From: eliot@lanmola.engr.washington.edu (eliot)
Subject: Re: Manual Shift Bigots
Organization: clearer than blir
Lines: 20
NNTP-Posting-Host: lanmola.engr.washington.edu

In article <C5o4nH.3su@news.cso.uiuc.edu> mchaffee@dcl-nxt07 (Michael T Chaffee) writes:
>W/r/t performance, converter lockup is purely irrelevant.  The lockup only
>occurs at light throttle settings and serves only to improve MPG.  Mind you,
>a converter clutch does a lovely job of improving MPG, but the additional
>mechanical advantage of the converter gives you more acceleration (vs. locked
>converter clutch) than its inherent losses take away.

the transmission in my car contradicts both your assertions..  i get much
stronger acceleration if i let the convertor lockup.. which i can induce
by briefly lifting off,  then quickly (but not too quickly to trigger
a kickdown) applying throttle.  above 3000 rpms, the convertor will never
unlock;  it would kickdown first.

who says there's no skill involved in driving an automatic?  i think
of it as the throttle and shifter combined into a single pedal.  with
my car i can pretty much influence its shifting patterns with my
right foot, while having both hands to steer.


eliot
