-Please no negative comments, I'm trying to gather useful information.
-I do not want to swap to manual (I have another car w/5spd and want to keep this one automatic).

I was looking into installing an aftermarket torque converter in my daily driver
the car has a d16 engine and an estimated output of 110+ whp (180 whp w/spray)

I have found torque converters for as low as $300-400.

I've read about six and eight cylinder cars not being streatable once a performance torque converter is installed, but is it the same for a Civic?

Would I be able to softly accelerate in normal daily traffic with a 2.4K rpm stall speed, or would the car just spin tires?

 

ive never heard of a honda torque converter...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pulpdeem &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ive never heard of a honda torque converter...</TD></TR></TABLE>

All automatics have them... it's kind of like a clutch for a stick shift.

If you upgrade a torque converter, you get the same launch as with a 5spd, but since it shifts faster, the auto becomes a bit quicker (in a straight away / drag).

What I want to know is if the car would still be streatable, I don't want to be bouncing off of cars in traffic.

 

No, cars with after market torque converters are still definatly streetable. My freind has a 400hp ls1 with a 3700 rpm stall converter and drives it every single day. You will find your getting shittier gas mileage, because the converter is slipping until it reaches 3700 rpm. (damn who would have thought a 5.7L would waist gas.)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mrbigg9032 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">damn who would have thought a 5.7L would waist gas.</TD></TR></TABLE>

its funny that you say that. the 7L LS7 c6 z06 corvette gets 28mpg

thats what i call a fast econocar lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pulpdeem &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

its funny that you say that. the 7L LS7 c6 z06 corvette gets 28mpg

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure chevy didnt make those numbers just alittle higher.

 

a couple companys make them, i dunno if they still do. It's really a waste of time and money, sorry but just switch to 5 speeds takes a day and a couple hundred bucks.

Also.. men drive 5 speeds. Don't be emo

 

I've had a TCI high stall converter on my Civic for over a year. You don't even know it's there. You can't launch quite as high as a 5sp.

I also have their master racing overhaul kit. It shifts a little harder, which is good. Much much quicker shifts. Love it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by suspendedHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've had a TCI high stall converter on my Civic for over a year. You don't even know it's there. You can't launch quite as high as a 5sp.

I also have their master racing overhaul kit. It shifts a little harder, which is good. Much much quicker shifts. Love it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

How much did this run you (each item separately and the grand total)?
I've read that performance torque converter shaves off around a second (more or less depending on other upgrades) off of quarter mile. What about the racing overhaul kit?

I did a mini-me on my car and after I put the p2p ecu is started shifting quicker (and a bit rougher) too.

P.S.
I'm not interested in an auto to manual swap for multiple reasons.

 

bump for more info

 

Personally, Ive never seen any info about a torque converter upgrade, its not a very popular thing, since most people want to convert to manual rather than beef up their autos. Civic auto trannys suck hard, my parents bought me a auto 98 lx as my first car....man was it slow. Its good to see people who actually know what a torque converter is, unlike the kid who told me a jetta with a torque converter (in the context of some power adding accessory) would smoke any civic haha.

 

Honda automatics are actually the best design out there, unless you're considering sequential shifters to be automatic, which technically they are. Honda autos can't handle as much power as a Supra auto, but if you put as much time into beefing it up as much as they did the Supra...

So saying that they suck hard, Honda automatics uniquely, makes you look pretty foolish. Shouldn't I also say that Civics suck hard? "Man, I've had two Civics, and that **** was so slow! They handled like dog ****." An auto needs as much attention as a manual or even a stock Civic.

In fact the Honda automatic is designed so similar to a manual transmission, that by saying the auto sucks you are also kind of saying the manual sucks.


Honestly you couldn't beg me to care about 1 second on the quarter mile. If I remember correctly, the stall speed is about 800 RPM higher than stock. I had the opportunity to get a good deal on the TCI torque converter, so I took it. I was getting the tranny rebuilt with the TCI master racing overhaul kit at the time. The overhaul kit costs the exact same as any normal overhaul kit. It makes much more noticable difference than the torque converter. If I were to choose between the two, obviously I'd take the overhaul kit.

The overhault kit costs roughly $200 from Summit. The torque converter is going to be around $700. Rebuilding it... you need to find you a friend/hookup. I traded two stealth alarm installs, one on a WRX which was a bitch. That's still quite a deal. Otherwise plan on paying someone $800+. Or you can do it yourself, but you need the instructions and some specialized tools. It's not as hard as it looks. It just requires patience and an organized mind.

Harder shifts mean less slip which means less heat which means longer service life and less wasted power. Up to a point. The stock ECU retards the timing just before the shift to take some shock out of it, mainly so that people don't complain so much. Your aftermarket ECU doesn't have this feature. You want the shifts to be harder than stock, but you don't want to completely remove that feature. The AEM EMS has it, but AEMs implementation of anything having to do with automatics is quite weak. My friend that rebuilt my trans worked with some of the engineers on the EMS. You can thank him for having the auto features/compatibility built into the EMS, although they haven't made all the changes he's asked and they don't officially support auto.

The most important thing to do with any auto trans equipped car; especially if you're going to be increasing the hp, driving it hard, or upgrading the trans, is to install a auto trans fluid cooler. You can get pretty decent coolers from Uhaul for around $100 and they're very very easy to install.

 

bump and subscribed.i have a honda automatic and ive been ragged on.man its a auto what a pieace of ****!!!!!!! i always say expletive off i beat sum guy at the track who had a manual that sucked ***** driving he stalled i took his ***

anyway alot of drag cars are automatics u see those 5 second cars th nhra achol burners?

no1 can shift through 4 gears in 5 seconds if u dont belive me........

also a some like sequenbtail shifters which are fing modified auto transmissons

obtw civics suck ***** there so slow!!!! automatics suck ***** there soo slow!!!!!! expletive that @ least i can see my gf driving it daily which i love cuh she starting to work on it

 

Is this the transmission oil cooler you are referring to?


Are you sure TC cost $700?
I found a few, some as low as $300 shipped.
The ZEX TC goes for $400.

P.S.
When using the aftermarket TC, do you launch just by flooring it, or do you have to hold the brake/floor it/and then release the brake.

 

The stock torque converter is the only part on the car made with carbon fiber. The real ****, not fiberglass with cf weave laid on top. If an aftermarket torque converter only costs $300, I wonder if it's even as good as stock. I haven't tried them, so I don't know. I chose the TCI based on my friend's advice. He works at a dyno shop that handles a lot of domestic cars. Automatics are more popular with domestics. He's dealt with a lot of the aftermarket companies that make parts for autos, so I trust his experience. You can give one of those companies a shot just make sure you contact them to see whether it's streetable or whether you have to launch the car from every stop.

Heat kills auto trannies. You can kill an auto tranny in a matter of a couple of minutes by holding down the throttle and the brake. Then you can come on these forums and talk trash about how weak they are. To launch an auto, you have to hold down the brake and throttle just long enough for the RPMs to reach the stall speed, then let go of the brake. This wont hurt it because it's only a couple of seconds. But you need to get a tranny cooler. Even a stock Civic can benefit.

I have a smaller version of that cooler. Measure the inside of your bumper for clearance.

 

How do I make sure the transmission fluid circulates through the cooler and not just sits there stagnant?
Do I need some kind of pump?
What are the best points to tap a civic transmission?

Also, on the sites where I found TC going for $300-400, it does say that they used to retail for $800+, but now price has dropped. I don't know if it's a scam or if they dropped it because there wasn't enough interest.

 

Hi .
Can anyone please guide me can I use the torque converter of EK for my EG.
Thank you your help would be appreciated