ATI Racing Torque Converter Cut Open Lathe

Cutting open an NON-ATI Torque Converter - one from Precision Industries for inspection and rebuild.
Not only does ATI rebuild converters for high performance applications, but we are one of the only aftermarket suppliers that has the capabilities to build converters brand new from scratch since we have the original GM tooling that was used to make their converters.
To see how our converters are welded back together watch this video showing a new ATI converter betting welded in our shop:
• Torque Converter Weldi...

[@RayDAider1]

The year was 1977. I operated the cut open machine for the 400 THM torque converter in Dept. 433, Torus Division at Hydra-Matic Willow Run. The converters were rejects from testing; they were removed from racks, and were hand placed, hub down, into a massive chuck that clamped around the outside of the impeller body, (which we simply called the "pump") with the cover, pilot and lugs facing upwards. A plexiglass door was pulled down and the machine was cycled. A thick triangular cutting tool was indexed into the weld as the unit spun. The cycle time was about a minute and a half or so...it seemed. You knew it was almost done when ATF fluid began to get flung on the cover door of the machine. The machine cycle ended. Then you removed it, and the converter cover was separated, or almost separated from the impeller housing but still held by a bare "thread" of the weld, sometimes....then you banged the thing on a metal fixture, if you had to......to pop it open on a table that had a grated surface so that the fluid could drain. Then the internal parts were separated, and sorted down their respective conveyors to be sent thru a washer and put into tubs to be sent back their original department for inspection...and rebuilt...if possible. The bearings were never reused and were junked. Did I mention that the THM400 torque converter, filled with ATF, is heavier than most torque converters? The production on that job was 200 units per shift. My partner and I figured out the most time efficient method to do that job, the idea was to keep the machine running with as little time between cycles as possible, and working together, we were able to work our asses off and get 200 units by lunch time. Then go hide. The boss was happy because we always got the count. It was hard, heavy, filthy work, and guessed what we smelled like when we went home every day? Transmission fluid...you can bet. One thing that used to happen, was that occasionally when the cutting tool got really dull, the chips coming off the operation, would get very hot, and cause a fire inside the machine, aided by the ATFluid igniting...it was so hot. We would look down the aisle to see if the boss was around....and enjoy the fire for a minute as it grew before we reached for the extinguisher...heh. Fun times. In the 3 years I spent in Dept. 433, I did most of the operations making the impeller unit, and can remember the step by step manufacturing process in fairly great detail....Then spent some time in Dept 431 which was the torque converter assembly dept, where they were assembled, welded together, filled with fluid, balanced and tested. I have been retired from Hydra-Matic Willow Run since 2008, and spent several years making planetary pinion gears...and many other jobs. They closed in 2010, and the building was torn down in 2014. It was originally the Willow Run B-24 bomber plant, built by Henry Ford...in 1941...so much history there...Thanks for reading this.

[@colinpman6629]

RayDAider1 What a great story. Thanks for sharing.

[@billyc2572]

RayDAider1 thanks for sharing dude I enjoyed that. I like the Smell of fresh atf lol I always thought it smells like fruits like strawberries almost it's weird. Someone tell me they know what I mean

[@anilrehmatullah7906]

thanks for sharing

[@WA-zl6ju]

thanks for sharing

[@motorhead6763]

RayDAider1 cool.story I ran lathes for years myself.

[@harveysmith100]

Just dropped my auto box off to be rebuilt. He asked for the torque converter too. I didn't know why because it was a sealed unit. He explained this procedure to cut them open. For me this is fascinating. What a beautiful piece of engineering a torque converter is.

[@HoosierRooster]

I had a Precision torque converter in my car it was in there for 4 years absolutely Flawless converter before that I have one from JW that lasted about 6 months

[@tobo26]

6:50 jump to the opening

[@gregparrott]

Interesting to see one opened up. But, this video leaves an unanswered question - Given that the torque converter was fine, was it ever determined what the customer was complaining about?

[@whitehorse1959]

We took our super-charged V6 Holden back to the automatic gearbox rebuilder, because it started 'porpoising' on acceleration. We though he had screwed up the rebuild, but after he test-drove the car for 10 minutes, he pointed out that the air intake hose was split and sucking in air where is wasn't supposed to. We fixed it with duct tape. The auto gearbox was actually perfect. It wouldn't surprise me if it was the same thing here.

