Stuck with tranny install

[TJeeper]

I am in the middle of swapping in an AW4 and I can't figure out this problem. I have the tranny in, with the bolts torqued to spec to the engine block. I am trying to line up the flex wheel to the torque converter. I got it close enough so I can see the hole in the torque converter though the flex wheel, but it isn't lined up. I can't get the flex wheel to move, so I tried turning the crankshaft pulley like Stu suggested in his write up. It won't move either. I also tried turning it with the bolt and a 3/4" wrench, ended up loosening the bolt.

I figure I either screwed up installing the tranny or I am not turning the crankshaft pulley hard enough. I don't think I messed up the install. It did take a lot of time (more than I should admit) lining everything up, but when it did finally go in it felt right. I'm thinking about pulling the serpentine belt, getting one of those strap type wrenches and trying to turn it that way.

Any ideas on what is going on?

[Bruce David]

Patrick,
The torque converter should rotate freely in the transmission.
Reach in where the starter goes, and rotate the converter,
to get the first bolt lined up.

Then install the starter and use it to turn the motor over.
Make sure to remove the coil wire first, so it doesn?t start.


Also, if you want to rotate the motor by hand, first pull the sparkplugs.

[TJeeper]

Thanks- I'll give it a try.

[Dukes69]

Before you use the starter, did you make sure the TC was all the way engaged in trans oil pump? If not then the TC will stick out an extra 1/2-3/4 inch or so. That will bind up everything and wont ket you turn over the engine

[DanB98TJ]

Did you remove the "spacer ring" (for lack of a better term) from the crankshaft? That caused similar issues during a swap from an AX15 to a TF999. The spacer reduces the inside diameter of the hole in the crankshaft to the right size for the AX15 input shaft...which is much smaller than the snout on the converter for the TF999.

Here are a few pics:

[Jeff Weston]

^^ Pilot bearing, or in this case, bushing.

[TJeeper]

I took a look at it when I got home- I think Chris nailed it.

The pilot bearing and bushing was removed.

I reached behind the where the starter sits, felt the torque converter, couldn't move it. This explains why I couldn't get the torque converter to rotate when I stuck a screwdriver through the flex plate into the bolt hole to rotate it.

I'll pull the tranny again this weekend and look at it. Hopefully I haven't ruined the torque converter.

[TJeeper]

I got time to pull it today. I did not have the torque converter sitting on the oil pump correctly. I took a look at it, I was able to spin it freely with a small screwdiver. There is a small ridge on the notches, but they are still attached. After screwing around with it for a while, I realized the end of the torque converter had squeezed together a bit. I pulled it apart and got the converter seated correctly on the oil pump. When I spun it around, I could hear the fluid moving in the converter.

I got the tranny mated to the engine (first try) and bolted the converter to the flex wheel. When I did I could feel the torque converter move forward a bit and seat against the flex wheel. So the question is did I damage the oil pump?

[Dukes69]

I think you're probably fine. The converter should move towards the flex plate, it should move 1/4 inch MAX.

[TJeeper]

I thought so, but I thought I would ask.

Here's an unrelated question. Why is there two very large bolts on the bottom of the tranny for the dust cover? I am guessing the tranny is used in a variety of applications and in some of them, those holes bolt to engine block. Otherwise it doesn't make sense.