Gearbanger 101 said:
To tell you the truth, it sounds to me like your slower 60ft and 1/8th mile times may have been a result of poor traction
I think you weren't paying too close of attention to what he said. He said with Alan's torque converter, he was running slower 60ft times, and was running consistant 9.10's to 9.20's. He then put the stock converter back in and started running 8.90's. He did this with ET street slicks, so I don't think traction was that big of an issue. Then, he put the PI 3200 stall unit in, and even with hotter temperatures, he ran 8.60's. If one were to look at that without keeping an open mind for other possibilities, it would seem as if Alan's converter was the problem, but as you said, other factors could be involved, and it's possible he didn't talk enough with Alan to get the right TC for his application.
Gearbanger101 said:
He's very candid about how he builds them, the methods and materials he uses and doesn't use and his reasons for doing so.
Have you ever opened up one of Alan's converters, just to make sure that what he says is in there is really in there ? After all, you don't know what is really inside unless if you built it yourself, watched the builder build it, or you've opened it up to see what is inside. It's just a question.
Gearbanger101 said:
And from a performance aspect, it's much the same as picking a proper camshaft. You could go with an off the shelf grind and it may work well, in comparison to your stocker but if you want the absolute best performance for your dollar, it's always better to go with a properly matched, custom unit.
Honestly, I don't see where must "customizing" is needed in a torque converter unit, aside from Stall speed, clutch disk setup, and bolt patterns ? Seriously, I think most of us want a unit that is durable, and that will give us good performance at the same time. The one thing I can say about Edge Racing, is they actually recommend a 9.5in series torque converter, which weighs around 30lbs, compared to the stock unit that weighs around 45lbs. You do the math on that part. Not only that, but they actually put a wide high carbon friction lining in their converters, which is 150% stronger than a 3disk kevlar setup. In fact, it's more expensive to put the high carbon friction lining in there, than it is to put 3 kevlar disks in there.
Gearbanger101 said:
But Circle D was confident that this unit would hold up and backed it with a solid 1-year warrant.
Thats interesting. Edge Racing actually puts a 1 year warranty on their torque converters too, and they also offer a money back guarantee if you can find another torque converter that will give you faster times. I wonder if Circle D or Alan are willing to do the same on that last part. Just making a point.
Gearbanger101 said:
Dirty Dog and I exchanged many Email conversations that were full of questions about cost and quality and methods of attaining the best of both before he directed me to Circle D. And Chris (Circle D) and I exchanged many phone calls back and forth....a lot of which were on his dime before going through with the purchase. And made sure that we were both comfortable in the decision before forging ahead with it. As a matter of fact, I'll go as far as to say that when I finally did buy the unit, I did so based on 50% product and 50% customer service.....and that is why I recommended them!
The same thing could be said about WCC or Edge Racing. Both of the guys who work there are very friendly, and willing to go over every single question you may have regarding a torque converter purchase. Hell, I talked with Andre at Edge Racing for over an hour about torque converter applications. I know that Chris at Cirlce D is a good guy to talk to, as I called him and talked to him once before. I'm just making the point that while Dirty Dog and Circle D might be good with customer service, the same can be said for Edge Racing and WCC.