Torque Converter Confusion?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 209
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From: Logansport, IN
Torque Converter Confusion?
Can anybody clarify the true purpose of a torque converter. I have heard several biased comments on them from people who claim they are a great low dollar investment for someone like myself with an A4 and 2:73's. Some genuine enlightenment PLEASE!
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,549
Likes: 738
From: panama city beach florida USA
St. Jude Donor '09
to coin the phrase: if i have to explain ya wouldnt understand.almost like slippin the clutch . the only thing ya realy need to know is how much ya want ive got a 3200 stall i bearly notice it normal driving. wot its a gas some folks go 3600 . will you mod more while ya got it down put 342,s in it ,over 50k do the tranny and i mean do it to take 500 hp plus, trans cooler a plus. take out TQ mang. raise shift psi and not too many if any thing will get ya . oh yea z06 size rims and GY supercar tires [you will need them]
Racer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 433
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From: Brookfield WI
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,073
Likes: 0
From: East Lansing, Mi
Originally Posted by patton
to coin the phrase: if i have to explain ya wouldnt understand.almost like slippin the clutch . the only thing ya realy need to know is how much ya want ive got a 3200 stall i bearly notice it normal driving. wot its a gas some folks go 3600 . will you mod more while ya got it down put 342,s in it ,over 50k do the tranny and i mean do it to take 500 hp plus, trans cooler a plus. take out TQ mang. raise shift psi and not too many if any thing will get ya . oh yea z06 size rims and GY supercar tires [you will need them]
Maybe the simplest explanation is that a torque converter is a hydraulic fluid coupling. The coupling is able to transfer the power from the drive shaft to the output shaft i.e. the drive side is connected to the engine and the driven to the transmission. Factory conveters are low stall and hence a lot of people put in the aftermarket converters. This is a very simple explanation but enough to make you look into further if you are interested. There is certainly nothing there that you wouldn't understand if someone explains it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,267
Likes: 40
From: Phoenix AZ
To make it simple, a converter is like two fans facing each other with fluid in between instead of air. That is the torque converter.
One "fan" is attached to the engine and always spins with the engine. The other "fan" is attached to the transmission.
Then you rev the engine "fan" until it blows hard enough to spin the transmission "fan" and off you go.
Stall speed is the amount of RPMs that a motor will rev to with your foot on the brake and the car not moving. Punch it with the brakes on and it only revs to like 1900 rpm or whatever and just sits there. But at 1900 rpms, the car only makes lets say 150 hp. So if you get a converter with a higher stall speed, then it may rev to 3000 rpm with the brakes on at 250 hp, so you launch or burn rubber much harder.
I havent stayed at a holiday in express, but I did work at a tranny shop once.
One "fan" is attached to the engine and always spins with the engine. The other "fan" is attached to the transmission.
Then you rev the engine "fan" until it blows hard enough to spin the transmission "fan" and off you go.
Stall speed is the amount of RPMs that a motor will rev to with your foot on the brake and the car not moving. Punch it with the brakes on and it only revs to like 1900 rpm or whatever and just sits there. But at 1900 rpms, the car only makes lets say 150 hp. So if you get a converter with a higher stall speed, then it may rev to 3000 rpm with the brakes on at 250 hp, so you launch or burn rubber much harder.
I havent stayed at a holiday in express, but I did work at a tranny shop once.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Ok, so with a 3200 stall converter versus say a 2000, I will be able to launch at 1200 rpm higher, therefore I would come out of the gates much more impressively. My question is will the higher stall converter improve performance in other scenarios as well. Say I'm going 25 mph and I punch it, will the car with the 3200 stall out-accelerate the car with the 2000 stall? I guess my question is does a higher stall help any time other than off the line?
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