short times and all. Knock on wood of course. I wouldn't even think of doing the transmission without the billet input shaft and drum. Floor It is doing quite well sledpulling with a 89% DTT. I installed the 89% in my truck also but if and whenever I need the tranny freshened I may go even tighter. And I will also be installing the billet 3rd gear drum assembly that is recommended for over 500hp applications. Either way you decide to go the aftermarket tranny will be your favorite mod to the truck. It's a night and day difference even on a stock truck.

Raw power

Dave's transmission will be fine even in a highly modified truck. Call him and talk to him yourself. Riding in a truck with his transmission is even sweeter. I really like mine. He will build what you need. He talked me out of Billet because I don't race, am only going to get to 400hp, and do not tow heavy. I was going to fork over the extra cash but he explained It really was not needed because of the way his transmission works. This thing is silky smooth.
Your best bet is to read all you can and narrow your choice down to 3 or 3 good vendors and call them. I belive certain driving styles will like certain brands of transmissions better than others. We are very lucky to have several quality choices. As for Bill K's Triple disc bashing let's just say the man builds a great product and so does his competition. In fact that triple disc rant is what made me think about someone else. Do you really believe they do not work when Suncoast, ATS, and Goerend brothers have had so much success with them?

Tmc243

In my experience the differences between the major transmission builders has to do with their philosophy, and what they want their transmissions to be able to do. Here’s my take (maybe totally wrong, or different from everyone else’s but it is mine).

Georend Bros. builds his transmission to with stand the shifts and hard usage, by allowing the transmission to shift a little slower and softer, the way it was originally designed. His goal is to not have internal parts break due to too much torque hitting suddenly. Generally doesn’t recommend “locked up shifting”. Uses a triple disc converter for better holding power. To the best of my knowledge Georend Bros. does all there own work in there own shop and will ship direct to the customer.

DTT is the most concerned with internal pressures and there effect on the way the transmission holds. They are able to use a single disc converter by making sure pressures are high enough in the converter to keep it locked when it should be. Also doesn’t recommend “locked up shifting”. They can build a transmission that will unlock the converter anytime you have vehicle floored. This seems to be the most popular transmission with the high horsepower trucks that run unloaded most of the time. (Drag racing) DTT has independent rebuilders trained by Bill at the DTT main shop, (lower shipping charges) they must stick strictly by the way DTT has instructed them to build a transmission, using all DTT parts.

ATS claims to have introduced the triple disc converter, (I have no idea if they were the first but no reason to doubt them). There units seem to be designed more for the towing crowd. They build all there units in house and have installers thru out the country. Advantage should be able to maintain higher quality control, disadvantage higher shipping charges depending on where you are.

This advice is free and guaranteed to be worth what you are paying for it.

If you have someone locally to build your transmission that’s great, any of the three mentioned (or some others that I haven’t personally dealt with) will be happy to sell you a valve body and torque converter, and recommend a few additional parts. I’m sure coming from a stock torque converter you will be very happy with the way any of them perform. I’ve had my transmission in and out so many times now I use wing nuts on the bolts. If I had the transmission to do over I would call all the major builders, find one in my area (builder, installer or someone to install Dave’s) and have them do the entire transmission. That way if you do have any problems you have someone to go back to.

justinp20012500

Richard Madsen aka MADDOG runs an ATS multi disk.

Jeff Garmon runs a Suncoast Multi Disk.

David Dunbar runs a Suncoast Multi Disk.

William Fletcher runs a Suncoast Multi Disk.

Hoss runs a Suncoast multi disk.

Scott Bentz runs a ATS multi disk.

I run my own multi disk coupled with a low stall sheet metal stator.

gwhammy

I ran a single disk in my 97 with the 180 pump and all the mods that are on it now and stock timing. The line pressure was set at 240 to get the single to hold and it worked real good. I do tow real heavy some but do not abuse it at heavy gross. I finally slipped it once grossing 24000 with timing bumped and good cool air that day. Now the truck has a multi-disk in it which is a whole different ball game as far as tightness of the convertor. Just guessing but the truck ought to have been around 400 the way it was set up. The single disk is going in my wifes truck and I wouldn't give up the multi-disk for nothing. You would probably be money ahead to get the multi cause I'll bet you're bombing will pass up the single before you know it.Good luck,Gary

Cummins4Life

I had good luck with the single disc DTT in my 01

and so far I've had good luck with this single disc Dunrite converter I have in my 94