Torque Converter, How does it work?

Most of us enjoy the smooth and effortless feeling of driving in an automatic transmission car. The driving is effortless because you don’t need to worry about gear changing and you don’t have a clutch pedal to operate. In an automatic transmission car the work, of the clutch pedal, is automatically done by a hidden component, which is truly an engineering marvel, the torque converter. The torque converter can even multiply the torque. Let’s see how this purely mechanical device performs its tasks.

[takarlor]

The automatic transmission really is a stunning piece of mechanical art.

[PaulsGarage]

I always knew these things were witchcraft...

[hazetoonz]

We've come a long way since the caveman days. Here we are explaining the engineering behind a torque converter using 3d computer graphics delivered by high speed internet that's delivered to everyone globally. high fives all around!

[ocphish]

Without a doubt this was the best, and most clearly presented description of how a torque converter works that I have seen. I teach automotive engineering to young adults and it has always been a difficult task to explain how the Torque converter works. Your video is going to be of immense value. Thank you.

[zekaifan]

0:36 When you press the brake pedal, you disappear.

[shirothehero]

I've had arguments with people on auto transmissions - they just can't fathom a fluid based 'pump' being the core to power transmission in their car. I'm so glad I can just send this video now.
Nice animation and explanation.

[stickshaker]

Ha, this reminded me of my buddy's dad explaining this to us with an orange sliced in half 30 years ago.

[kuwarbirshergill]

The “pump” is also known as the impeller, and the “reactor” is also known as the Stator

[bars]

After 30 years of wandering, I finally get a clear explanation.

[nmntvtp]

How instinctive and well described explanation on the public eye level it is. I can even go so far as to say that the quality of this video must be much more worth than any stuff used in school nowadays and I think we should study and share these well made videos for every child who is living with these technologies. I really hope you to continue this struggle and so appreciate that efforts. I’m gonna support this by any sponsor from now on.

[JDnBeastlet]

A great video throughout. I especially appreciated the part about the lockup torque converter... when towing I always knew WHEN the torque converter locked up because the RPM would drop slightly without a gear change. Now I know WHY. Thank you!

[jrnascimento]

If there was a award for the best video explanation in youtube, you guys would win this easily. damn everything gets easier to understand with the help of you guys.

[hanneswinkler]

How does anyone ever discover stuff like this? I'd never ever have the idea to use a high-density fluid and 3 rotors to create a component fulfilling this task.

[CelestisForgeUK]

This was brilliant! Finally I understand how it works and what it does in the first place. Even the channel Engineering Explained, although being phenomenal at explaining everything, didn’t get me to understand the mechanics of a torque converter. You guy managed to do it in 8 minutes! Yup. You have a new subscriber. Thank you!

[tyrrelldsouza]

After 20yrs I finally found the most clear concise and detailed explanation with animation... awesome...

[Coaster]

It's incredible that all this technology in cars that we take for granted can be in a crappy beater worth $500 bucks.

[clay]

I am grateful for the geniuses that gave us this mechanical knowledge thoughout history.

[glennlopez]

The torque converter was developed by humble engineers at "Sachs" in Germany. They are the ones who should be remembered! They then had to drive around in ordinary cars.
Their ideas had to be converted into solid steel.
They didn't have access to software or 3D design simulation!
Though modifications have been made to the original design, it had to work, more than just spinning around to be put into production.
It multiplys just torque and not riches!

[QingyuLin]

The best video to explain how the key component: reactor works!

[nolimitsnuttbustsu]

The lockup clutch is the best thing they've added to automatics. For those who don't know, older automatics in some vehicles did not have a lockup clutch. The converter was a constant slip or steady slip design. Very common in 70's - 90's medium and light duty diesel commercial trucks and buses with Allison automatics for example. What does constant slip feel like? Feels the same way your modern automatic behaves in cold weather when you first drive it while the transmission is cold. It takes about 15-25 minutes of highway driving to warm up the transmission enough to trigger the lockup clutch and when that happens the engine rpms will lower slightly and it will behave like a manual transmission since there is a direct connection between engine and transmission. Older automatics feel like "they're cold" the whole time being driven, constantly slipping and inefficient by comparison.