What is a Torque Converter?

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A torque converter is a specialized liquid coupling, commonly found between the engine and transmission on modern vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. It can also be found in many other applications from marine uses to heavy equipment. The torque converter serves multiple roles in the vehicle drivetrain:

1. Connect engine to transmission
2. Prevent engine stall, automatically, when vehicle slows and stops
3. Act as a variable reduction gear to aid in starting vehicle from stop

A torque converter consists of 5 main components:

1. Housing
2. Impeller (pump)
3. Turbine
4. Stator
5. Transmission fluid (oil)

Each of these components play an important role in the function and efficiency of a torque converter, to learn about how they interact, click here.