Direct Drive Torque Converters

[Bohemian]

Anybody have experience with these ?

wondering how'd they work out for 4x4 ing and highway use etc?

thanks in advance.

 

[dyeager535]

Terrible idea from what I see. No direct experience, but apparently the engine will stall (and you lose the ~2:1 reduction from a standard converter) , so unless you planned on nothing low speed, it sounds like a huge hassle and bad match to a heavy vehicle traveling at low speeds.

 

[Fastereddie]

I have a direct drive. I just push the clutch pedal when I want to disengage.

 

[ktmoutfront]

I think the name is misleading. I have a direct drive unit in my boat. No disengagement at idle.

THERE are four common ways in which the torque converter can be used in passenger cars. These are listed by as follows:

1. To start and run in direct drive without being locked out.
2. To start in direct drive and be locked out later.
3. To start in geared drive and go into direct drive without being locked out.
4. To start in geared drive and go into direct drive later, being locked out.

 

[dyeager535]

All I see are basically solid/hollow converters. So at idle you'd have to be in neutral or the engine would stall. Is there something else on the market?

Locking torque converters are the answer in most cases, at least when it comes to our rigs.

 

[Blue85]

I don't know much about this, but there are some "direct" torque converters for heavy machinery. They have a much bigger lockup clutch and relatively smaller "TC" parts. But as you've said, they are selling solid converters for circle track racers, which technically aren't torque converters at all. You have to mod the transmission so your "clutch" pedal dumps the pressure to the forward clutch inside the auto, or something like that. So when you engage it, the tires start spinning. When you let off the gas the car slows down quickly. If you do it wrong you'll burn up the transmission. If you do it right, the engine revs faster, you have more power to the ground and a lot less heat. Definitely not a streetable setup.

I don't know if they change the planetaries to account for the lack of torque multiplication, or just choose a different axle gearing.