

The pump inside a torque converter is a type of centrifugal pump.

There are three components inside the very strong housing of the torque converter which work together to transmit power to the transmission: Another method is to use some type of fluid coupling, such as a torque converter, which is located between the engine and the transmission. One way to do this is to use a device that physically connects and disconnects the engine and the transmission – a clutch. The engine needs to be connected to the rear wheels so the vehicle will move, and disconnected so the engine can continue to run when the vehicle is stopped. The torque converter in an automatic transmission serves the same purpose as the clutch in a manual transmission. This article will discuss why automatic transmission cars need a torque converter and how a torque converter works.

Automatic transmission cars use a torque converter. Instead of using air, the torque converter uses a liquid medium, which cannot be compressed – oil, otherwise known as transmission fluid. Unless the transmission is in neutral or park, any motion of the turbine will move the vehicle. The other fan, the turbine, is connected to the transmission input shaft. One “fan,” called the impeller, is connected to the engine (together with the front cover, it forms the outer shell of the converter). That’s exactly how a torque converter works. But if you hold the second fan still, the first fan will keep right on spinning. Turn one fan on, and it will blow air over the blades of the second fan, causing it to spin. Imagine you have two fans facing each other.
