xBlkGs430x

im looking for a little more hp in my sc400, what is a better thing to get a computer upgrade of a torque converter, i know some of you have them so let me know how u like them, thanks

DIrEctQL

For hp do the chip. Torque coverter doesn't give you any more power, it just helps you off the line. Combination of both would be the best of course.

Keith13b

iTrader: (3)

Get the TC. Since your car is stock, a chip really won't do much. The TC is a NOTICABLE performance enhancement mod. Doesn't add Hp, but you will beat yourself for not getting it sooner. Well worth the cost - you'll understand once its installed!!!!!!


Keith

abutler696

Keith...I'm still trying to understand how a torque converter can help so much if it'll basically just make your car peel out worse than it already does. If it helped from a roll it would be a completely different story...but from what I've heard it doesn't.

DIrEctQL

Check the quality of the sources. The reason why cars with automatic tranny don't get good times in 1/4 mile is because of the torque convertor. When I hit the gas I feel the car start hard acceleration at around 30 mph. With a torque convertor you'll have hard acceleration right off of the line and it's possible to get 1/4 mile times same as if the car was a 5 speed. Some say it can even cut 1 sec off of the 1/4 mile time. I don't about the whole sec. but stock 5 speed SC300 should do about 15.2 sec and automatic does 16 sec in 1/4 mile. It's almost a whole sec. The ECU you did won't help you off the line as much as the torque convertor will. Just like I explained to you before.

DIrEctQL

PS. I think SC400 has the power there, the problem is that it lacks off-the-line speed, which normally the torque converer will give you. I don't see any reason why torque convertor is not #1 mod for the SC400.

smooth8

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys,

The torque converter does not give the same kind of gain as the ECU.

The ECU gives you power off the line and in the top end as well.

I have had 3 different TC with different stalls before and like Adam said, it just makes you lose more traction off the line.

The ECU gives you that hard off the line performance and affects the entire powerband.

Don't get me wrong, the TC converter is a must, however the ECU is a much wiser decision even for a stock car.

Either way, we sell both at:
http://www.lexussc400.com
or email
salesteam@lexussc400.com

DIrEctQL

Heh, your not saying that because you sell these things, are you? I would get the torque convertor first and then the ECU. It doesn't "just" make your car spin the wheels, it's been proven to largely improve 1/4 mile times. It does not add any power, that's why you have the ECU. When you have an automatic tranny make sure you build it up aswell so you can use that power well.

Keith13b

iTrader: (3)

The TC will ALLOW you to lose traction if you WANT to. A good driver will be able to control the car on launch. Yes, put a 18 year old behind the wheel (or a drunk 30 year old )and the car will do nice burn outs for your friends, but a veteran racer will be able to control the launch on the street.

In all honesty, a TC will give considerably better times on an 1/8 mile track for sure.

As far as the 1/4 mile....I don't know; havent used anyones ECU upgrade yet. But remember; to see that 38 hp gain from stock, you have to open up your exhaust and intake first. That jacks the $$$ of that 38 hp pretty far up there. Plus, 38 hp usually won't drop you're e.t. that much, not even from a mathmatical standpoint, but the TC has been quoted by some to drop nearly a second off, but all agree on at least a half second.

TC - no pun intended, plug and play (or bolt and paly).

I've raced for many years and the #1 upgrade for autos is the TC hands down. Very few people, in my experience, do computer (ECU) mods. They frequently push the engine too close to its limits which causes unecessary risks. It only takes one tank of bad gas........ Its probably fine on street driven cars, but I just need to see some long term analysis of those engines after the computers have been modded. I am in no way comparing my experience in the past to the people/companies out there that are selling ECU upgrades for the SC, but in my experience with OTHER companies not the ones on this forum!!!!, but OTHER COMPANIES!!! is that mild detonation goes unnoticed and leads to potential harm several years down the road.

If your looking for raw, reliable speed on the street, comparing $ for $, I'd say get a TC and a 50 power shot of nitrous. TC = 800~850$, NOs kit used runs 200$ from any mustang owner ( - check their forums). Will only take one afternoon to install both on your car, and no other mods would be required. This setup will yield the Lexus reliability and smoothness 99.9% of the time, and power on demand when needed. Then slowly you can upgrade the car and increase the shot. This works great for 300's or 400's and they can be used on other applications as well.

Untill I see the ECU upgrades around here for a while, I simply can't vouch for them. I'm a stickler for reliability. I've lost many of races because something broke or went wrong. I've screwed a lot of things up TRYING to get more horsepower; but luckily I had the knowledge, ability, tools, time and most impotantly- $$$ to fix my mistakes. Now with my Lexus, I simply won't mess it iup. I bought it because I know it will always start when I need it to, and get me where I'm going pretty darn fast.

I do encourage those who have the kowledge and the tools to purchase and use thse products, so that we can get a better understanding of the ECU upgrade and fine tune it to near perfection. And I see that several people have done this. I eagerly await their analysis of thse products. I , for one, now don't have the time or money to experiment on the Lexus to test new products.

So before I get a bunch of flames from LexusSC400.com or WR, I would like to defend myself by stating : If the person doesn't know the pecking order for performance upgrades, displays a lack of extensive knowledge of mechanical ability, and is looking for advice, I don't feel comfortable recommending something that is so new and may have some quarks that need to be worked out. He needs to be directed down reliable, proven paths that will allow him to learn along the way with out knocking him down. Then maybe in a year or two, he will be ready for your ECU. I will always advise peole to support the companies on this forum by buying their parts from them as long as the company/people are honest and fair. So far (aside from price gourging; ahem..!) every company on this forum meets that. But I will not set someone up for failure either. Just because I don't recommend the ECU doesn't mean I'm telling them not to buy their TC from you; so either way you are getting business. So rather than get a quick buck now, I'd rather see this person become a long term customer by slowly upgrading their car with all your companies OTHER products that you sell

I hope I didn't offend anyone here- sorry if I did.


