buick trans

[22mnydrs]

Hello this is my first try at a Buick and am still learning. Can someone clear me up on the twin turbine trans in a 1960 LeSabre with a 364 engine. Does this one work like a dynaflow? Does it shift at all. How does this thing work?

[TODD]

Yes, the Twin Turbine transmission operates the same as the earlier Dynaflow. Buick just stopped calling them Dynaflows after 1958. The 1960 units were built with pieces out of the same parts bins as the earlier Dynaflows.

Once the driver puts the car into gear, no shifting occurs. All the torque multiplication and matching of engine speed to road speed is done in the torque converter. It is amazing what the old-time Buick designers could make a torque converter do by adding extra elements.

There is a set of reduction gears used when placing the car into Low range that provides extra pulling power when accelerating and braking power when coasting. The transmission never shifts out of this range while in Low gear. These gears are not used in the Drive range either.

For a more thorough explanation of the operation there is a good write-up in the shop manual. Say the word, and I 'll scan a copy for you.