Never heard of a mechanical torque converter? You’re not alone. However, it plays a crucial role in keeping your car running. Here, we’ll briefly sum up what it does for your car and why you should care about its health.
Picture a metal donut filled with fluid and you just about have the image of your mechanical torque converter. The speed at which the fluid in your torque converter moves directly correlates to how much power is being transmitted to the transmission. The fluid is effectively flung by a pump to outer fins of the torque converter to speed up its movement.
If your torque converter, or enough parts within it, become over-worn or fail, you may start running into real trouble. The most common issue is overheating from excessive slipping, which can then lead to worn seals allowing transmission fluid to leak. Losing enough transmission fluid can lead to more overheating and extra wear on internal parts of your transmission.
