96 Beretta Project

[bszopi]

I tore into a tranny in an old K5 Blazer (can't even remember why now) in January in Maine, outside on the snow. By the time I was putting it back together, I literally could not feel my fingers. Worst time ever...

Brad via Tapatalk

[TGP37]

I can get the garage plenty warm, no doubt about that, I just need to wait about an hour or two before its nice out there. I break the chill with a salamander propane heater then the wood stove takes over and keeps it warm, sometimes too warm too.... lol

Oh yeah, cold tools suck.

I remember having to change my Mom's car tire in the dead of winter. It was in the negative teens, even the slush/salt on the road side was frozen over it was that cold. 30 mph winds, snow drift up the side I had to change. I couldn't even see the tire until I shoveled the snow away. Had to jack it up on ice too. That was a torturous job. So cold it starts to sting the eyes.

NE US Winters, they can get bad at times.

Thank GOD I have a garage these days.

[3400-95-Modified]

I can get the garage plenty warm, no doubt about that, I just need to wait about an hour or two before its nice out there. I break the chill with a salamander propane heater then the wood stove takes over and keeps it warm, sometimes too warm too.... lol

[geldartb]

Sometimes I found a brisk chill motivated me to get the job done quicker. lol

sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't . more so on the doesn't part when the tools are cold.

i got a propane heater that does a decent job of taking the chill out of the air but you still know it's below freezing.

[TGP37]

I have heat in my garage but its not insulated so I need to warm it up before I head out there... Kinda sucks, I wanted to get some insulation in it this summer and fall, but time just hasn't permitted that to happen... same with funds... Oh well... If I get down time in the winter I can always throw some stuff up.

Sometimes I found a brisk chill motivated me to get the job done quicker. lol

[3400-95-Modified]

Responce from TCIauto's contact website....

We don’t do anything with transaxles unfortunately. You will want to contact PATC 1-888-877-1008 or www.transmissioncenter.net


- Don Mudrich
TCI Email & Live Chat Sales/Technical Support

TCI Automotive
151 Industrial Rd
Ashland, MS, USA 38603

1-901-375-3483 (my direct line @ Comp Cams) 8 AM to 5 PM CST Monday thru Friday
1-888-776-9824 (TCI main line)
1-662-224-8255 (TCI fax line)

https://www.tciauto.com

https://www.cpgnation.com

dmudrich@tciauto.com

*If you are replying back to this email, please retain all previous text originally sent.

From: Contact Form [mailto:tci@tciauto.com]
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 11:06 AM
To: tech2
Subject: TCI Tech Support - Jonathan Chmura

Message sent to TCI Tech Support
Sender Name: Jonathan Chmura
Email: jpchmura@att.net

Message: I’m looking to get a new torque converter for my setup and I’m trying to find the best option. I’m currently running a PDQ converter but I’m not that impressed with it. I’ve been told its tweaked to around 3195 stall yet when I leave the line I’m at 3800RPM + and on my shifts from 1st to 2nd I’ll go from 6500 rpm down to 4818 rpm when I’m not spraying… When I’m spraying I have an RPM range of 5100-6700 that’s it. My final drive gear ratios are 10.71:1 for first and 5.75:1 for second. If you ask me the RPM drop doesn’t seem like it’s enough for a converter that should be stalling around 3200. This is in a 1996 Beretta with a heavily modified motor 4t60e transmission running on a 100 shot of nitrous. Cam specs are 216/240@.050 duration .517/.568 lift 112LSA this is on a 60 degree V6 engine 3.4L displacement with a 3.5L top end on it. I’ve currently put down a 12.67@107 last year but the tires were spinning so much I know it can be better. I was wondering if you could make anything for my application, I know you list OEM Replacements for the 4t60e and 4t65e, and what it would cost. My converter is a 10" Diameter, 27 Spline, .824" pilot, 9 1/2" Bolt Circle, it also has a TCC lockup clutch that I would like to keep intact. If you like to start with cores first, a FAFB converter for a 4t60e FWD application is a 2795 stall to start, and it comes with the lockup clutch I want to have. Let me know if there is anything you can do for me and what this would run me. Jonathan Chmura

Sent PATC an e-mail, but it's looking like RevMax has the best price and has responded as the most educated so far.

