Installing engine with auto trans in car

You can do that or just drop the trans, rest the motor on the k member and then you will have the wriggle room to bolt the two parts together.

Drop the trans, considering it's already disconnected from the engine, more than half the work is already done.

When you removed the motor originally, the converter may have looked like it stayed on the input shaft of the transmission, but I'm almost positive that it pulled off the shaft some. If that's the case, you risk the possibility of damaging the front pump seal on the tranny. I've seen this happen plenty of times from the exact same thing.

I would pull the motor back out, then check the converter. Grab the nub on the center of the converter with one hand, lift slightly and push inward, use your other hand to rotate the converter clockwise. What your trying to do is seat the converter fully on all the splines and the input shafts inner and outer splines. When doing this you should feel two steps of movement onto the spline.

Also remember to position one of the converter studs in the 6 o'clock position so its easy to line up your flywheel stud holes when dropping the motor into position.

Another question to ask, is this the same motor you pulled out or did you go with a junk yard or replacement motor of some sort? If you for some chance went with a used motor, it may have a pilot bearing in the end of the crank, which would make matting the auto trans near impossible since the nub of the converter needs the room that a pilot bearing would take up.

NewToFord said:

well I finally got it in. It is the same motor I pulled out. Bolted up the bellhousing bolts. I did spin the converter before I installed everthing. It spun and did not push in anymore. So I bolt up the bellhousing, and now when I spin the motor it is bound up. Was I supposed to line up the converter bolts before I tightened up the bellhousing bolts? No that the trans is attached I think I am gouing to pull everything out and try it all over again. This is such a pain with the auto.

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Are the converter bolts through the flywheel? all 4 studs need to be lined up in their respective locations.

NewToFord said:

no they are not. I thought I could spin the converter after the bellhousing was tightened. What should I do now?

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Nope, right now your binding the converter studs on the flywheel and probably putting good pressure on the front seal of the tranny. I would unbolt the motor and hook the hoist back up to pull the motor away from the tranny just enough so you can spin the crank to line the flywheel up with the studs of the converter.