[Mike Davis]

Originally Posted by pastry_chef

Who .. Langer?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...86&postcount=2

Langer still runs a PTC but it is a bolt together.

If you call PTC talk to Lane, he knows the Pontiac engine well.

Lenny at UCC and Lane at PTC are both good at what they do.


I am still running a PTC.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by Mike Davis

Langer still runs a PTC but it is a bolt together.

If you call PTC talk to Lane, he knows the Pontiac engine well.

Lenny at UCC and Lane at PTC are both good at what they do.


I am still running a PTC.

Lane is the man. My converter picked up 2 tenths and the 60 foot is slightly worse and the MPH is the same. Middle of the track got better.

[pastry_chef]

Another great builder.
https://www.dynamicconverters.com/aboutus.htm

[jays55]

Most of the responses here seem to be coming from racers/track guys. I have limited experience with converters, but my Can Am has a 2200 stall converter and I think it is overkill for street use. Sluggish starting off at "normal" street acceleration. If I jump on it from a start, it feels right. But, I really don't want to race away from every stop (maybe that's just me). Motor is a stout build W72 400 with 502 lift, 276 duration Comp Cam / roller rockers, 200R4 trans and 3:73 gears. I had a Chevy with 350hp/turbo350 with a shift kit & 1100 stall converter, and it felt perfect. To me, depends on what your use of the car will be. Good Luck!

[Formulajones]

No race cars here, but we do prefer our street cars to run to their potential, even the daily driven ones, and we do frequent the dragstrip with them.

If a good converter is built right for the combination, the car will actually drive pretty nice around town and won't exhibit a mushy feel in normal driving conditions, yet it will still allow a rambunctious camshaft to idle well in and out of gear, and at the same time will flash up in the 3500 range in the area where peak torque occurs if you have an engine that will push it.

We have 3 continentals here. The first 2 built more than 15 years ago and the last one was done by Kris before he closed the doors. The first 2 work great, just as I describe above. This last one drives around mushy, never feels like it couples, and from a normal take off the engine just jumps up to 3,000 and stays there, can't feel it shift or see an rpm change. After talking with Cliff and a couple others I have a pretty good idea as to why. Won't get into that here but just so happens that the street car I'm now building for someone wants a new converter for his combo so I ordered one of the 9.5" units through Cliff. Anxious to see how this one drives. I'm 99% certain it will be better than the Continentals we've run, and I may be ordering another one to replace the 1 mushy Continental we have, and may go as far to order another one for my sons street car.

[Mike Davis]

I am running a 8" 5K converter and run my car on the street as well as the track. I do not have any issue in stop and go traffic. I put a PTC 11" in my Dads 67 GTO. 428 .030, 66 Tripower, Ultradyne 228 @ .050 cam, 3.55 Rear Gears Stalls around 2800. Cannot tell it has a converter on normal street driving.


If a car with a 2200 Converter seems sluggish something else is wrong. Timing curve etc.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by jays55

Most of the responses here seem to be coming from racers/track guys. I have limited experience with converters, but my Can Am has a 2200 stall converter and I think it is overkill for street use. Sluggish starting off at "normal" street acceleration. If I jump on it from a start, it feels right. But, I really don't want to race away from every stop (maybe that's just me). Motor is a stout build W72 400 with 502 lift, 276 duration Comp Cam / roller rockers, 200R4 trans and 3:73 gears. I had a Chevy with 350hp/turbo350 with a shift kit & 1100 stall converter, and it felt perfect. To me, depends on what your use of the car will be. Good Luck!

Cool car !

[michaelcruz70]

I am in the middle of restoring my 1970 Formula 400 and want to upgrade my TH400 converter - can you tell me how the get in touch with "Cliff"? Thanks!

[Steve C.]

https://cliffshighperformance.com



.

[Steve C.]

Eluded to it in Formulajones post #25 above, there have been issues with obtaining good 10-inch converter cores. Thus hampering the ability the ability to produce these popular "tight 10-inch" converters. And here Cliff mentions the new 9.5" units for Pontiac applications he has built thru Tri-Shield Performance.

A fwiw, after John sent my Continental 10-inch to Lenny at UCC to have it repaired we had a discussion related to this very subject. He mentioned many, including Lenny, use the metric size Cadillac Northstar pieces to build their converters. Not necessary to search junkyards for old cores, and the metric size is about 9.5". The subject came up because John had just received a custom converter he ordered from Lenny for a customer at the speed shop and it was based on a Northstar core.


.

[goatman1970]

No drag racer but I have a built 406/TH400 with a Jegs 10" 2700-32000 stall with 3.73 rear, I do not care for the slippage at a stop, it's like feathering the clutch to move it around in tight places and when it grabs you have to be careful if you don't want it to go too fast in tight spaces. But it's great under acceleration and quick to launch.

[ta man]

Originally Posted by Steve C.

Eluded to it in Formulajones post #25 above, there have been issues with obtaining good 10-inch converter cores. Thus hampering the ability the ability to produce these popular "tight 10-inch" converters. And here Cliff mentions the new 9.5" units for Pontiac applications he has built thru Tri-Shield Performance.

