I was pulling my Jayco 32BHDS with 2005 V10 Ex and noticed tranny oil leaking from the rubber inspection plug on the tranny bell housing. It turned out to be the seal but when it blew out, a piece of metal grooved the torque converter so I had to replace that too.

The mechanic shop suggested a heavy duty replacement torque converter, saying it would help to keep the tranny oil cooler. I bought the heavy duty one.

I don't know too much about torque converters so I'm just wondering (after the fact) if it was worth it to get the heavy duty torque converter. It was about $200 more than a new standard one.

 

You'd have to post some specs on the installed TC for comparison.

 

No, unless you are drag racing every week or towing heavily daily in the mountains and even then it might not be any better. As long as people keep buying things there will always be someone there to take your money and I see no shortage of it in this forum. Heavy duty can mean anything and sometimes the "improvements" are actually detriments. Also, depending on where the groove was and how deep, the old converter could still work fine. There is a section on the hub that the bushing rides on and a 1/4"+- section the seal rides on, and I would bet the converter was still good. I have taken my vehicle to shops over the years when I didn't have the space, tools, or time and at least 90% of the time they tried to rip me off somehow. Twice the whole crew has circled around when I argued with the owner, and twice I stole my own truck from there. Once was over a flex plate that supposed to be on warranty and I drove it out out the dealers' at lunch time and the other was over a leak (long story) but they tried to physically block me from the truck..........got it eventually with a spare key and they settled..

 

I won't say it's not worth it. In the aftermarket world oftentimes a standard duty item=pure junk, and heavy duty is just adequate. You're towing, so a junk convertor may not last through the first hard trip. If the installed convertor does the job, and has the potential for longer service life, the money was well spent. Without knowing exactly what was installed, there's nothing to base a comparison off of. A subjective descriptor like 'heavy-duty " means nothing by itself.

 

Off hand, I do not. I had 3 choices, a standard which was equivalent to OEM, a medium duty and then a heavy duty. I'll have to see if I can get some info on it. I was told it had more fins and it would spin more oil.

 

The torque converter got the groove right where the seal is supposed to be, I saw it myself. I get what you are saying though. I know the torque converter did not fail on me, it was ruined by the seal, and needed to be replaced. Because it needed to be replaced, I got the "better one". Because I was told it "could" keep the oil cooler by moving it around more, I went for it. Maybe now I will not blow another seal, at least that is my thinking. I'm wondering if there is enough additional cooling that a seal may not blow. Maybe I'll never know.