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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TORQUE CONVERTERS

Fri, 28 May 2021 06:26:32 GMT

So, What is Torque Converter?

Torque converters are very special engine components, and their innards rarely see the light of day, when and if they do, they are still pretty difficult to figure out. Compared to other internal components of your vehicle, the torque converter resembles something out of a spaceship. Regardless of how this component looks or sounds like, if you have an automatic transmission vehicle , you use this component daily.

If you have some basic knowledge about manual transmission vehicles, then you know the engine connects to the transmission with a clutch. Without this connection, the vehicle wouldn’t be able to come to a complete stop without killing the engine. However, vehicles with an automatic transmission don’t have a clutch disc connecting the engine to the transmission ; instead, they have a torque converter. Its physical appearance may not seem like much, but a lot happens on the inside.

Your vehicle’s torque converter is the same as the clutch of a vehicle with a manual transmission . However, unlike a manual transmission vehicle, it uses fluid to transmit power to the transmission preventing your engine from stalling and allowing the transmission to change.

Your Torque Converter Explained.

How Does a Torque Converter work?

It’s a bit difficult to grasp the concept of how fluid can provide the power to move something as substantial as a vehicle. A pump helps achieve torque control that works by sending fluid around the torque converter determined by the rotation of the crankshaft . Within the housing is a turbine that rotates as the pumped fluid comes into contact with the turbine vanes, this helps gauge the amount of torque that gets to the transmission through the input shafts.

The torque converter casing connects to the flywheel, spinning at the same rate as the crankshaft, within the housing of the turbine. The impeller or centrifugal pump effectively flings the transmission fluid into the fins of the turbine that in turn spins or transmits the torque into the transmission. The stator is the barrier that flings the fluid straight back into the turbine instead of into the pump, increasing efficiency in the system.

When the vehicle is idling, the rate at which the transmission fluid pumps into the turbine is slow, meaning very little torque gets to the engine through the transmission. As the crankshaft rotates faster with more throttle rotating the flywheel, fluid is propelled faster from the pump to the turbine forcing the turbine to rotate faster, allowing for more torque through the transmission.

It is important to note that the inner workings of the torque converter are still somewhat of a mystery. The basic mechanics might be understandable, but the intricate calculations and engineering behind it are best understood with someone with advanced knowledge in fluid mechanics.

Can a Torque Converter Experience Problems?

There are several different ways in which a torque converter can malfunction, some of which can be very dangerous. High levels of slippage will cause overheating , which damages the elastomer seals that help keep transmission fluid in the converter. When the fluid starts leaking out, it will stop functioning altogether.

There’s also a possibility of the stator clutch braking or seizing completely. When this happens, the inner and outer elements of the clutch will be permanently locked, prompting fuel inefficiency. In case the stator breaks completely, it will spin freely, halting the vehicle’s power. When a lot of pressure is created from the hot fluid moving inside the housing of the torque converter, it could get too high causing it to inflate or burst.

Gearbox Components and Parts: Everything You Need to Know

Fri, 28 May 2021 06:26:32 GMT

Gearbox Parts and Component inventory.

Gearbox parts contain gear train , or a mechanical unit or component consisting of a series of integrated gears within a housing. In the most basic sense, a gearbox functions like any system of gears; it alters torque and speed between a driving device like a motor and a load. To know how a gearbox operates, it is necessary to understand the gearbox components and functions. In this article, we will discuss the gearbox components and parts.

Main gearbox parts and components

Clutch shaft
Counter shaft
Main shaft
Gears
Bearings

The main gearbox spare parts list is described below.

Clutch shaft

A Clutch shaft or driving shaft is a shaft that takes power from the engine to further supply to other shafts. As the name suggests, the driving shaft is connected via a clutch and when the clutch is engaged, the driving shaft also rotates. The clutch shaft has only one gear fixed on it and it rotates at the same speed as the engine crankshaft.

Counter shaft

A counter shaft is a shaft that connects with the clutch shaft directly. It contains the gear which connects it to the clutch shaft as well as the main shaft. It may be run at the engine speed or at lower than engine speed according to gear ratio.

Main shaft

It is the shaft that runs at the vehicle’s speed. It carries power from the counter shaft by use of gears and according to the gear ratio, it runs at different speeds and torque compared to the counter shaft. One end of this shaft is connected with the universal shaft.

