Torque converter

[rusty_tlc]

Does a stock 1998 100 have a locking torque converter?

 

[hoser]

Yes, it does. We talked a bit about it in the later part of this thread. I've been intriqued about a selectable TC Lock-up switch. 100 TD from Oz can make it happen if you want to be the first to try hooking it up on our A343F tranny.

 

[rusty_tlc]

It sounds like the 100 TC only locks in third from what that thread says.

From what I have seen the TC does not lock up in first under compression.

 

[hoser]

From what I gather, the TC will only lock up in 4th gear when the OD is on. But you can make it lock in 3rd if you turn the O/D off. It is electronically controlled and I believe it will lock up only after a certain speed, maybe ~55 mph. I think it will also unlock when a certain amount of torque is applied (i.e. full throttle).

Hopefully somebody "in the know" will chime in with better details.

 

[uHu]

Mine locks up at exactly 60 km/h, w OD off. Goes out of LU at 58 km/h.
With OD on it can also lock at 60 km/h after a while with low load.

A Lock-Up switch would be nice if it works for 2nd gear. Every day I go up a 1 km hill at a speed of 30-40 km/h, that's in 2nd, and the engine revs too high for comfort. Lock in 2nd would be perfect.

LU in 2nd, and even in 1st, would also be nice for engine braking, for long downhills.

 

[rusty_tlc]

It would be incredibly useful off road to be able to lock up the TC in first. My GMC locks up and I can creep down very steep hills and over rocks.
Going downhill the 100 feels like a runaway freight train if I don't stay on the brakes. This really sucks, especially on loose stuff. AFAIK the only way to maintain control on a loose (or ice) down hill surface is to "drive out of it" when you start to slide sideways.