Switch Pitch

[Jim Davies]

On Tue, 26 Jan 1999, Robert Harris wrote:

> The switch pitch convertor was used to replace low gear of the four speed
> hydramatic transmission when GM upgraded the design to the "Turbo-Hydromatic"
> and was available only with the 400 and only on the heavier cars.  
> 
> Not so much a starting gear as a "passing" gear.  Nice smooth "downshift"
> unlike shifting gears - so as to not disturb the passengers and simply
> smoothly allow a nice increase in power to swoop around the peasants.
> 
VP convertors did give a noticeable diiference at lower speeds and they
were easily rewired to be switched low/high at will. Oddly enough, their
reason for existence was to reduce creep when idling in gear with the car
stopped.