Buying a 1992 Grand Am 3.3L, but the ad says it needs a torque converter, what does this mean?

The torque converter is a device that uses turbine blades and fluid to transfer / allow a buffer for power from the engine to the tranny. It is located in the bell housing.

welcome to the forum

The torque converter is a device that uses turbine blades and fluid to transfer / allow a buffer for power from the engine to the tranny. It is located in the bell housing.

welcome to the forum
thanks, this is a great site. :smile:

will i be able to drive it off the lot with this bad torque converter?

what kind of torque converter should i buy?

how much is the part (ballpark)?

how much is labor?

i feel like this car is a deal so i'm trying to figure out if it's a problem or a steal.

No problem.

Driveability depends on the problem with the torque converter - if it is a stall speed or lockup issue, it may be driveable. If it is something worse, such as a chipped turbine or a thrown bearing, it may not be driveable. I would ask for more details. The part price would be around 300 to 400 dollars I believe, and labor would probably be about 300 dollars, so you're looking at about 700 dollars to buy a new one and have it installed. I'm just going off of what I think I remember though - you should really look up the price online and get a quote for labor from a local shop.

good luck.

Yeah, the price is bit low, depending on the shop. It is essentially a drum-shaped wheel, filled with tranny fluid. It is direct-connected to the Crankshaft to spin it. There are vanes, and all kinds kinds of flow-areas in it to actuate sort of a clutch that engages the engine to the transmission through the converter. It also has the flywheel mounted on it.

If it the converter bad, driving it away only worsens the converter, but I wouldn't do it for too long, it tends to stress the tranny and engine as it slips.