Gears

Gears are used to transmit power from one shaft to another. The amount of torque transmitted via gears depends on the number of teeth and size of the gear. Higher the gear ratio, higher the torque/acceleration, and lesser the speed. All the gears are fixed on their respective shafts except the ones on the main shaft; they can slide into either direction along the shaft.

Bearings

Whenever the rotary motion encounters, bearings are required to support the revolving part and reduce the friction. In the gearbox, both the counter and main shaft are supported by the bearing.

Gearbox parts diagram

In a gearbox, the counter shaft is mashed to the clutch with the use of a couple of gears. So the counter shaft is always in running condition. When the counter shaft is brought in contact with the main shaft by use of meshing gears, the main shaft starts to rotate according to the gear ratio.

When the driver wants to change the gear ratio, simply press the clutch pedal which disconnects the counter shaft with the engine and connects the main shaft with the counter shaft by another gear ratio by use of the gearshift lever.
The diagram of the industrial gearbox components is shown in the figure below.

Gear selector positions for automatic transmissions

Fri, 28 May 2021 06:26:31 GMT

Gear Selector advice for Automatic transmission.

With an automatic transmission , a suitable gear selector placed automatically according to current speed and power requirements.

Selecting gears

The gear selector is a shift-by-wire selector, where shifting is done electronically instead of mechanically. This makes shifting easier and the gear positions more distinct. For the large gear selector, change gear selector position by pressing the gear selector forward or rearward, or to the left for manual shifting.

For the small gear selector , change gear position by pushing the spring-loaded gear selector forward or rearward, or to the side for manual shifting.

Gear selector positions

Park - P

For the small gear selector, Park is activated using the P button next to the gear selector. For the large gear selector, Park is activated by moving the gear selector to position P .

In P mode, the transmission is mechanically locked. Select P when the vehicle is parked or when starting the engine. The vehicle must be stationary when Park is selected.

To move to another gear from Park, the brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition in mode II . For vehicles with the small gear selector, the engine must be running. When parking – apply the parking brake before shifting to Park.

Warning

Always apply the parking brake when parking on an incline. Selecting a gear or putting the automatic transmission in P may not be sufficient to keep the vehicle stationary in all situations.

Note: The gear selector must be in position P in order to lock the vehicle and set the alarm.

Help functions:

For vehicles with the small gear selector, the system will shift to P automatically

if the ignition is switched off while D or R is selected and the vehicle is stationary.
if the vehicle is moving at low speed and the driver unbuckles their seat belt and opens the driver's door without any pedal being depressed.

To park a vehicle with an unbuckled seat belt and open door – end P mode by shifting to R or D again.

The system will not automatically shift to P if the ignition is switched off while the gear selector is in the neutral position ( N ). This is to make it possible to wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash in which the vehicle is pulled forward on rolling wheels.

Reverse - R

Select R when backing up. The vehicle must be stationary when Reverse is selected.

Neutral - N

No gear is selected and the engine can be started. Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is stationary with the gear selector in N . To move the gear selector from N to another gear, the brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition in mode II. For vehicles with the small gear selector, the engine must be running.

D drive mode

D is the normal driving gear position. The transmission shifts up or down automatically depending on acceleration and speed. The vehicle must be stationary when the gear selector is moved from R to D .

Manual shifting mode - M

Manual shifting mode can be selected at any time during a drive. Engine braking will occur when the accelerator pedal is released.

Select manual shifting mode by moving the gear selector sideways from D to ± . The current gear will be displayed in the instrument panel.

Push the gear selector forward toward + (plus) and release to shift up one gear.
Pull the gear selector backward toward – (minus) and release to shift down one gear.
Push the gear selector to the side to the end position at D to return to D mode.

Manual shifting mode can be selected at any time during a drive. Engine braking will occur when the accelerator pedal is released.

Select manual shifting mode by moving the gear selector rearward from the D position. The currently selected gear will be displayed in the instrument panel.

Push the gear selector to the right toward " + " (plus) and release to shift up one gear.
Push the gear selector to the left toward " – " (minus) and release to shift down one gear.
Push the gear selector rearward to return to D mode.

For smooth shifting and engine performance, the transmission will shift down automatically if the vehicle's speed becomes too low for the selected gear.