Torque Converter Install Depth in Tranny

[Heg87t]

I am trying to get my converter back in my tranny and can't seem to get it back far enough.

Right now there is 3/4" between the face of the bellhousing and the bosses for the converter bolts.
This doesn't seem like enough to me. The converter is really hard to rotate when I try to turn it and push it in.

Has anyone had this problem before?
Any tips?

D5 converter and stock tranny. I put ATF on the splines and the inside and outside of the converter snout.

 

[SCOOBY DOO]

Spinning it in it should click back 3 times.

 

[pacecarta]

1-1/8 to 1-1/4 from edge of belhousing to converter pad
with only 3/4" keep spinning you're not on the pump yet

 

[mikestertwo]

You should have about 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 clearance. Why was the convertor pulled off? Was the transmission rebuilt? Any work done to the pump? You should lift on the nose of the converter while rotating it and pushing it back. The only time I have seen that kind of issue when the converter is hard to rotate and will not engage the pump is when the pump was rebuilt and the front bushing was installed crooked. Also inspect the dog ear slots on the converter. I have seen converters where the slots were expanded at the edges where they contact the pump gear making it hard to install because they are slightly flared.

 

[Nick Micale]

....................Right now there is 3/4" between the face of the bellhousing and the bosses for the converter bolts.

This doesn't seem like enough to me..

None of your numbers sound correct to me?

Having done a quite a few hundred GN transmissions and stock converters, the gap between the flexplate and converter bosses should be between .125" and .080" gap.

As far as installing the converter in the trans, I only get 2 clicks?

The second click is sometimes hard to get, my rubber mallet can persuade the converter to seat while turning it and apply persuasion with the mallet.

 

[pacecarta]

hes measuring from face of converter pad to edge of belhousing with trans out of car ..not gap from flexplate

 

[Heg87t]

None of your numbers sound correct to me?

Having done a quite a few hundred GN transmissions and stock converters, the gap between the flexplate and converter bosses should be between .125" and .080" gap.

As far as installing the converter in the trans, I only get 2 clicks?

The second click is sometimes hard to get, my rubber mallet can persuade the converter to seat while turning it and apply persuasion with the mallet.

Thanks for the help Nick.

I was talking about how far the converter went back into the tranny. I don't have the damn thing in the car yet.

 

[Heg87t]

You should have about 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 clearance. Why was the convertor pulled off? Was the transmission rebuilt? Any work done to the pump? You should lift on the nose of the converter while rotating it and pushing it back. The only time I have seen that kind of issue when the converter is hard to rotate and will not engage the pump is when the pump was rebuilt and the front bushing was installed crooked. Also inspect the dog ear slots on the converter. I have seen converters where the slots were expanded at the edges where they contact the pump gear making it hard to install because they are slightly flared.

Thanks for all the help guys.

The tranny has not been worked on. Just sitting for about 6 years.

I got it fixed.

What I had to do was install one of the converter to flexplate bolts just into the converter and use a breaker bar to turn it. Seems like the tranny just got hard to turn over from sitting. After a half dozen rotations it freed up and the converter went back into the tranny and engaged the pump.

I have about 1 1/8" back now. Measuring from the back of the engine to the flexplate and that is about 7/8" so I should be fine.

Thanks again