transmission heartbreak

kubelvag · Dec 26, 2004

Well spent all day getting ready to install the trans. it is in the car with all the converter bolts tight and all the trans to engine bolts in with the bell housing sitting about an 1/8th of and inch away from the engine the motor tuns over by hand but I hear some scraping sounds. when i go to start tightening all the bolts it locks up the motor. The converter is seated all the way in and I know that for sure. the sound is like the converter bolts are scraping up against the plate between the engine and tranny. any help or suggestions would be great.

10secgoal · Dec 26, 2004

Is this a re-install ? Or is this a new tranny? New converter ? Did you take of the flexplate at anytime ?

kubelvag · Dec 26, 2004

new tranny from a 71 mustang (it was rebuilt and before it got put back in the 71 the car got wrecked) the trans is a 26 spline and so is the new stall converter.never removed the flexplate. thanks for the help in advance

10secgoal · Dec 26, 2004

No problems with the motor plate making noise before? You could ask someone to turn it over by hand while your under the car. That way you can feel for were the contact is coming from exactly. I had a similar problem once were if I pushed the stall into far, it would lock up. Unfortunately I never finished that project, so I don't kow what is was.

10secgoal · Dec 26, 2004

DOH !!! Just had a thought !! Did you tighten the bolts to the stall first, or the belhousing ?? Very important.

kubelvag · Dec 26, 2004

tightened the bellhousing bolts first. then it wouldn't turn over then loosend them up about an 1/8th of and inch and put the converter bolts on then tried thightening again and it locked up once more had a friend come over and turn the motor over while I looked at it and then put some white marker on the converter studs and spun the motor over and the white mark is gone when the studs come back by. I'm frustrated with this I wanted to take the thing out for a road trip on new years eve and this trans issue is starting to get to me.

mustangdave · Dec 26, 2004

The bellhousing must be tightened all the way before rotating the engine to tighten the convertor bolts. If you tightened the convertor bolts with the bellhousing loosened, then you pulled the convertor off of the splines in the tranny.

kubelvag · Dec 26, 2004

what seems to be happening is that when the bellhousing is tightened up the stups on the converter are hitting the plate in between the engine and trans. I can now see where they are scraping. can I grind the studs down about a 1/16th of an inch or would I be shooting myself in the foot? I did tighten the bellhousing down first and then it locked up the engine. I only loosend it enough to turn the motor over.

I'm about ready to just have the original tranny rebuilt and use it and take my loss on this one. The original tranny is locked out of drive it shifts into park reverse and neutrel but then stops.

DarkBuddha · Dec 27, 2004

It sounds like you've run into one of the common auto tranny installation problems. It is very important to get the converter to completely seat on the tranny, otherwise you will have the exact problem you're currently experiencing. This is trickier than it sounds as you're supposed to seat it until it clicks down twice. I've done a number of these and almost always have to pull it off and reseat it a few times before I feel confident it really is seated correctly.

Hope this helps...

mustangdave · Dec 27, 2004

Sounds like DarkBuddha is correct. I've done the same thing. Actually, I had it seated and it came loose while I was wrestling the tranny into place. It helps to have another hand down there ro hold the convertor in placw with a screwdriver for as long as possible. Seat the convertor by rotating back and forth while applying pressure until it clicks a couple of times.

65fastback2+2 · Dec 27, 2004

kubelvag said:
what seems to be happening is that when the bellhousing is tightened up the stups on the converter are hitting the plate in between the engine and trans. I can now see where they are scraping. can I grind the studs down about a 1/16th of an inch or would I be shooting myself in the foot? I did tighten the bellhousing down first and then it locked up the engine. I only loosend it enough to turn the motor over.

I'm about ready to just have the original tranny rebuilt and use it and take my loss on this one. The original tranny is locked out of drive it shifts into park reverse and neutrel but then stops.

if you crawl under the car, you will see the balancer on the flexplate all scraped up, this is what is hitting, not the bolts. it is hitting on the bottom of the dust shield plate. just take a big screw driver or prybar and bend the bottom of the plate out. This exact same thing happened on the roller conversion for my car. first start up it was alot of banging, thought the heads were fixina lose all their valves and blow the motor. after probing around listening to the heads, they were fine. Turned off the motor and noticed the balancer at the bottom of the flexplate was the same blue the backside of the flexplate was. Bent it with a screwdriver and had a nice silent motor. hope this is your problem, from your post, it sure sounds like it...

krash kendall · Dec 27, 2004

kubelvag said:
what seems to be happening is that when the bellhousing is tightened up the stups on the converter are hitting the plate in between the engine and trans. I can now see where they are scraping. can I grind the studs down about a 1/16th of an inch or would I be shooting myself in the foot? I did tighten the bellhousing down first and then it locked up the engine. I only loosend it enough to turn the motor over.

I'm about ready to just have the original tranny rebuilt and use it and take my loss on this one. The original tranny is locked out of drive it shifts into park reverse and neutrel but then stops.

Torque converters not seated. Everones been down that road somewhat.
You're obiously putting so much pressure on the T/C that the flex plate is well, flexing forward.

kubelvag · Dec 27, 2004

pulling the thing out again tonight and reseating the converter once more. hey maybe the sixth try is the charm I'll let you all know how it goes.

JB66 · Dec 27, 2004

Words of Advice... Make sure you can wiggle the converter with the bell bolts tight or you're not seated in the front pump!

69 Rustang · Dec 28, 2004

Here's one I did once--make sure the torque converter and flexplate are matched--I mean does the drain plug for the torque converter show through the hole in the flex plate? If not, it is 90 degrees out. You have to pull the trans out again, rotate the converter 90 degrees and reinstall the whole works. I did this once and the motor would turn but made a squeeking/scraping sound. I also did the TC not seated properly once and the motor would not turn once the tranny was bolted up. (I screw up a lot as you can see... )

Given that your motor turns, I would start by looking to see if you can find the drain plug on the torque converter. Good luck.

10secgoal · Dec 28, 2004

kubelvag said:
pulling the thing out again tonight and reseating the converter once more. hey maybe the sixth try is the charm I'll let you all know how it goes.

Don't feel bad. Did it 17 times in one day. No joke. No jack either. Just one knee and benching method. I had no idea what I was doing at the time. But the stall kept locking up. Ahh, young, and more strength than sense.

StaffAmerica74 · Dec 28, 2004

I hate putting the tranny in my car, ive done it like 5 times now by myself and this time it the motor wont turn over for me either, i think im just gonna build a motor and put the tranny and engine in at the same time....

69 Rustang · Dec 28, 2004

10secgoal said:
Did it 17 times in one day. No joke. No jack either.

I can relate but you have me beat! I was putting in a new engine, pulled the converter to put in a new seal. Had the motor in and out of my 4x4 F150 6 times that day before I figured it out. Working by myself of course! DOH!!! Glad that is over!

transmission heartbreak

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