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TRANSCRIPT
Torque Converter Rebuilders Association
May 2011Issue 8, Volume 9
PLATINUM SPONSORS: Monthly publication of TCRA newsletter provided by Melissa Hall
Can you name the parts of these flowers? Created by Rob Hans & his daughter Ashlyn, these flowers were made from GM 245 & 310 mm converter stators and turbine fins welded onto a piece of re-bar. Several years ago, while working at Norfolk Transmission, Rob was wondering what to do with all the extra stators he had and thought that there must be another use for them. One day, when his daughter was visiting him at work, she said that they looked like flowers, thus came the idea for making flowers. Rob did the machine work and welding and Ashlyn primed and painted the flowers. The flowers were originally bolted stationary to the stem, and then the idea came to make them spin like pinwheels; so, a bearing was fastened to some of them to allow them to spin in the wind. The pair named the creations “Forever Flowers” because they are forever blooming, rain or shine, summer or winter. They have sold some of the flowers for $15-$25; but they are somewhat time consuming to make, especially the spinning ones, so they have not gone into full production. Ashlyn is now preparing for college and spare time is harder to find. Rob says that making Forever Flowers may have to be a retirement project for the future.
Rob HansNorfok Transmission
April Showers BringMay Flowers
Month in Review...
what’sHOTonline?
online question:I am working on a 68RFE, and I need to check/measure the clutch release clearance. When we pull a vacuum, we can not turn the clutch. When the clutch is static, we can turn the clutch but with some friction, and we cannot get any feeler gauge to side between the clutch and the piston apply surface. When we blow air into the turbine shaft bore, the clutch spins freely, and we can get a 0.010” shim between the clutch and the piston apply surface. Is that how you determine the CRC?
answer:The gap between the retainer and piston in Picture one is about .040” and is the total available travel of the piston from full release to full apply. When the gap is compressed to zero the piston has traveled as far as it can travel toward the release position. Picture two is measuring the distance from the top of the retainer plate to the top of the piston. When the assembly is not bolted to the cover this measurement represents the total travel of the piston toward the apply position. Repeat this measurement when the retainer plate has been compressed down to the piston. An arbor press is a good place to do this measurement. Add .010” to the measurement in the compressed position and this is your target measurement for the correct release clearance plus or minus .001” or .002”. When the unit is assembled, if this measurement is greater than your target measurement there is too much release clearance and if the measurement is less than your target measurement the release clearance is too tight.
Annual seminar comes and goes
As in past years, months of preparation and planning by the TCRA seminar committee
has paid off. This year’s attendance of the Borg Warner plant proved the destination was enticing for all those who came. As mentioned in last month’s issue, board of director elections were also held. Replacing Mark Mustard of Branting Industries and Ken Kelly of Transmission Specialties are elected
members Brad Gilbert of High Torque and Chris Horbach of Raybestos Powertrain. Positions for the board will be established in June’s Board of Directors meeting. Look for results next month. In addition to great speakers, presentations and fascinating tour, three attendees went home with a free trips. Michael Scott of East Coast Converters won a free trip to the ATRA Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada scheduled for October. Also, Dan Boxdorfer of Dan’s Converters and Robert Nankervis from Nan Torque Converters left as the two winners who will be attending the Indy 500. Congratulations, Michael, Dan and Robert! Look in next month’s issue for more pictures from this year’s TCRA annual seminar and Borg Warner tour.
Brad Gilbert Chris Horbach
Picture One Picture Two
Please call for Info559-266-7471 - Ask for RAFFI
Torque Converter Rebuilders AssociationPO Box 2546Reno, Nevada 89505
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Contact Information
Questions or comments? Contact the TCRA newsletter by e-mail at [email protected] visit the web www.tcraonline.com or contact Dennis Sneath, newsletter committee team lead, at [email protected].
TCRA Looking for Spotlights!
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ALSO WANTEDTransmissions & Torque
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We would like to continue posting member spotlights in the newsletter. If you would like to share how your shop came to be and where you are
today, please contact the TCRAnewsletter at
[email protected] forum gives you the opportuni-ty to show pride in your facility and business, and photographs add a face
to the story. Submit yours today!
Jeff Stuck ........................Presidentjstuck@certifiedtransmission.comEd Lee ..................... Vice President
[email protected] Morris .....................Treasurer
[email protected] Brooks
[email protected] Gilbert
[email protected] Hans
[email protected] Horbach
[email protected] Mann
[email protected] Randolph
[email protected] Stimmel
[email protected] Wack
[email protected](973) 293-8925
If you read this newsletter regularly, you have likely noticed that most
torque converter issues don’t rear their ugly heads in only one shop. If you have seen a problem in yours, it is likely that someone else has or will see it in theirs. You also have likely noticed that many of the suggestions and solutions offered in this column do not originate from a single source, but are the result of collective research and effort. Those who read and contribute regularly to this column understand the importance of this effort and are aware that it can greatly affect the success of our individual shops and our industry. Last year, the TCRA formed a technical committee to address the technical needs of torque converter rebuilders and funnel technical information to its members. This information has been presented on the TCRA Web site and in the TCRA newsletter, among other publications. The technical committee’s current focus is on the overheating converter problem plaguing the four- and five-speed Acura’s and Honda’s. The committee is working with five or six shops across the country to get at the root cause of this issue. Countless road test miles have been logged with flow meters installed in cooler lines and pyrometers (temperature gauges) recording converter temperatures. Recording the changes in the flow rates and temperatures following repair attempts has been very beneficial in determining which fixes are working and which are not. One shop even purchased an Odyssey as a test vehicle, and another shop is conducting Dyno- testing to help zero-in on the problem. Other issues which have been brought to the committee include 4R70W/4R75W front seal leaks,
numerous bearing failures, and some TCC shudder problems. The TCRA technical committee presently draws input only from a very small segment of the torque converter rebuilding industry and recognizes the need for expanded domestic and international input. Rebuilders in other parts of the globe are experiencing problems caused by broader temperature extremes and the effect of different engine configurations. The European countries, for example, use more diesel- powered vehicles and are experiencing problems which will never be seen in the United States. The same goes for the heat of Saudi Arabia and the cold of the Tundra. The present chairperson for the TCRA technical committee is Lowell Caltrell of Precision Transmission Parts. The committee also includes familiar names from the industry such as Dick Lewis, Don Randolph, Mike Souza, Dave Roe, Ed Lee, and Chris Horbach. TCRA President Jeff Stuck and Executive Director Len Wack also sit in on the committee meetings. Len Wack is the primary contact person for the committee and can be reached by telephone at (973) 293-8925 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Anyone with input on technical issues or that is interested in participating in future testing may contact any committee member for more information. Collectively evaluating the torque converter problems and solutions can only benefit the entire industry.
Ed LeeTCRA Vice President
Pooling our resources
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