Torque Amplifier What is it?

[Cecil Stults]

Ok first thing. Why is International harvester under "other forums" and not a forum of it's own?

My main question is What is a Torque Amplifier?
What does it do for me? When do I need to use it?
What is it actually changing in the way the tractor is running/pulling?

I have an IH 544 farm tractor. diesel engine.
On the left side of the steering wheel is a large lever that the book calls a Torque amplifier. it is adjusted along with the clutch adjustments according to the manual I have.

I like levers as much as the next guy but I don't know what this on is or does.
It doesn't seem to do anything when I am just driving the tractor with no load.


can anyone enlighten me on the subject?

[LD1]

Ok first thing. Why is International harvester under "other forums" and not a forum of it's own?

It isnt under "other forums". Its under "brand specific forums> case-IH". Which is coincidentally where you posted it. So it does have a forum all of its own. It just doesnt have its own "heading".

And honestly, I think TBN has too many forums already. Most us seasoned vets really dont pay attention. We just browse "todays posts" to see all current threads regardless of what forum they are in. The only time we pay attention is when we need to post a thread. And then it can get tricky. For example: If I made a grapple attachment for my Kubota and have questions about how to route the hydraulics, what forum should I post in????

Attachments?
Kubota Owning/operating?
Hydraulics?
Build it yourself?
Customization?

See the issue. The forum is set up the way the owner and moderators want it to be. And if you have any suggestions on how to improve it, I am sure they are all ears.

Now on to your TA question.

Quite simply, the TA is an additional gearbox with two speeds and its own clutch. So it effectivly doubles the # of gears your main transmission has. And it can be shifted without the use of the foot clutch. So if you are pulling a load, and you start to bog down, you can shift the TA into low without pusing the main clutch and comming to a halt and have to try restarting again.

It was quite popular in the day at the tractor pulls. Start off in low on the TA, get a head of steam and shift it to high. Near the end when she starts bogging again, go back to low to get every last inch possible.

[pjbci]

If your T/A doesnt seem to do anything it may have given the last owner trouble and been locked out. They worked great but on the higher hp tractors they had a tendency to crack the hyd clutch pack housing and be very expensive to repair. The cheap fix in my part of the south was to just bolt up the clutch pack and render the T/A inoperable. This could be why yours doesnt seem to do anything. You should feel the tractor speed up and slow down when you move the lever.

[TravisTractor]

they are nice when baling hay on hilly ground

[DJ54]

Just don't shift into the low side, when going down hill, expecting it to hold back. They will free wheel in the low side.

[pjbci]

Just don't shift into the low side, when going down hill, expecting it to hold back. They will free wheel in the low side.

Torque amplifier does provide engine braking on hills. Your thinking about masseys multi power. Same concept but no downhill engine braking.

[RickB]

Torque amplifier does provide engine braking on hills. Your thinking about masseys multi power. Same concept but no downhill engine braking.

The mechanical TA in the OP's 544 will freewheel in TA mode, as all mechanical TA's do. Hydraulic TA's are of a different design and provide engine braking.

[art]

The mechanical TA in the OP's 544 will freewheel in TA mode, as all mechanical TA's do. Hydraulic TA's are of a different design and provide engine braking.

That is the main reason for short life of a TA to use it for braking. They were designed for use under pulling load not braking.

[RickB]

That is the main reason for short life of a TA to use it for braking. They were designed for use under pulling load not braking.

The real damage to hydraulic TA's is done by SHIFTING to TA mode to slow the tractor.

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Case had a Case-a-Matic, Ford had a Dual Power, MF had a Multipower, IH had a TA, JD had something like it but I don't know what it was called(test drove a 2840 with it). I don't know if Oliver/White had one. I'd trade them all for a powershift/quadrange style tractor.