Torque Converter Not Looking Good

[Bruzilla]

I posted here recently that my 727 failed, and I was wondering if maybe the problem might be the converter going bad. I replaced the transmission and used the old converter. For the most part the car has been running fine, but Saturday we were out and for a minute it felt like I was back to having no transmission. The engine would rev, but the car wasn't accelerating.

I came off the gas, and exited off the road into a parking lot. When I let my foot off the brake, the car was moving. I drove at about 20 MPH to a little drive-in place, and we stopped for about 20 minutes to get some ice cream. I started the car back up and we made it back home without any issues.

I'm guessing a torque converter is either good or bad, i.e., when it goes it goes and doesn't work and then not work, so I was wondering if anyone else has ever had intermittent converter failure?

 

[69 GTX]

Bummer, was hoping you had it fixed.

 

[Dreamcatcher]

Haven't had that issue but when I put the bird together 8 years ago I got it running and put it in gear. It moved about 10 feet and quit. I pulled the transmission out thinking it was bad. Well it wasn't. Fact is there are two different torque converters out there. The one I used did not fit the transmission shaft. It was slightly larger. Took for ever to figure it out. I measured the shaft on another transmission I had and it was larger. I changed out the converter to the smaller inside diameter one and it has worked fine to date. Not saying that is you issue but stranger thing have happened. I had two 727's at the time. One was from a 69 coronet and I don't know anything about the other one. I had the converters from both and got the two mixed up lol. Who would have figured them to be different. Good luck.

 

[Bruzilla]

Well, the good news is I called my trusty local transmission shop (screw Aamco) and talked to the owner... who also just happens to be big into vintage cars and sponsors a lot of the car shows around here. He said he would charge me $300 to replace the flex plate and converter if I supply the parts. That sure beats a weekend (or two) in the driveway.

 

[66Satellite47]

What you describe sure doesn't sound like a torque converter. But what do I know. I've broken many torque converters, and an 8 3/4" race converter with a broken stator acts like a 12" stocker. It doesn't change its performance after breaking. But if yours has been broken all the time maybe it can "heal" itself for short periods. Very odd. Good luck.

 

[Bruzilla]

What you describe sure doesn't sound like a torque converter. But what do I know. I've broken many torque converters, and an 8 3/4" race converter with a broken stator acts like a 12" stocker. It doesn't change its performance after breaking. But if yours has been broken all the time maybe it can "heal" itself for short periods. Very odd. Good luck.

I've never had one go bad before, so I don't know what the signs are. I do know that slippage is a symptom of converter failure, but it seems to me if it went bad it would stay bad. It wouldn't be bad, then fine, then bad again, then fine again.