Splain please about the lockup converter in your 68? I didn't know you could put a lockup converter with a torqueflite? How does it compare performance and mileage wise to the non lockup car? I'd think it would act as a slight overdrive. ----- Original Message ----- From: <dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 4:48 PM Subject: IML: converters/ fluid couplings > Quoting "John G. Napoli" <john@xxxxxxxxx>: > > > > Correct, there is no lockup clutch. However, the nature of a fluid > > coupling > > (as opposed to a torque converter) permits it to effectively lock up > > once it > > reaches a certain rpm. At that point, the entire fluid mass is > > rotating > > around and 'locking' the driven disk to the driver. Fluid couplings > > have > > straight vanes, and just a driver and driven member. Torque converters > > have > > curved vanes and three elements. This is an oversimplification that > > perhaps > > someone can expound upon, but the fluid coupling does act as if it is > > locked > > up. > > > > John. Even the fluid coupling will have some slippage. Usually, fluid > couplings have a bit less slippage than torque converters (especially at low > rpm) as you said, but in order to transmit the torque through the fluid, some > slippage is necessary. Zero slippage, zero torque (unless there is a lockup > clutch). The higher the rpm, the less the slippage required for a given > torque. The 3rd element of the torque converter that you are discussing is > responsible for the multiplication. There is a sprag clutch between this 3rd > element and the engine side of the converter, and when the speed is low and > slippage high, the clutch engages, and this element (don't remember its name) > redirects the fluid flow at a sharper angle against the impeller blades of the > transmission side of the converter (I think that's called "turbine") and thus > you get the multiplication. Of course, there is a price to pay, and that is > the higher slippage. At higher speeds, this spag clutch will disengage, and > the converter will act as a normal fluid coupling. A low stall converter will > still have almost negligible slippage (of the order of 1-2%) at high speeds > (say over 3000), even at high load. However, due to the multiplication > feature, it will have to rev faster to get to this low level of slippage. So, > effectively, it generates more heat than the older fluid coupling. > > D^2 w/ a lockup converter in his 68 LeBaron and a non-lockup converter in his > 68 Sedan. > > >