[JC]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

If you’re using a 3500rpm converter doesn’t mean you have to drive off at 3500 rpm, the converters they make these days are very streetable.
USER VX8255 has a 4500 rpm hi stall and this car and it's his daily driver. he would do 30,000 klm a year of normal driving.

OK, I'm now confused. This is how I think a converter works. The stock converter stalls at 1600 to 1800 rpm. What that means is that when you take off, the transmission effectively slips (but still engages) until those revs are reached, at which point full cohnverter rotation speed is achieved and the converter effectively becomes a solid input to the transmission, passing all available power from the engine to the transmission, and moving the car off quicker from that point & RPM.

So, if my understanding is correct, a 3500 hi-stall (or 4500 in the BA?) means the transmission effectively slips up to that point. Slipping = heat, so I'm not surprised it kills boxes. The way to minimise the heat build up is to get the engine up to stall speed ASAP, which means applying lots of throttle quickly to get the engine revving as fast as possible, and get the transmission/converter into lock-up position and beyond. ie, fast takeoffs are the result, but they are also what's required to keep the trans from overheating too much. So taking off slowly with a hi-stall is actually damaging to the box in the long run.

Of course, if my initial understanding is way off, then I need to do some more reading.