Whats a torque converter and how is it joined to the tranny?

Answer 1

OK, seriously now , imagine two fans very close to each other , one is drive the other driven , inside the torque converter the drive element throws tranny fluid at the driven to turn it , at idle the driven unit barely turns , on a hill the car will not creep foreward , the converter is at "stall " slowly increase the engine speed until the stall speed is overcome , adequate torque is created to move the car .race converters have a high stall speed so the car can rev. at 2500 rpm and not go anywhere , 2800rpm, bang you're gone . they are bolted to the ring gear and slide on the tranny input splines , lockup torque converters have a clutch that grips under certain conditions to improve mpg. as there is always slippage . hope this helps

Answer 2

In easy terms, A torque converter is kinda like a clutch. It takes the power from the engine and transfers it to the tranny, which then goes to the wheels. The way it works is by fins like on a fan. As the rpm's of the engine increase the fluid in the converter is forced to outside like in a centrifuge and through clutch packs in the tranny this energy is converted to power to drive the wheels. This is why with an automatic transmission you don't have jerky take-offs, the fluid flows sending more power to the tranny gradually.
The torque converter is bolted to the flywheel. You can usually see this by removing the inspection cover located between the tranny and engine.

Answer 3

A torque converter is a fluid coupling device that multiplies the torque from the engine to the transmission. The torque converter is made up of three main components in a donut shaped housing. Part of the converter housing is bolted to the flex plate, which is bolted to the crankshaft of the engine. This part of the converter is attached to an internal impeller. As the engine crank shaft spins the impeller spins at same rpm inside the torque converter. A few thousandths of an inch away from the impeller is a turbin. Transmission fluid from the impeller is thrown at the turbin (spools up) which is attached to the tranny imput shaft. Sandwiched inbetween the impeller and turbin is a stator that redirects fluid for optimal flow.

Answer 4

The torque converter is where torque is converted to waste.

Seriously though, its basicaly a pump is my understanding of things. It pumps transmission fluid through the transmission. The fluid is routed depending on what gear the car is in to one of 4 or 5 clutch packs. Each clutch is connected to the engine and to its own gear with its own gear ratio. The fluid presses on the clutch discs, making the clutch "engage" and the car, uh, use that gear. I took one apart once and left more confused than ever, then some drunk guy explained it to me while he was welding a differential.

I could be wrong, in which case I'll be laughed out of yahoo answers, never to return.

oh, the torque converter is bolted to the flywheel.

Answer 5

Torque converters are in automatic transmissions,in most cases they are attached to the motor by 4 or 6 bolts .It's always easier to undo the bolts and then you drop the tranny and torque converter together.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_converter

Answer 6

There are usually three bolts that hold the converter to the engine fly wheel. The converter just slides off of a spline on the front of the trany. The converter is really a oil pump of sorts when the motor spin it spins the converter pumping oil in to the trany making the car move.

Answer 7

It takes the torque from the engine and converts the energy through the transmission. It slides on the input shaft of the transmission.