Midwest Ultra Damper Converter just got better.
10/22/17
Late in the 2017 season, Midwest Converters “Ultra Damper Converter”just got better. We have shaved off 2.4 lbs of weight. The obvious benefit is less rotating mass. This also allows the fluid damper built inside the converter to react quicker and at a lower RPM. This counter acting effect reduces torsional damage, and has proven to save front pumps adding longer life to the transmission. Midwest is offering a free update to anyone that purchased the Ultra Damper Converter during the 2016 and 2017 season, beginning with serial # UD313 through UD 575. Read more about the Ultra Damper Converter and the great things Midwest has going on below.
3/22/17
Big News for 2017 (Update)
Midwest heads out for news testing on their
ULTRA DAMPER TORQUE CONVERTER™
After a long winter working on new projects, Midwest Converters in Rockford, Illinois heads for Aeromotive Researches testing facility, with hopes of passing another mile stone. ZERO TORSIONALLY INDUCED VIBRATION. This condition is explained in previous articles below, but is worthy of repeating. TV or Torsional Vibrations are a result of the automatic transmissions engagement with the transmission front pump to the torque converter. For each revolution of the engine, 30-40 impulses from the transmission pump send these vibrations back and forth, hammering on the pump gears and torque converter drive hub. See damage when left unchecked below in photo (C). This is an amazing 240,000 impulses at 6000 RPM. Impulse damage increases with pump pressure, converter and flywheel mass and RPM. Today we are testing the results on an even lighter and more responsive Ultra Damper. As predicted testing went extremely well with torsional vibrations reduced to an unmeasurable amount. The Ultra Damper Converter is available for the Midwest 8, 9, 10, and 10.5 inch Pro Billet torque converters. BUY IT. SAVE YOUR TRANSMISSION AND CONVERTER!
Midwest Converters-A Leader not a Follower
When it comes to innovation, Midwest Converters is definitely a leader, not a follower. A couple years ago I reported on the testing I had witnessed of Midwest Converters “Ultra Damper Torque Converter™ ” I had the chance to follow-up on this incredible new converter at a local track in June this year with Midwest owner Dennis Sneath. When asked about the converters success he merely replied ” ask the guys running it”. Not the answer I was expecting, a little short, but to the point. I found one thing in common with any of the racers using the Ultra Damper Converter, they all say close to the same thing, ” I did not know I had any torsional vibrations until using the converter and noticed the drive train was some how smoother.” Yes, Mr Sneath had shown me test results, graphs and data, but really that did not mean much to me. But after speaking with real life racers I began to see the big picture. “It really works”. The more power you have the bigger the gain, not just reduced vibrations, not just reduced wear and tear on the transmission, but lower ET and faster MPH. If you are interested in reading more about the Ultra Damper Converter read all the other post on their site or call Midwest Converters at 815-229-9808. I promise to post more soon.
by Arthur Lehman
Arthur is a freelance sports writer and avid race enthuses covering not only drag racing but Nascar and Indy car racing. His articles are approved by Midwest Converters for news releases and is not compensated for his writing.
The Ultra Damper Torque Converter™
Truly the Ultimate in racing torque converters.
THE HOTEST, FASTEST, TOUGHEST !
MIDWEST CONVERTERS
ULTRA DAMPER TORQUE CONVERTER™
Featuring
The Midwest Torsional Vibration Damper™
Integrated within the Torque Converter front cover. Read to the bottom of the page.
( Patent Pending )
Notice the damper is included within the billet front cover. Bolt on service cover adds to the Ultimate strength !
Due to the nature of torque converters, having no mechanical link between the input and output shafts, fluid dampers integrated within a torque converters provide crucial torsional dampening. Notice the premature hub damage in the drive area without the damper. Constant torsional vibration induces scuffing action and premature wear!
(C) NOTE DAMAGE THAT OCCURS BY THE DRIVE SLOTS FROM TIV CAUSING PREMATURE HUB FAILURE
Revised 2016 Press Release Below (Update)
The Midwest Torsional Vibration Damper- The Ultra Damper Converter.
Integrated within the Torque Converter front cover.
Due to the nature of torque converters, having no mechanical link between the input and output shafts, fluid dampers integrated with-in a torque converters provide crucial torsional damping.
