How to choose a Torque Converter

When it comes to choosing a Torque Converter many factors come into play when choosing the right converter. Choose the right one and you’ll be burning rubber at every stoplight but choose the wrong one and you could end up with a car that falls flat on performance. Today we’re going to shed some light on this commonly misunderstood component. A torque converter is basically a hydraulic coupler between the engine and the transmission. It changes engine torque into hydraulic pressure before sending it back to the transmission. This graphic illustrates the basic elements and functions of a torque converter. The torque converter housing rotates at crankshaft speed. With the engine running, the impeller continuously propels transmission fluid onto the turbine. It is also referred to as a converter pump. The turbine is connected to the transmission input shaft which turn your wheels. As the engine accelerates, more transmission fluid is forced upon the turbine through centrifugal forces, turning the turbine resulting in moving your vehicle. Stator action is only required when the impeller and turbine are turning at different speeds. A one way clutch locks the stator when the impeller is turning faster than the turbine. When the turbine speed is almost equal of the impeller speed, the stator freewheels to not block flow. With the transmission in gear at idle, the turbine spins very slowly. With your foot on the brakes the turbine completely stops turning but not the impeller. As you release the brakes and accelerate, transmission fluid is propelled from the impeller at a faster rate into the turbine, spinning it faster and causing your vehicle to move forward. Stall SpeedStall speed is the maximum amount of RPM an engine can reach with the transmission in gear right before the wheels turn. It’s a way to rate a torque converters performance level. By increasing the stall speed, this will allow your vehicle to leave at a higher RPM which will give you a noticeable increase in performance. A converter that stalls at 2,500 RPM in a small block engine might stall at 3,000 RPM with a big block engine due to it producing a different torque curve. But selecting the converter stall speed for your vehicle varies and depends a lot on your engine and vehicle combination. Very important factors to consider when choosing a torque converter are engine displacement, vehicle weight, cam profile, tire diameter, transmission and compression ratios. Our Tech Support team can provide you with a torque converter stall speed selection to accommodate any mixture of modifications as it is very important to get the correct stall for the intended purpose. When the correct converter is chosen, expect an increase in performance and longer life. As with any performance torque converter, a proficient transmission cooler is a must as head build up is the number one killer of converters and transmissions. Be sure to look to our Earl's product line to provide a cooling system to keep your transmission temperatures in check. Thanks for watching, for more information on Hays products, visit our website at HaysClutches.com

Channel: Holley

Views: 166,110

Rating: 4.6787028 out of 5

Keywords: Holley, Holley Performance Products, Bowling Green Kentucky, performance, racing, Hays Clutches, Torque Converters, Automatic Transmissions, How a Torque Converter works, How to choose a torque converter, Performance Torque Converters, choose, torque, converter

Id: 7NhS6NC5-6c

Length: 3min 24sec (204 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 26 2017