[@MrRotaryrockets]

48 years ago I worked at a Transmission Rebuilding shop with my Uncle and Cousin with a Friend named Terry rebuilding Standard style Converters..I think our best count for one day was 80 units cut open rebuilt and re-welded painted and on the shelf..I remember the Fords C4, C6 getting the most repairs from vanes being separated(torn out) from the front casing..we would braze them in place by hand..

[@TheGary75511]

this guy knows his stuff, love all you experts with some of the comments. work for ATI for ten years then say something.

[@slpss2002]

Lots of talkers in this world. Very little proven doers.

[@chrishaley6283]

work at TCI for 29 years

[@MrSwimmster]

All these big box converters pretty much suck.. They are cookie cutter converters, not built to spec per the customer's application. 9 out of 10 do not do the job they are supposed to do. This is why so many ATI, TCI and B&M converters get returned or brought you a REAL converter shop to get built correctly....

[@gregg4164]

@@MrSwimmster Had my converter for my TH400 built specifically for my TH400 in my truck . By a guy who knows how to build a purpose built converter. Fuck all these box converters built to a sloppy tolerance and called a performance converter.

[@bobdavis6511]

Hey wow! Two pieces of a torque converter...awesome.

[@fbeale3537]

Torque converters work by directing fluid at variant angles from the pump side to the drive side via the fins or sometimes called blades, in my understanding competition converters use a more aggressive fin angle increasing flow rate and pressure through the torque drive, if that's the case just cutting one open you are not going to see anything different unless you are going to use pitch angle gauges and micro measures ect to see the difference.

[@johnnieo66]

Precision makes a great torque converter, probably the transmission or the driver that had an issue.

[@BWADaniel]

I’m here from the thread I was reading where he was speaking about it and you were responding lol. After you cut it open and let him know there was no issue & posted this video, he stopped responding altogether 😂. I’m sure it was his error & not yalls.

[@bbcala9719]

I was wondering on why cutting it open. Very interesting to watch. Pretty ingenious on opening that converter

[@billyc2572]

I like how it self lubes as you break through lol

[@rudyrayaaw5138]

Porpoising is generally caused by miss match of spring rates and shock settings between the front and rear suspension.

[@ElJeffe_]

When watching the converter spin on the lathe, you can see the light reflection moving up and down indicating that the housing is not consistent. Not sure if that could contribute to the "proposing" but if the fluid is controlled/contained by this part of the housing, at certain rpms you might have a vibration issue... Yes? No?

[@GrimYak]

imgay bitch lol, you dont know how these work do you?

[@Wildcat5181]

I think it was too many coats of pink paint.

[@earlbailey227]

Jeffrey Jones porpoise, not propose.

[@vendettam3935]

exactly the way i did !!!!

[@kwmiked]

I thought the samething as he started cutting

[@stephenr1999]

This is why I love youtube. I had wondered how they rebuilt em.

[@ericheine2414]

That was great. I always wanted to see inside the torque converter. Iron American Dream on KZbin.

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

Is it possible for a bearing or any of those internal parts to be worn which sounds like nails rattling in a coffee can?

[@dfinkie]

I would think you would dyno it to test it first...

[@ShashankGhorpadecodename_hero]

You should use Cooling fluids too!

[@mikehunt-hg6sl]

No. Coolant would go everywhere if used on this. You would need to wear a raincoat to get near it

[@sean5comet]

The heat is dissipated and removed from the chips of metal being cut off the piece.

[@brianmathew09]

depending what HP it delt saw....i would want to see the LU clutches

[@terrencejaylonmacdonald2349]

Thanks for sharing it but is it really needed to cut it?

[@pyroboy1080service]

The fluid is what allows it to convert torque

[@sailingsolar]

It would seem the person who returned it had installed it and had to remove it so they could send it back. Thinking that was the suspected problem and how it is perfectly good, can you venture a guess as to what issue he thought that unit was causing and more importantly what was causing his issue?