This is a condensed version of the research and development of the single most important device manufactured for a racing automatic transmission with big power in the last 30 plus years. Torsional Vibration, TV for short, is the largest enemy of any rotating machine. Without controlling TV, it will destroy the machine, such as an engine or transmission. You would never run an engine without a system to control, absorb and disperse Torsional Vibration produced by the combustion cycle inside an engine. These TV’s are caused by torque induced into the rotating assembly. Because the torque changes every time a cylinder fires, excitation or a twisting motion is transferred to the crankshaft. Torsional Vibration of an engine is controlled by a harmonic damper to absorb and control this action.
In regards to the transmission, the greater the torque input, the higher the induced TV can be observed. Torque delivered by the torque converter to the transmission creates Torsional Vibration as a result of many mechanical influences. These influences being, but not limited to; impulses from the compression and release of oil pressure from the front transmission pump, planetary gear sets, clutch plate engagements, input shaft deflection and poor axial alignments. Great efforts have been made in pump designs, shaft designs, material choices, gear configurations and more. As I said at the beginning, this is a condensed version of our 1800 plus page analysis and patented pending design damper. Midwest Converters of Rockford, Illinois, has designed an Integrated High viscosity fluid type damper that reduces Torsional Vibration damage to these components listed above. Many attempts have been made by the OEM’s to reduce this destructive force since the first development of the fluid coupler, the predecessor to the torque converter, since the mid 1940’s. Different spring type damper devices, rubber mounts, etc, have been employed to eliminate damaging torsional vibration with limited results. One problem is the OEM’s had no idea the damage that could occur when engines were turning in excess of 8000 RPM’s, producing 2500 plus horsepower and 1400 ft lbs of torque. Automatic transmission fluid inside a torque converter, due to the inertia of the fluid, does not allow the fluid to dampen Torsional Vibration. Therefore, a torsional damper should be included in the design for any racing application.
The first step to solving any problem is you have to identify the cause of the problem completely. Solving the problem is to eliminate the cause. This may be simply said, but is much harder to achieve. We know the cause, how do we eliminate it? We start with the simple understanding of Newton’s Law; “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every backwards twist or compression of the transmissions components, such as the transmission pump, there is an equal forward motion upon decompression. This cycle happens 20 to 30 times per engine revolution setting up a harmonic resonance or vibration that is sent throughout the drive train and back into the engines crankshaft. It can be measured as far back as the differential, although quite minute. The Midwest Ultra Damper Converter contains an integrated damper within the torque converter front cover that absorbs vibrations by implementing a rotating inertia mass encompassed by a special high stability high viscosity fluid. The energy the damper absorbs is converted to heat and removed from the torque converter as passing airflow expels it.
An added source of vibration is turbulence. Torque converters that produce internal turbulence experience inefficiencies do to this turbulence. In addition to frictional losses, torque converters suffer from turbulence and fluid flow interference generated by the stator. These effects are typically minimized, though not eliminated, by mounting the stator on a one-way roller clutch or element sprag. This allows the stator to rotate freely during the coupling phase where the turbine speed has reached approximately ninety percent of the pump speed. This explains why a spragless converter equipped car runs slower (MPH) than one equipped with a sprag. However, most of the loss is due to the curved and angled turbine blades, which do not absorb kinetic energy from the fluid, as well as straight radial blades. Since the turbine blade geometry is a crucial factor in the converter’s ability to multiply torque, trade-offs between torque multiplication and coupling efficiency are inevitable. For more information and performance data about sprag and spragless stators read our separate article found on our web site.
What may this mean to you? It simply means reduction of wear on the transmission and engine, while producing a smoother vibration free rotating converter assembly while increasing horsepower.
This damper is only available from Midwest on the Pro Series 8 inch, 9 inch, 10 and 10.5 inch torque converters, and may be equipped with a steel or aluminum stator, sprag or spragless, and includes the only lifetime warranty in the business.
Midwest Converters in Rockford, Illinois.
1-815-229-9808
See simulation below. Click on graph to enlarge.
This damper is only available from Midwest on the Pro Series 8 inch, 9 inch, 10 and 10.5 inch torque converters, and may be equipped with a steel or aluminum stator, sprag or spragless, and includes the only lifetime warranty in the business.
We cannot save the world, but we can help save your transmission and motor.
Midwest Converters in Rockford, Illinois.
1-815-229-9808 or www.raceconverters.com
UPDATE !
2018
The Midwest Ultra Damper has been improved to reduce converter torsional vibrations by another 15% A near perfect vibration free operation. Combined with Sonnax’s Powerglide planetary stabilizers recently installed, never has such a smooth reliable transmission and converter been available anywhere.