First, the torque converter is two disks (with ribs) that is fluid coupled. When it slips -- which is how it works -- heat is generated. Pulling up a steep hill means lots of slippage and low speed means little cooling. Second, there are clutches in the torque converter that lock the two plates together. No slippage means no heat generated. You want to be locked. The thing is, most older transmissions only lock in the top gear. On my old Dodge RAM 4-speed it only locks in 4th. If I turn off overdrive then it locks in 3rd. So pulling up a hill can be the worst of all conditions -- low speed and 2nd gear and lots of heat.
Going to a lower gear and high RPM means less slippage and less heat and less speed. The big killer of older automatic transmissions are guys who try and go up a hill at 60mph and put the pedal to the metal.
There are aftermarket kits that let you lock in lower gears and I think modern trannys will lock in more gears because the computer controls the engine and transmission.
If you have a problem & think that someone else is going to solve it for you then you have two problems.
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