[@kentbarger6974]

Years ago some torque converters actually bolt it up where you can take them apart and rebuild them when I was taking transmission School we had a big room with best missions on shelves and we had about 10 tables in the room and we could go in there and have class and we could practice taking the Transmissions apart and putting them back together they did have one transmission it was a really old transmission was an automatic can you can actually take the torque converter apart also Borg Warner made a transmission with a Overdrive on the extension housing area it works really good my transmission teacher had a very old pickup truck back in the fifties and it had a ward Warner manual transmission also had an over Drive Unit it used a solenoid and it had a square Paul that would engage into the Sun Gear on the overdrive gear part simple design and works really well

[@chuck_machine]

So, is that what makes a lockup converter, it has a set of clutches driven by a piston? Piston applies and locks the converter to the input shaft?

[@dennismoran1299]

Isn't that converter a Precision Industries converter?

[@Mr39036ce]

Going by personal experience,changing the converter in an automatic is probably the most drastic change,short of nitrous,that you can make.It can turn an otherwise decent car with a strong motor into an all out stoplite killer.Going from the stock 1800 stall in my 69' Firebird to a 3200 stall made it a tire roasting animal and plants your eyeballs in the back of your head in 9" slicks at the track.0-60' dropped drastically as did E.T. but did loose 4 mph in the traps.But the win light comes on!I'll give up the 4mph any day for the E.T.

[@streetDAOC]

Was this recorded with a torque converter?

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Used the best potato at hand.

[@tylerkraft5828]

Was this video taken with the first digital camera ever made?

[@MegaMarclar]

Is that a NAG converter?

[@510herbs]

That looks a w580 we make in Perrysburg. Without the pretty pink

[@FOG2006]

How thick is the oil inside the torque converter?

[@motorhead6763]

comments clueless this is done all the time rebuild rewelded even on heavy equipment I just did 580 case backhoe new pump seal hub as well.

[@highvelocity123]

If the motor had a big cam it could have been porpoising or surging but that would be normal...

[@fixit4u73]

I had my skull opened this way.......the only thing that was found inside was porn hub residue.

[@JaceD4V1S88]

Sweet vid! I have a 94 previa and the input shaft seal blew out. Put a new one in and when i picked up the torque converter to put back in, i saw about 7 tiny cylinder bearings came out. I know that's not good. Ordered a reman Toyota one. What part are the little cylinder bearings from on the inside?

[@NOOOOOOO0OOOOO]

They're called roller bearings.

[@JaceD4V1S88]

I meant to type cylinder shaped bearings, my bad lol

[@NOOOOOOO0OOOOO]

+JaceD4V1S88 it's fine bud I just wanted let you know what they would call them so you could accurately describe your issue to others. I don't poses the knowledge to diagnose a problem over the Web.

[@NOOOOOOO0OOOOO]

+JaceD4V1S88 I think they would maybe call them needle bearings. I think they're usually in place to support a shaft.

[@barrykilts4506]

Can or we you give me a ball park figure for retuning a new converter from a well company and how useful can an 11” converter be.i had one built for a new drive train to be test in a 3/4 van and moved to a 72’ nova later than was suppose to be 2800-3200 but when I tested it there was no looseness at all but I don’t recall the figures as I was hurt and had to go thru a lot for yrs but getting back to it now.i will say it worked well but I expect at least a little looseness and just knew 11” was to big.it was $425 then,$525 now so it’s good but I just don’t know if an 11” will work in a nova as it will need to.the was to use it then and retune it later.i don’t don’t see much response for questions like this,hope it’s ok

[@justgjt]

So why did you cut it open . . . ?

[@richardfoster5361]

About 90% of the transmission fluid is held inside the torque converter, when you drop the transmission pan only a few quarts come out, old fords had drain plugs on there converters so you could do a complete drain and refill. That's how a line lock works on a automatic transmission it stops the fluid flow off to the converter then when your ready hit the button and it releases all that fluid into the converter launching the car forward.

[@barneyfive-0404]

Did that thing get painted in a bathhouse?

[@ashman187]

Barbie makes one tough converter.

[@DarrenBoxhall]

I can't understand him,what was it doing? What was wrong?

[@thrunsguinneabottle3066]

Is it a "sealed for life" component?

[@garyr7027]

Torque converters can be rebuilt. This is them cutting one open to show how they get to it, to rebuild one if needed.

[@4dirt2racer0]

lol "thats our cut apart machine" aka lathe lol n this over here is a "metal sticker togetherer"

[@ScottZombie]

I see this video is 8 years old, What do you think of Koenigsegg's new gearless transmission system?

