Real Street Gives Tips on Torque Converters

It doesn’t matter if you have a C4, E4OD, 4R55E, 5R55E/N/S/W/whatever; if it’s an automatic, it has a torque converter. That converter can make or break your Mustang’s acceleration at launch and even impact quarter-mile times, if you choose incorrectly for your transmission. So, how do you choose a torque converter that’s right for you? Well, as you can see in the video below, Jay from Real Street Performance gives you the ins and outs. We’ll also try to fill in some of the blanks he may have left out, but it’s not much. Jay’s pretty damn smart.

As Jay explains, the torque converter is a fluid coupling device that also works to multiply the torque of the engine. When there is a difference between the rotational speed of the input and output of the converter, you get the equivalent of another reduction gear until you reach lockup. At that point, the power going into the transmission is one-to-one.

This is a huge advantage for an automatic transmission in many cases, even outside of drag racing. It also allows the engine’s speed to fall far less between gears, when compared to a manual. Those two together are a big reason automatics typically are faster than manuals in a drag race, especially for most street cars whose transmissions are not opened up and optimized for their gearing.

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Via [REALSTREETPERFTV]