Keith

DIrEctQL

Very good, I agree with you. LOL. I imagine you owned an RX-7 before.

abutler696

ok...now here's the part I don't understand. We have an automatic trans...not a stick. Therefore the driver difference isn't too much. Whenever I go to the track....I usually find the right amount of RPMs that I brake torque to and then of course releasing at the precise time when the lights go down is another factor. But that's about it. I can peel out enough as it is now. If I get a torque converter I can just imagine peeling out even worse and how would that help me? I'm not saying its pointless...I'm just trying to understand.

Keith13b

iTrader: (3)

Driver difference is what wins the race the majority of the time. Alot of people assume an auto means just floor the gas and let the trans do all the work. I wish they made an auto that could do all that; but they dont. An over powered car with an average driver will most likely lose to a slightly less powered car with a good driver. When you are at the track, you don't just power brake the car and hammer the gas when the light turns green. There is almost an art to pressing the gas and feeling the response of the car; much like feathering the clutch when launching with a stick, except you feather the gas.

If you are at a track w/ great traction, I barely hold the brake w/ the left foot, and stage the car accordingly, being careful not to hit the water box when I enter the lane- remember warming up street radials is a wast of time; looks cool, but people are quietly laughing at you. I slightly press the brake as soon as the first light trips (car stops). When the second car stages both lights, I press the brake jusssssst slightly more, and slowly press the gas to bring rpm's up to 2,000 rpm -creeping forward slowly to finish the stage- then stopping with the brake depressed a little more, while simultaneously letting the rpm's creep up as the lights start to fall; then everything happens fast- a speedy mental countdown "2-1-go". The key is to anticipate the next light and actually get going before you really see it. I give about 1/2- 3/4 gas untill the TC locks up, then smoothly pressing to full throtttle. The car will throw you back into the seat, almost like launching with a small turbo spooled up on a 4-banger; hence the amazing nature of the TC improvement. Your short times are reduced dramatically, and there is where you win the race- within the first 60 feet of the qtr mile.

To put things into perspective, my friend has a 2000 C5 vette-stock. With a TC, I can pull a full car length on the street immediatly off the line- I mean IMMEDIATLY; like magic (talk about making you almost ***** in your pants when it first happens)....he then proceeds to pull me around 45-50 mph- after a decent, yet respectable catch up. When before, we would launch together, and he would immediatly start to pull away from me around 15-20 mph and be a car length and a 1/2 AHEAD of me at 45-50 mph. With a TC, you gain time, not horse power. The secret is to master that new transition.

The key to practicing is actually going to the track. If you perfect your launch in an abandoned parking lot one afternoon before making it to the track, you will end up being slow, because on the street, the tires break traction quicker, thus your rpm's will be much lower and you burn time bring those rpm's up , but at the track, where it is more difficult to break lose the tires, you can attain higher rpm's, thus saving even more time. The fun thing is to learn both conditions.

But to answer your question - Driver ability means everything. This also relates to another post about the 1UZ and 2JZ engines. Power becomes irrelevant as driver ability and traction come into play. Its nice to say you have a 1200 hp car on the street, but most likely a 400 hp car would win a 1/4 mile run if you've never driven that 1200 hp car before; why, because you'd be spending all your time recovering the car from traction loss. If you notice, in pro drag racing; the second a car loses traction, the driver will always just give up- period; he just lost the race.

Hope this sort of clears a little up.

Keith


P.S. Yes, I have always owned RX-7's (had every generation of them) and raced them in all types of automotive racing events over the past 14 years. My biggest problems were keeping the water and oil seals in their respectable places, and keeping my rear end from chewing it's self up. But almost every failure was due to dumb mistakes on my own.

Mental note** When porting, sooner or later you run out of metal to remove- Bad grinder - BAD!
Its always safe to blame the tool or factory part - i.e. that manifold was casted thin to begin with !!!- Damn them......

I feel better now!

MadMaxSC400

DAMN YOU KEITH!! DAMN YOU!! j/k
The Weapon-R ECU and intake combo is bad-***. Do exhaust, and get the WR cold air intake and the piggyback ECU and you'll be amazed. I have dyno charts on another post called "38 horsepower and more to come" look back a couple weeks and you will find it.
My car is awesome with the chip, period.

abutler696

Well madmax...I took your advice about the WR cold air intake and ordered it two weeks ago. Still has not been shipped and Leo won't promise me a date when. It was supposed to be shipped last week. I'm about to cancel my order and get a custom box made if WR doesn't hurry up....I've waited long enough for an intake on my car. And for paying $200 for the cold air box when lexussc400.com can get one for half that price or less. I'd expect better. Ketih...you're the man....you explained the advantage of the TC to me perfectly unlike others who just say "just get it then you'll see" Thanks for the info guys...later

DIrEctQL

But like Keith said, you can do all that, and you're still be loosing to a car with torque convertor in 1/4 mile. Hahaha. Now, let take a look why people do ECU. Well, I think I got an answer. Because it's like... soo simple. You just add that electronic thing without messing with engine or tranny and like... magically, you gain horse power. I say most of you are afraid of messing with the transmition or the engine even if you don't do it yourself. Torque controler is pretty much a bolt-on that gives you major improvement in your 1/4 mile time. What do you guys do a lot? Off the line racing or high speed racing? That's what you need to decide.