I respect your experience with various converters Mike.
I started out with an 1800 stall converter. I've found that a high stall converter wastes all your fuel in an attempt to spool the turbo faster. Thing is, in order to effectively run a 1800 stall converter, you need to make good power up to 3000+ rpm because by the time it stalls, you're past the sweet spot at 1700rpm. My low stall converter has no problem spooling the (stock) turbo fast. I've had a few guys in my truck that were quite surprised at how fast the boost gauge goes from 0-45 from a dead stop at idle - faster than all three of their trucks. I have no problem pushing out 20lbs at 1200rpm - sure makes it nice to get moving. The engine isn't humming like a po'd monster, you get that aggressive low rpm diesel sound (kinda like a semi) and the low end power is great - especially shines when towing. Like you said, "Once you drove a properly set-up truck you'll understand".... The 5.9 doesn't have to be smokey to quickly spool a turbo either. A properly tuned pump will take care of that with just a light haze. It's just that few folks are willing to put the time in to do it right. The only place a high stall converter makes sense to me is on the track. I don't like reving up to 2000 rpm to get moving at a stop light.... Or hitting 2400 when I floor it to see who's truck is faster. My last converter would sit above 2000 rpm speeding up with a load - and that's not even close to tramping it. I found it very annoying and it wasted a lot of fuel. I have a 1500 stall at the moment and I wish it was about a hundred rpm lower yet. It does not cause me to be hard on the brakes - there are converters out there that do that, but at this point the efficiency of the converter is what's key. With a load, I can now speed up at a half decent pace without going over 2000rpm - which is nice, because past 1800rpm there's just no power left unless you've got a gsk kit (I'm P-Pumped) and it takes a lot of fuel to turn that fast.
That's been my limited experience.

 

Well if you can address the converter and trans to handle lower-rpm power, then add some air on the low end to burn the fuel before the turbo spools, you might have a really fun DD / hauler truck.
Maybe something like this:
http://www.competitiondiesel.com/for...d.php?t=110216

 

Hey once you get into 3rd gear or 4th gear, the converter should be fully locked up, if your not sometime isn't working correctly.

With the P7100 pump you should at least pull till 4000+rpm's, so a 1700 stall converter isn't going to hurt anything. If your smoking heavy just adjust the afc settings.

 

After 4th gear, it's no problem. Before you get there - that's the problem....

A p-pump won't allow the big C to rev anywhere near 4000rpm+ unless it has had a 4k gsk installed and likely a higher flow lift pump if power is to be made at those rpm's - None of which the vast majority of these are equipped with. It's not safe to rev that high without 60lb valve springs either....

Point is, unless you are racing, those rpm's are completely useless.... How often are you running down the road pulling your fiver up to speed on a nice holiday - running 3400rpm?

 

For what I do the single disk billet 1600 stall and my 3000 rpm governor spring is working out just fine.I will never Race my truck,it only has to pull my 10.500 fiver and run with traffic. Next mod will be an engine brake and spare fuel tank. Planning a trip for Nova Scotia To British Columbia , should take me 3 months to get home again.I have no doubt the 95 Ram will make the trip.

 

4gsk is one best P7100 pump upgrades, the pump just fuels better. Stock cummins lift pumps we run around hear have no issues. The cheap skate china knock-offs lift pumps can't keep up with enough pressure to fuel a stock engine.

Install a lock-up switch for the converter on the dash, your hi-stall problem is fix. My 02 automatically locks up the converter in 3rd and 4th gear, and works awesome. Converter lock-up brings the converter efficency up to 100%, so no fuel wasting creating heat. Some guys lock-up in 2nd gear, but that harder on tires.

 

My Goerend 900/400 just arrived yesterday, I planned on putting it in today but here I am home sick with a nasty cold, I opted for 800RPM lower stall so I dont have to mash half throttle at 2,500 RPM in 1st to get a heavy load on a grade rolling- heck my P pump will defuel before the 47RH upshifts when driven hard to the point where it will throw passangers forward then slam us back into the headrest on the upshift.

 

What really got me sold on the lower stall is the fact that my wife's 1997 Chev Tahoe with its 4L60E trans has a very tight converter, way tighter than my 12V- heck drop the Tahoe in drive at its 600RPM idle and your moveing, even with a heavy trailer! Unlocked it really never rev's past 1,500 RPM either- its crazy low for a gasser!

 

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9812vram:

I agree with YOU 100% Sir! Good post!

I had almost the exact same experiences with my 1996 Dodge CTD 12 valve which is HIGHLY modified! It has been as high as 900 H.P. but right now is a little over 800. I drag race mine, but can also hook to my 24'
"Kaufman" Flatbed Trailer with my big Massey-Fergusen Tractor and PULL 10,000lbs+ with no problems at all! I was told similar stories, that for better performance I needed to RAISE my stall speed. But I went the other way settling at about 1650-1700 on the ATS Five-Star Converter I have now and it performs excellent. Like you also said, "a properly tuned P-7100 Pump is important." Scheid Diesel knows how to "tune" a P-7100 Pump!

For those that doubt the lower stall speed, here is a video of how my truck takes off and performs. BTW,....the smoke is NOT from the lower stall but from ALOT of fuel!

http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/m...4005406-04.flv

Click on the photo/video in the upper left corner.

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John_P

 

Ya, lockup switch works great from 3rd on, but 1st and 2nd are still major problem gears.... Shifting locked has a tendency to be a little hard on things too - input shaft and u-joints lol

Joe, that is EXACTLY where I'm trying to get with my truck. I want it to drive tight like a gasser - that way when you romp it, it throws the truck forward rather than rev to the moon! I think the torque converter should "hold back" the engine, allowing the fuel to be turned into mainly forward motion instead of mainly engine rpm....

John, thanks for the vid. I mostly just liked watching you spank that car with your big long-box diesel truck! Sure doesn't take long to clear away that smoke either. I find that rather impressive...



A high stall converter can work well on these engines, but the engine then MUST be set up to make the majority of it's power far above that stall speed rendering useless most of the rpm range under the stall speed. ie. not a good daily driver....

 

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9812vram:

You are welcome on the video Sir!

That "car" was a 2001 Chevy Camaro SS that was pretty heavily modified. He had an SLP Cam, SLP Heads, Z06 Intake, American Racing Headers and an "HP Tuner." He was also running "Hoosier" Drag Slicks and all that noise was his OPEN HEADERS not my truck!

And your right about the "high stall" converters too. I sure like mine just the way it is.