Heavy vibration after TCI Trans and TC install

[Chris H]

Hey fellas I need your help.

My buddy (also mechanic) just installed a C4 TCI streetfighter with 2400 TCI stall and 28 oz. flywheel.

It idles fine but when you get out on the road the damn thing vibrates the entire car. He checked the harmonic balancer and it is fine. ( the car ran fine before the trans swap). The 28 oz. fly is correct for this motor and trans (to make sure we did not get a bad fly wheel, I bought another and the same result).

We called up TCI they said its either the Torque converter, Balancer or flywheel so I guess we've narrowed it down to the Torque converter?

Has anyone else run into this problem after the trans swap? TCI also has a balancer they sell called the "Rattler" and I wanted to know if this balancer is worth the money?

Thanks

-----------------------------------------------------
1966 Coupe
'68 302, 289 stock heads, 600 cfm Holley, 270H Cam
C4 TCI Streetfighter

 

[68keyblr]

I had a similar problem when I had my C4 out for a rebuild. It turned out that the drive shaft was 180* out of phase, so removed the drive shaft and rotated it 180*. That solved the problem.

Lesson learned: Mark the drive shaft and rear end yoke before removing the drive shaft.

 

[Chris H]

I had a similar problem when I had my C4 out for a rebuild. It turned out that the drive shaft was 180* out of phase, so removed the drive shaft and rotated it 180*. That solved the problem.

Lesson learned: Mark the drive shaft and rear end yoke before removing the drive shaft.

I may have misspoke in my earlier post. When it idles its fine but when you rev it up in neutral, the vibration occurs just like when driving down the road. If it was the driveshaft it wouldn't vibrate in neutral sense it doesn't spin. Thanks man

 

[66forfun]

just a guess.....improperly seated converter.

 

[thehueypilot]

just a guess.....improperly seated converter.

or its loose because the bolts had a shoulder on them and bottomed out before the correct clamping force was achieved or they are just plain loose or the torque convertor has too much runnout in it from the factory. TCI quality has gone down in recent years.

 

[FORCED2DV8]

I just had a bad one on a customer car from TCI, Vibrated so bad it cracked the tranny case, They sent me another with the same problem, It wasnt as bad, but still had a vibration, So I bought one from Hughes, smooth sailing ever since.

 

[stangman67]

i had a shaky break-a-way convertor a few years ago. They sent me another, and it worked fine, but i think tci is kinda junk.

 

[302 coupe]

return the TCI stuff and get your money back, buy a different, more respectable brand. TCI has rapidly declined in the last coupla' years.

 

[Chris H]

return the TCI stuff and get your money back, buy a different, more respectable brand. TCI has rapidly declined in the last coupla' years.

I think you have all gotten it right. They are supposed to be sending me a new one tomorrow . If its not right I'll go with another converter. ITs getting to be to nice outside to be messing with new BROKEN equipment. I'll calm down now.

Thanks Guys

 

[thehueypilot]

I just had a bad one on a customer car from TCI, Vibrated so bad it cracked the tranny case, They sent me another with the same problem, It wasnt as bad, but still had a vibration, So I bought one from Hughes, smooth sailing ever since.

I sent a one year old TCI convertor (less than 5k miles) as a core to PTC for a higher stall convertor and they almost rejected it because it was on the limits of too much runout. PTC is where all TCI's experience went to.

 

[dewdrop]

check the mount

Be sure you check or replace your transmission mount. That caused the same problem on my 68 a while ago. It had lost the "rubber" action and cause a vibration at 45 - 55 mph, pretty bad. New piece fixed it all.