4 Sure-Fire Ways to Sabotage Your Torque Converter Rebuild

A successful torque converter rebuild breathes new life into your customer’s transmission and strengthens your shop’s reputation for quality work.But beware! The bonding process is a precision operation that requires planning, preparation and attention to detail.Here are four easy ways to sabotage the bond and reduce the quality of every torque converter you rebuild:Ignore surface prep. To achieve a successful mechanical and chemical bond, think like Goldilocks: the finish on the surface of that cover, piston or damper assembly has to be just right. Bonding to a surface finish that is too smooth or too rough may lead to failure, because the friction ring can’t adhere properly. For the bond surface, you can use a lathe or grit blaster to help prepare the surface, and be sure to measure carefully as you evaluate the quality of your surface finish. And don’t forget the reaction surface that works against the friction lining. If it’s too rough, you’ll accelerate contamination and wear.Measure Surface Forget the math. Time, temperature and pressure requirements are no guessing game. Precise calculations are required to determine the optimum specifications for your bonding needs. Bad assumptions and bad math lead to bad bonds that will cost you customers down the road. Clean SurfaceStay sloppy. The surface finish looks good and your calculations are complete. Time to fire up that bonder, right? WRONG. Clean the bond surface the right way using the correct cleaning equipment, chemicals, tools, if you want to avoid doing the whole thing over and over again. Cross your fingers. Once your first bond is complete, you’re ready to mass-produce – or maybe not. Instead of knocking on wood and hoping for the best, take a few extra steps to make sure your bonds are fast and permanent. In other words, use your first piston or damper assembly bond to test, test and test again. This ensures that you have hit the sweet spot – a successful bond – before you continue. Confirm a solid bond using air, knife, chisel and even bend tests to make sure your torque converter rebuild will give your customer many happy miles of smooth engagements.Confirm BondFor the above links and info – and more – check out the entire Key Elements of Torque Converter Bonding video to learn more about achieving successful bonds for all of your torque converter rebuilds.