A fwiw, after John sent my Continental 10-inch to Lenny at UCC to have it repaired we had a discussion related to this very subject. He mentioned many, including Lenny, use the metric size Cadillac Northstar pieces to build their converters. Not necessary to search junkyards for old cores, and the metric size is about 9.5". The subject came up because John had just received a custom converter he ordered from Lenny for a customer at the speed shop and it was based on a Northstar core.


.

Lenny at UCC still has a stock of 10 inch cores.

[Steve C.]

"Lenny at UCC still has a stock of 10 inch cores."

Yes, he planned ahead.


.

[madokie]

Freakshow conveters on e-bay are highly recommended by the guys on Yellow bullet,,man running FS has over 30 years experience buliding converters and did work for the highly respected but long gone conveter companys that used to be in texass.build to your specs,,,290-350$$..

[ponjohn]

Originally Posted by madokie

Freakshow conveters on e-bay are highly recommended by the guys on Yellow bullet,,man running FS has over 30 years experience buliding converters and did work for the highly respected but long gone conveter companys that used to be in texass.build to your specs,,,290-350$$..

If these are the resurrected Redneck converters - save your money. Mine slipped 13% behind a 450hp 463. ( 532 tque).

[pastry_chef]

Originally Posted by ponjohn

resurrected Redneck converters

A few other comments.

Originally Posted by cutrone

I've been running a Redneck 9 1/2" 3500 stall for a few years now. I had a Cont. J.Hand spec. before it and I like the Redneck better.

Originally Posted by AG

I paid $295 for my Redneck Racing converter shipped, works great for 10.0 at 134 mph with 7.8% slip on the big end. Didn't need a restall. Everybody else I called wanted (shops mentioned in this thread) wanted $850 and up for a converter. Just providing some real world data.

It is EXTREMELY difficult to have 100% positive feedback on Ebay times 455 buyers.
https://www.ebay.ca/usr/freakshowper...p2047675.l2559

[Cliff R]

I wouldn't put much faith in Ebay ratings.

There is a carburetor company that builds "Frankenstein" Marine Q-jets and sells them on Ebay and not a single one I've seen has been worth two squirts of duck poop.....and they have a 99.5 percent rating.......FWIW......Cliff

[AG]

Originally Posted by ponjohn

If these are the resurrected Redneck converters - save your money. Mine slipped 13% behind a 450hp 463. ( 532 tque).

Peoples experience will vary. When I ordered mine, I erred to the conservative side on what stall I wanted and it stalls at 5000 rpm. My converter should stall a little higher but I am not changing a thing since I have 7.8% slip on the big end. I gave him (Freakshow) a lot of information about my set-up. I may have lucked out or the builder might be good. I ordered a second one for my street car and it is a little tight, needs to be loosened a bit or I just need more power.

[pastry_chef]

Frankenstein Marine Q-jets looks MIA, no trace of them. I'm not surprised. I wonder how many Ebay feedback these had once upon a time, 10 or 15?

Yes, things can vary. Sometimes not about how it works but about politics.

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

Someone told me that Freakshow is the old Redneck. Don't know if that is true but if Freakshow is in Texas I would say its a pretty good bet. Redneck was an awesome outfit.

[Cliff R]

I used the word "Frankensstein" to describe the poor attempt to use various pieces from different years/models of Q-jets that don't match up or work well together.

The company I mentioned has over 4000 sales, and I've had dozens of them sent here, and every single one was absolute JUNK!

I actually have one here right now, purchased as a replacement for a 454 360HP Marine engine after a storm swamped the owners boat in Florida last year.

The carb worked, but not well.

The choke pull-off link was the wrong part and NOT unloading the choke on a cold start. It also prevented the secondary airflaps from opening so running on the primary side only.

Bottom plugs were leaking right past the JB Weld dabbed over them.

They "snipped" the post from the bottom of the power piston and metering rods are WAY too deep in the jets.

The jets were stamped 68 but hand drilled or worn well past .070".

Rather than go on for two or three more pages I'll stop there, I think the point has been made.

I will add here that Marine Quadrajets are very specific units, not emission calibrated and designed to run w/o vacuum advance and in applications where the engine is heavily loaded most of it's life. They used special castings and special calibrations. Attempts to build them from automotive cores is more times than not a lesson in humility. When folks ask us to build them here more times than not we purchase or have them purchase Marine cores and completely/correctly rebuild them vs trying to take an automotive carb instead. This insures a good result in all areas.....FWIW.

As far as converters go, I'm spent the time and funds to provide the best converters available for Pontiac applications. When Continental went out of business I had decided not go thru all the troubles of finding another company, testing, sending them back and forth, etc. As a coincidence we had a fully restored 1970 Buick GS brought here with engine troubles. Since we did the carb the Q-jet was getting all the blame. After several times back and forth with the carb I just sent my trailer for the car. Turns out it was the Petronix in the distributor and POS weight/spring kit.

We spent some time with the vehicle tuning it, and got it running correctly, but the larger T/A cam didn't make a happy engine with the stock converter and 3.55 gearing. I told the owner it really needed a converter upgrade so we got hooked up with Jim Weise at TSP. We purchased a converter and ran it thru all the paces. We discussed building them for Pontiac applications and got together with that deal and have sold a lot of them to date. Getting excellent feedback to date............Cliff