Quote Originally Posted by PK View Post
Technically, we don't have a flywheel.
In an automatic it is called the "damper plate" and is much lighter than the proper flywheels connected to the manual transmissions.

The flywheel is made heavy to smooth out the inertia pulses in the engine, and to carry the clutch and pressure plate.
In an automatic, the torque converter replaces the clutch and the flywheel, but we still need the "damper plate" to mount the ring gear on to engage the starter.

Here endeth the lesson.

PK
I stand corrected

But ...

The torque converter technically DOESN'T replace the flywheel does it since we still gots one.

The torque converter is just the viscous coupler that allows the "magic" of an AT to happen. If the flywheel ('Scuse me: Damper Plate) can be made lighter because of it, then that's secondary.

Yah, I'm highjacking this thread to difuse the tension that has built up.

PK - I love you man Just picking on you since you probably know more about internal combustion engines than most of us combined ... & you won't get your panties in a bunch!!!