Hi,
I have a 90 Tracker 1.6l 4WD with 180k miles on it that is having acceleration issues and have heard several conversational diagnoses.
Cold engine or not, there is hardly any power until the RPM's reach 2700 and then the car exceeds 10mph. A mechanic buddy of mine mentioned the torque convertor and another friend mentioned the stator clutch. I've never worked on/with either one of these, so the only thing I know is that the dealer wants $1350 for the torque converter. @.@ Will have to check RockAuto.
What do you all think? Oh yeah, while I don't exactly drive it like it is stolen, I do
drive it.
EDIT:
I read this page about
torque converters on wikipedia and point #4 (Blade deformation) is closest to my scenario from the following quote. Also, notice the bolded section below as my gas mileage is pretty pathetic.
Quote:
Overloading a converter can result in several failure modes, some of them potentially dangerous in nature:
* Overheating: Continuous high levels of slippage may overwhelm the converter's ability to dissipate heat, resulting in damage to the elastomer seals that retain fluid inside the converter. This will cause the unit to leak and eventually stop functioning due to lack of fluid.
* Stator clutch seizure: The inner and outer elements of the one-way stator clutch become permanently locked together, thus preventing the stator from rotating during the coupling phase. Most often, seizure is precipitated by severe loading and subsequent distortion of the clutch components. Eventually, galling of the mating parts occurs, which triggers seizure. A converter with a seized stator clutch will exhibit very poor efficiency during the coupling phase, and in a motor vehicle, fuel consumption will drastically increase. Converter overheating under such conditions will usually occur if continued operation is attempted.
* Stator clutch breakage: A very abrupt application of power can cause shock loading to the stator clutch, resulting in breakage. When this occurs, the stator will freely counter-rotate the pump and almost no power transmission will take place. In an automobile, the effect is similar to a severe case of transmission slippage and the vehicle is all but incapable of moving under its own power.
* Blade deformation and fragmentation: Due to abrupt loading or excessive heating of the converter, the pump and/or turbine blades may be deformed, separated from their hubs and/or annular rings, or may break up into fragments. At the least, such a failure will result in a significant loss of efficiency, producing symptoms similar (although less pronounced) to those accompanying stator clutch failure. In extreme cases, catastrophic destruction of the converter will occur.
* Ballooning: Prolonged operation under excessive loading, very abrupt application of load, or operating a torque converter at very high RPM may cause the shape of the converter's housing to be physically distorted due to internal pressure and/or the stress imposed by centrifugal force. Under extreme conditions, ballooning will cause the converter housing to rupture, resulting in the violent dispersal of hot oil and metal fragments over a wide area.
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Thanks,
Shad
