Torque converter transmission

Abstract

An angle drive transmission having an angle drive input shaft and driving bevel gear driving a driven bevel gear on an input sleeve shaft supported on each side of the driven bevel gear by bearings in an end wall and a central wall of the main housing. The sleeve shaft drives a pump mounted on the end wall and extends through the end wall to drive and support the clutch wall of an outboard mounted rotary torque converter housing. An outboard cover housing has its open end secured to the main housing at the end wall, encloses the rotary housing and has a central ground member rotatably supporting the impeller wall of the rotary housing. The torque converter has a bladed impeller on the impeller wall, a bladed turbine adjacent the clutch wall connected to an output shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve shaft and a bladed stator between the impeller and turbine mounted on the ground member. A lockup clutch between the clutch wall and turbine in lockup connects the rotary housing to drive the output shaft. The pump and a regulator valve in the end wall supply fluid by an internal central supply passage provided transfer passages through the sleeve shaft, through a passage in the output shaft to enter between the turbine and stator to the converter flow path and exit by an internal central exit passage between the impeller and stator through the cover housing and external passage to a cooler. The torque converter hydrokinetic thrust and the bevel gear thrust are axially opposed and substantially equal to balance thrust load on the sleeve shaft.