# Automatic transmission torque converter



## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

I found this http://www.evequipmentsupply.com/page33.html

Its advertising converting an automatic transmissions torque converter. Does anyone know what they are doing here? 

My wife won't drive my EVS10 cause she cant drive clutch, which is silly cause its not much clutching to an electric. But if I went to an auto trans, I'd have her driving electric!


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## Lordwacky (Jan 28, 2009)

I'm sorry I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, but, wouldn't it just be easier to teach her how to drive stick. In my opinion. Everybody should know how to drive a manual transmission before they can pass thier driver's test.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

F16bmathis said:


> I found this http://www.evequipmentsupply.com/page33.html
> 
> Its advertising converting an automatic transmissions torque converter. Does anyone know what they are doing here?
> 
> My wife won't drive my EVS10 cause she cant drive clutch, which is silly cause its not much clutching to an electric. But if I went to an auto trans, I'd have her driving electric!


I converted automatic for same reasons. Been driving it for a while now, 10K EV miles, no issues.

I can argue that automatic conversion is better than manual, but to each his own I guess.

I didn't have to do anything to my torque converter, I am not sure what these guys are charging so much money for.

My auto conversion is covered in detail in my E-Protege5 build thread.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

Lordwacky said:


> wouldn't it just be easier to teach her how to drive stick.


Based on this comment I'm going to assume that you aren't married 

<insert any "trying to teach your wife" joke here>


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

Lordwacky said:


> I'm sorry I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, but, wouldn't it just be easier to teach her how to drive stick. In my opinion. Everybody should know how to drive a manual transmission before they can pass thier driver's test.


I totally agree, but she seems to think that ignorance is bliss!


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

dimitri said:


> I converted automatic for same reasons. Been driving it for a while now, 10K EV miles, no issues.
> 
> I can argue that automatic conversion is better than manual, but to each his own I guess.
> 
> ...


Going to your build site now!


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## electromet (Oct 20, 2009)

Sounds like it could be as simple as replacing the guts of the torque converter with a through shaft. It sounds a little pricey for that, though. Seems to me it would be more beneficial to get rid of the torque converter altogether and figure out how to couple the tranny input shaft directly to the motor output. Most torque converters I've had the misfortune of lifting weigh in at over 30 lbs.


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## JRoque (Mar 9, 2010)

dimitri said:


> Based on this comment I'm going to assume that you aren't married
> 
> <insert any "trying to teach your wife" joke here>


Teach her? I asked my wife if she could drive standard and when she said 'no' I bought a 5 speed. I like my car in it's current rectangular shape, thank you very much.

But wait, Dimitri, short of reading through your build thread to find out, are you idling your DC motor to keep the converter pressurized? What about the computer and it's dependencies on ICE signals, were any of those issues for you? Where's it getting the RPM signal from? Hmm, I better read your build thread.

JR


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

JRoque said:


> short of reading through your build thread to find out...


Hmm, so I spent all MY time sharing my build info, but YOUR time is too precious to read what's already posted, so you want me to type it all over again???

Yea......


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

dimitri said:


> Based on this comment I'm going to assume that you aren't married
> 
> <insert any "trying to teach your wife" joke here>


I taught my wife to drive as she took a job that required her to have a licence and use of a car. I even taught her to drive a manual when she thought she would only ever drive an auto. She then went on to drive 50k miles pa for her job. She then met someone else on her travels....

I guess that is another case of marriage failure from teaching the wife!

I think that auto is superior to manual but manual is better then auto. It all comes down to what you want from your car IMO.


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

electromet said:


> Sounds like it could be as simple as replacing the guts of the torque converter with a through shaft. It sounds a little pricey for that, though. Seems to me it would be more beneficial to get rid of the torque converter altogether and figure out how to couple the tranny input shaft directly to the motor output. Most torque converters I've had the misfortune of lifting weigh in at over 30 lbs.


That sounds simple enough, but some people ask about idling the electric motor to keep the pumps going. So what happens when your gas engine dies in an automatic? You simply turn it back on again! Back in the day, I had a Pontiac LeMans that had a messed up shift lever, and engine problems. So every time the engine died, I had to shift it to the nuetral position to start, but it was actually in gear and would start moving as soon as the motor started turning. Just as I suspect an EV version would do for that era of transmission.

I was more worried about shifting patterns. Would it stay in 5th on the highway if the electric motor was idled? I suppose it'd keep spinning like an ICE that was switched off in gear. But how do you control the shifting? Must depend on what tranny you use... Lots of interseting ???'s I'm not going to build one today, but tomorrow...

Plus, I can't find Dimitri's build.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

I don't know about modern electronic autos but back in my youth some car converters would rework the valve body so that the hydraulics did what you wanted when you wanted. It was then possible to have an auto that worked as a manual, stayed in whichever gear was selected and locked up the TC if a lock up clutch was available.

I also have an American book on preparing autos for racing including clutch cover driven pump adaptors and schematics for replumbing the hudraulic circuits.

Sometimes it seems there isn't much that you can't do with an auto if you can mess with the plumbing in the right way.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

Here is the link
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26864

Much depends on transmission model ( electronic or mechanical ). Mine was electronic and I had full shop manual, so I was able to figure out which sensors are critical and which aren't.

For me electronics are easier than mechanics, so I had fun doing it and I didn't touch my TC ( other than destroying original by stupid mistake and having to get a replacement TC ).

It may look difficult if you don't have a shop manual and can't read schematics, so I am not going to say its a piece of cake, but it can be done, my EV is a living proof and few others here have done it too.

I'm sure transmission experts can hack the hell out of TC and pumps, etc, but my goal was to leave all moving parts intact and simulate ICE functionality. There are multiple ways to adopt auto to EV, mine was just one of them, yours may be different.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

I was also worried about shift patterns, but it turned out to be the easiest part. Just put a 5k trimpot in place of TPS and adjust it to whatever shift patter you want. I tweaked mine to keep my motor in its sweet RPM spot as much as possible. Works like a charm.


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## JRoque (Mar 9, 2010)

So yeah Dimitri, I read the whole thread. Took you 2 months to complete the bulk of the conversion. Most conversions I read about take 6mo to a year. "You suck" comes to mind but I guess I should say you prepared yourself well ahead of time and it paid off. 

I own a 1993 VW Passat VR6 with an automatic transmission and I do have the shop manual for it that I bought a month after buying the car new. I might tackle that project one of these day. Thanks for the guidance on that and the feedback on the TS cells.

JR


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

Ouch! So 4 days of work to convert my S10 is a bad thing? I thought it shows how easy it is to convert a vehicle. Coarse then I spent 6 months adding bed tilt, air shocks, guages, moving the batteries from the bed to underneath, pak-traker, removing pak-traker, changing the rear end to 3.73's, replacing the rear end when it blew up.....


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