A NEW BENCH TEST FOR EVALUATING CLUTCH PLATE LUBRICATION

A new, low cost, simple and compact bench type machine has been developed for investigating automatic transmission clutch plate lubrication. The energy absorbed per unit of clutch facing area during clutch engagement is comparable to that absorbed by the clutch during a full-throttle upshift in a car. The machine uses full-size clutch plates and requires a 13-ounce sample of fluid. Condition of the clutch plates after running under cycling conditions correlates with that found in an engine-transmission-dynamometer cycling test.