[3400-95-Modified]

I have heat in my garage but its not insulated so I need to warm it up before I head out there... Kinda sucks, I wanted to get some insulation in it this summer and fall, but time just hasn't permitted that to happen... same with funds... Oh well... If I get down time in the winter I can always throw some stuff up.

[TGP37]

Thanks, its been a project getting it to where it is now... and still is a project... LOL

Yeah, same here. I started this turbo build of mine 3 years ago. Lots of time working out the bugs resulting from custom engineering stuff.

Once I get the car running near flawlessly w/ a tune superior to factory....I'll be starting the mods for high boost. Even considered drilling out the plenum barb fittings for air tight flared fittings. I plumbed stainless steel vac lines and love it. But all in due time. I got to work the manual in some first. Get the clutch broke in and tweek the PCM.

I finally got the heated garage ready for winter. Now I can work in warmth while it snows.

[3400-95-Modified]

Thanks, its been a project getting it to where it is now... and still is a project... LOL

[TGP37]

Dude, your car is sweet! I can appreciate the detail in numbers.

[3400-95-Modified]

This is what I've been telling converter companies right now.

Converter Company,
I'm looking to get a new converter for my setup and I'm trying to find the best option. I'm currently running a PDQ converter but I'm not that impressed with it. I've been told its tweaked to around 3195 stall yet when I leave the line I'm at 3800RPM + and on my shifts from 1st to 2nd I'll go from 6500 rpm down to 4818 rpm when I'm not spraying nitrous… When I'm spraying I have an RPM range of 5100-6700 that's it, after 1st gear the lowest RPM is 5100 after the shift is complete. My final drive gear ratios at the wheel are 10.71:1 for first and 5.75:1 for second and 3.69:1 for third. If you ask me the RPM drop doesn't seem like it's enough for a converter that should be stalling around 3200. This is in a 1996 Beretta with a modified motor and 4t60e transmission running on a 100 shot of nitrous. Cam specs are 216/240@.050 duration .517/.568 lift 112LSA this is on a 60 degree V6 engine 3.4L displacement with a 3.5L top end on it. I've currently put down a 12.67@107 last year but the tires were spinning so much I know it can be better.

With my gear ratio and tire size assuming zero slip and immediate shift times if I were to shift at 6,400 2nd gear would take over at 3,470. I typically complete my shift around 6700 so I would like to see somewhere in the range of 4200-4500 after the shift… if that's at all possible… I'm honestly not sure. Right now at a 6700 shift I end up at 5100 rpm, and on a second to third at 6600rpm shift I end up at 5200rpm.

I was wondering if you could make anything for my application, and what it would cost. My converter is a 10" Diameter, 27 Spline, .824" pilot, 9 1/2" Bolt Circle, it also has a TCC lockup clutch that I would like to keep intact. If you like to start with cores first, a FAFB converter for a 4t60e FWD application is a 2795 stall to start, and it comes with a lockup clutch which I want to have since the car is driven long distances at times.

Let me know if there is anything you can do for me and what this would run me.

Jonathan Chmura

RevMax did ask for an estimate HP chart and I gave them what Ben sent me recently. If you do a MPH/weight to HP calculator you get 317 too... kinda funny... I did my 107 when it was 3125-3150lbs IIRC... my lightest before the brakes was 3040lbs and that was the 13.996@98.06 that I got, that put me at 235.59 hp estimated... I can almost accept that too since I did NOT have ported heads and such then, and also had a very loose timing Chain and the stock lifters.

These are 500 RPM increment starting at 2k and ending at 7k.

N/A: 77, 103, 123, 148, 177, 207, 232, 251, 262, 263, 259
100 shot: 166, 190, 209, 232, 259, 287, 312, 317, 293, 295, 290

[Z26-T]

I'll be at SEMA next week... I could talk to some companies if you wanted to send me a spec sheet.

[torq455]

It's a whole different powerband. Therefore, different tranny shift tuning is required.

[3400-95-Modified]

They share the same converter though, I can use my 245mm converter on a 65eHD without a problem... The only difference would be what motor I'm working with, and aparently he is used to doing the 3800's and is not used to what power a 3400 can make with my mods.

[torq455]

I have one 4T65E and one 4T65E HD. I forgot that's what Triple Edge mainly works with. Me bad.