One of the best “bang for the buck” mods you can do to a street/strip car with an automatic transmission is a switch to a “high-stall” torque converter that allows the engine to reach its power peak sooner and launch harder – this one modification alone can drop quarter-mile times by as much as seven tenths of a second. TCI Automotive has long offered high performance converters for street and race cars, and at this year’s SEMA show, they displayed two new pieces that will be very interesting to anyone racing an LS-powered automatic at the dragstrip.

Designed for the 4L60E and 6L80 GM transmissions, these converters are available with multiple stall speeds “off the shelf” as well as custom stall speeds to suit your particular needs, and they feature a triple-disc lockup clutch design for increased torque capacity and smooth engagement. But what makes them really cool is their user-friendly bolt together design.

Conventional torque converters have welded-together outer shells that make them impossible to rebuild or modify without the specialized and very expensive equipment found at a full-blown manufacturer’s shop. But with a bolt-together design, racers can service, rebuild, and change stall speeds on their own converter with relative ease.

TCI’s new bolt-together converters are a good investment for anyone serious about the performance of their LS-powered late model racecar, and thanks to the fact you can work on them yourself, you’ll save money in the long run by being able to update the converter as your combination changes and you need a different stall.