If your vehicle is pre-'90s and has an automatic transmission, chances are it could really benefit from a modern performance torque converter. In its quest for more efficiency and performance, the auto industry has put an incredible amount of research and development into torque converters. The result is torque converters that provide much more torque multiplication (more on that later) and higher efficiency. These benefits are available for your older vehicle and will literally transform the way it drives and performs.
Old-style ('50s-'70s) torque converters rarely failed so car owners gave them little thought. Failures were usually caused by rocking a car from drive to reverse trying to get unstuck in the snow, or overheating the trans by towing thereby wiping out the phenolic bushings and washers found in stock torque converters. Another cause of torque converter failure is when the engine's horsepower is increased without installing a performance torque converter that has been fortified for the extra power. Lock-up torque converters introduced in the '80s and used in virtually every automatic transmission today were prone to clutch failure early on, but most of those problems have been resolved.
How can you tell if your torque converter needs replacing? Some sure signs are metal contamination in the transmission fluid. A loss of power or a loss of stall speed (the rpm at which a converter slips when you step on the gas). A torque converter may make a grinding noise from internal metal-to-metal contact when clearances go away. Basically, if your transmission fluid has been cooked several times or the transmission has failed sending debris into the converter, then it's time for a rebuilt converter. Expect to fork out $150-$250 for a standard rebuilt replacement converter.
Author: Leonard Emanuelson
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