[@1lessconartist]

Scott Brown I saw the video on T.C on donut media and they explain how the koenigsegg renagar worked. Awesome video. Two electric motors in rear operate up to 30mph and then the combustion engine takes over. Dude made his own fluid coupling

[@nostromo4269]

Why didn’t you just use a parting tool?

[@EvansBrosRacing]

does a regular race torque converter for a non lock up trans contain clutches ? like a turbo 350 , powerglide , 727 , 904 etc

[@toddrussell9615]

No they don't.

[@shawnhammack8479]

So you bought a brand new racing Torque Converter just to open it up!!!!! Nice. And you know thats kinda funny cutting that open with a Lathe. I tried to cut open a junk one on the weld with a cuttin torch, it wouldn't come apart. So where is this any different ?

[@capamagic]

Why arent you using some water to freeze the cut?¡?

[@mariochavez2835]

Nesesito saber dónde pueden abrir un convertidor de 700 Chevrolet electrónica

[@billyc2572]

With that fast a set up you should take some time to get the tool geometry right. Crazy chatter

[@835YT]

What parts are laying "under" the rotor when initial disassembly begins at 6:59

[@ATIaction]

the two small flat rings are torrington bearings that go on either side of the stator assembly

[@burtvincent1278]

Probably the engine surging. I was a field service tech for a power shift transmission company for off highway equipment and any time power to the wheels surges or the tractive effort was down it was the engine. If the transmission was surging or slipping it wasn't going to do it for very long.

[@jorgekazachek6514]

looks they understand about automatic transmission!!

[@thomashammel524]

So that is 8 minutes of my life I will never get back!

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Thomas Hammel aaaahhhh poor little butthurt baby

[@sean5comet]

Don't worry, your life is worthless anyways...

[@60viking]

If you added up all the revelutions that mill has run how far would a 36" tall tire travel? Just a thought.

[@manishyadav-ee2db]

JCB 3DX 8 model ka gearbox Aakar rate price kitna hai

[@michaelkennedy8573]

The word is TURBINE.... A Turban is a religious headgear

[@theravedaddy]

Michael Kennedy he could use a turban to mop up all the fluid from the turbine

[@theogdirkdiggler]

+theravedaddy lol, these comments are laffs! I am getting back my eight minutes!

[@leonspringsboystv2025]

Michael Kennedy u mean diaper hat

[@ismaelmxli]

he said "turbin" is the fuckin problen with " the american english " the pronunciation is a shit, the british people, they know pronounce the english correctly.

[@inox1ck]

Do you know how many miles dit that one do? Thanks

[@HRVAT1975]

it can be welded back together, as im sure it will be after they fully inspect it...

[@carlosbanegas7577]

very good video

[@katestramenos929]

Why was it so hard to cut that thing open?? Especially using a lathe ...

[@gregg4164]

Because their tooling is shit. Did you not see it cutting in ribbons and not chips? Steel should be coming off in broken chips if the cutting tool is ground properly and the speed and feed rates are correct. These jokers are not machinists they are just driving a poorly ground worn out tool into weld metal which is very hard as a means too and end. Not as a process.

[@jtlogruss08]

Dont wanna cut "too much off" uses a 5/8 parting tool...

[@0x00zero]

the 3/4 tool was at the grinding bench.

[@funnymoney6969]

Lmao!

[@luiznicolau1857]

Is it worthwhile?!?!?!

[@meocats]

so what was the client complaining about?

[@Bryan-Hensley]

meocats do you know what a porpoise is? Use Google. Do you know how they swim? Aaaahhhh, did the light bulb click in your head???

[@armen1241]

very good work

[@MrWhatnext]

I would have thought that the original GM tooling would have been slap worn out a long time ago.

[@rbarger71]

Why would someone send a converter to ATI to have it checked out unless it was one from ATI?

[@ATIaction]

to have it checked out, rebuilt or replaced with an ATI unit. We don't make pink converters and the box is clearly not our own. We can rebuild most converters but don't usually work on non-ATI units since their previous history is unknown. All ATI converters are stamped with a serial # so we can pull the data before opening them - and our records go back over 40 years.

[@CVD-di1xn]

Excellent video. I learned a lot. Keep up the good work. Thank You.

[@Artoconnell]

How can you say that without looking at the smoked clutchs? there was friction material all over the place. The dude has a fluid flow problem on HIS END. bet ya a million bux he has added some hookie aftermarket trans oil cooler and has a flow restriction.

