I'm afraid this is a little late, but I just saw your post. Have you tried using the Data/Import External Data/New Database Query. It uses MSQuery to pull the data from a database. It can be setup to use an Excel Database as its source. The Queries can be refreshed either at document open...
Oval track cars have been using Powerglides without a torque converter for a long time. They use a direct drive from the crank hub to the front pump. There are 3 methods that have been used to get the car moving:
1.An external valve to dump the hydraulic pressure,
2.An internal valve...