Peter, What about the Chrysler, Dodge, Desoto Fluid Drive. I had 50 Dodge pickup with the fluid drive. It was just a big sealed unit-fluid coupler-also had a dry clutch in the drive line as well for shifting. Dwight
Dwight E. Giles, Jr. 1978 240D 4 speed. 218K + miles. 1990 300D 2.5t 170K miles. Wickford, RI -----Original Message----- From: mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of Peter Frederick Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 10:00 AM To: Mercedes Discussion List Subject: Re: [MBZ] transmission options.... To be a bit more accurate, it's not horsepower dependent, really, it's the slip ratio of the torque converter (which is a bit more complicated than a fluid coupling). High slip results in torque amplification. Effectively it's a lower gear ratio. Your comments of efficiency and fuel consumption are correct -- as well a some reduction in top speed as the torque converter will slip more at high speed if it's a high rpm stall one than if it's a low rpm stall speed one. Fluid couplings (in the automotive sense, that is) do not have a variable stator and therefore do not have a dual stall speed like a torque converter does. The variable stator (of any of about three main types) allows one to have a high stall speed fluid coupling under power at low speed and a low stall speed fluid coupling at high speed. Some are simply one-way clutches, the most common current type, but in the past there have been a couple different active systems. The one most people over 50 would know is in the GM Powerglide 2-speed automatic. Buick used them in the Twin Turbine (along with two separate torque converters if I remember correctly) and at least one other GM division had an active one. Lockup torque converters are great, by the way.... Peter _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