[@tchew25]

Can you show us a bad one?

[@ClimptonDiddlehopper]

Tim Chew according to them they don't m aake bad ones.

[@scowell]

Looks like it might pay to have a test fixture for these... some way to spin it up and test the lockup.

[@ATIaction]

ATI has a dyno for testing, but that's not what this video is showing. This a simple cut open for inspection of a NON-ATI converter. Once inspection is complete, the unit can be welded back together in less than a minute. The purpose of the video was to highlight the modifications ATI makes to a standard lathe to allow it to cut open converters, as ATI sells an entire line of machines to shops that allows them to service their own converters - from cutting them open, to testing internals, welding them up and finally machines to test them for leaks.

[@NeilCaulfield]

Cutting it open seems like an unnecessary way to check for damage, still cool to see the inside of it. When its cut open can it be welded back together or is it pretty much done?

[@tontorodriguez3367]

Neil Caulfield yes

[@zero_stars]

Oh yea it can be put back together but if that cover isn’t welded back on with utmost precision it’ll fuck up immediately. Cheaper to buy a new one anyway.

[@daltonschave2732]

Coan engineering. It's what we do. It can be uncapped, precisely rounded, precision welding.... check us out

[@MrSwimmster]

No other way to check for damage.... Lol... And of course they get ended back together.. This was partially explained while he was cutting... Not that these converters are any good for most applications.. ATI builds cookie cutter converters.. They do not build to suite your individual application.. Going to the pros will give you 10x greater results and the same if not better pricing.. Oh and who cares about the dirty tear down room???

[@syedhussain3810]

OMG when he cut it open I saw blood coming out of it

[@garyr7027]

Well, must of been another problem then... that converters good.

[@blipco5]

Why no cutting oil?

[@MrSwimmster]

Really??? Wow....

[@ryanfisher6402]

Except its unbalanced, eggshaped, and I can see dark clutch material in the fluid inside....all actually normal. If its shuddering its being overloaded...speed costs...how fast you wanna go?

[@stuarthearn9890]

place is a shambles , more untidy than my workshop

[@krishantr]

get the turbin out?

[@banno6938]

Fast Forward to 6:55

[@jma5177]

Amigo, oque é isso?

[@DanFrederiksen]

is it filled with oil or just a slush amount? is the coupling primarily air?

[@kakswell]

filled with oil

[@sidewaysaction9983]

Could have opened that quicker with a blunt tin opener.

[@robertsonroa9617]

Bueno... Pensé que iban a enseñar algo referente al funcionamiento falla y reparación del artefacto turbina en cuestión pero todo un vídeo solo para ver como destapabas la turbina? Me jodistes... 👍

[@pyroboy1080service]

It's filled with transmission fluid and no it's not primarily air

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

But, why is it pink??

[@383mazda]

How many turns on a lathe does it take to get to the center of a torque converter? Lol

[@noescapefromnow694]

just the owl that got to the center of the tootsie pop lol

[@leonspringsboystv2025]

383mazda if he provided me the rpm at Wich the lathe was set I'd be happy to do the calculation for you

[@banno6938]

383 That all depends on how sharp your tool is .

[@kyawgyi3425]

thank you.

[@jakemason2220]

Video has 897,00 more views then it deserves

[@jeffjones2891]

Jason Fenton you've breathed more air then you deserve. learn more and speak less, you'll appear far wiser.

[@doctoroctagonaBLARGH]

"I don't see anything on the turban." xD

[@clist9406]

Interesting , now I want to make a turbine out of one or two

[@AmericanThunder]

I only deal with Dynamic Racing Transmissions, in CT. The best there is.

[@BurninBogey7]

@Achilleos1991 Its the same fluid inside your automatic transmission.

[@samkaplitz9036]

Why don't they "bolt "together? Seems stupid to cut it,refurbish it,reweld it......over & over.

[@19baitmaster51]

Scroll to the 7 minute mark. You won't miss anything.

[@Astinsan]

The cutter opener device

[@MatthewTaylor3]

Agreed

[@5084204]

Actions starts at 5:00

[@nevetslegasi5686]

Every one of those purple converters I've ever owned was JUNK. None worked properly, and one actually caused damage to my transmission. When all were replaced by factory units, all problems were solved.

[@JoseMartinez-jv2ns]

Why don't open an used one that looks like new