You are correct a bicycle is not the same as a torque converter. Think
back to your tricycle for a more accurate illustration. Torque
converters do not continue to slip at higher RPM as they are so
designed to slip at low RPM. Hydraulic pressure locks the converter
input to output when it turns fast enough. This lock-up point is called
stall speed. Think about centrifugal force when you put water in a
bucket and crank it around in a circle with your arm. The real high
hydraulic pressure in a torque converter is generated by centrifugal
force of the fluid being driven to the outward edges of the turbine
fins inside of the converter by the same principle as the bucket of
water rather than oil pump pressure. As torque converter RPM increases,
hydraulic pressure increases. Torque converters are still hydraulically
locked by the rpm of the trans being driven by the wheels as the car
slows down. For the past 30 years most automatic transmissions have an
electronically controlled Torque Converter Clutch to take advantage by
eliminating slip under desirable conditions as the torque converter RPM
drops below the stall speed RPM.


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JustSayGo
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