Do i need to drop the driveshaft to slid the trans back?

[Stewart G Griffin]

i need to slide the trans back about 3/4" to 1" because i didn't seat the torque converter right as it is tight against the flexplate.  Do i need to remove the driveshaft to slide the transmission back?

[Irish_Alley]

confused, the tc should slide out to the flex plate. if its not properly seated i wouldnt think the trans would bolt up at all. but no you shouldnt have to remove the tail shaft

[Stewart G Griffin]

Ok, i did not (apparently) seat the converter properly so now the converter is very tight against the flexplate.  The trans bellhousing and engine did come together but i did not bolt it tight yet----was going to do it today when i discovered the converter against the flexplate.  Also it has been raining like everyday for the past month as you well know.......

[Irish_Alley]

i guess you can not properly seat the tc and it still bolt up. just not really sure never had that problem

[Stewart G Griffin]

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Torque_converter_installation_error_-_Missed_front_pump


Will the rain ever let up?   It's my fault---because i need to work on the truck.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Remember when i was taking the 305 out, it seized so i couldn't rotate it to get to all the tq bolts.  So i took the tq out when i pulled the engine.  Then when i got the tq separated from the engine i apparently did not seat it properly in the trans.

[Irish_Alley]

im in the same boat. this week im on 4x12 so i been staying up to 4 am working on the truck. and now its raining again lol

[HAULIN IT]

Stewart, As Irish was mentioning...this isn't correct. The torque converter has to be in the pump to get the bellhousing to sit flat with the engine. I see where you said you haven't bolted the engine & trans together yet which is good! Are you sure it isn't gapped at either the top or bottom & you're just need seeing it?
The only way to have the engine trans sitting flat together & it not be right is when someone has not had the converter in the pump dogs & draw the bellhousing up to the engine with the bolts & breaks the front pump...NOW you can have it bolted together & the converter not turn because it is all crammed together. Otherwise, when properly connected with the correct parts, the converter will slide back & forth a bit & spin freely allowing you to rotate the converter to align the bolt holes in the flexplate. Sometimes there is TOO MUCH clearance & hardened washers should be placed between the flexplate & the converter pads. Anything much over an 1/8" I'd put a washer in. I didn't look to see exactly what you have going on there...Is this the same converter that came out of the trans? Could the flexplate be on backwards? (I'm not sure how that would play out)

Just like a distributor...you can't have it seated, sitting flat, bolted down & not be engaged in the oil pump drive. Unless of course you left the drive out when you put the pump in & it's laying over on the workbench!

It would be best to take it back apart & see what is going on...as much as I understand what the guy in the video is doing...it isn't the way you are thinking...nothing in there is spring loaded or something & can not be in & just needs aligned to make right. He is doing that once he realizes the converter isn't in all the way (because of the gap noticed between the block & bellhousing, but the converter is touching the flexplate) & needs to go back "one more clunk" instead of taking the tranny back down out of the vehicle to get it. Good Luck & Keep us posted on what you find, Lorne 

[Stewart G Griffin]

The thing is the engine and trans did come together, although i did not tighten the bellhousing-to-engine as of yet.   i want to say to the best of my memory they came together without using the bellhousing bolts to draw them together (but not 100% sure)

The trans is a TH-350, the converter will not turn or go back towards the trans.   What do you think happened?

[zieg85]

You are going to have to move the transmission back far enough to get the converter to rotate.  I suggest getting some long 3/8" bolts so the trans stays lined up.  One the converter rotates find the spot (by feel) it will mesh with the pump.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Yes, i just did that----got some 2+1/2" long 3/8 bolts and only had to slide the trans back say 1/2 inch to an 1 inch if that much and was able to get the converter properly in there.

i am going to roll the dice about damage/no damage to the front pump and just run it as is.   The more i thought about it over the last few weeks when you buy a used motor i feel it must be treated as it needs a rebuild (although in many cases they don't).   So i plan on running this particular drivetrain not too long and then really go thru it;   i may get a jasper 4.3 and rebuild the one i have now.   So, if the pump does go, well the trans is 32 years old and probably could use a good looking over anyways.


Actually, knowing me i will probably run this drivetrain until either the engine and/or trans blows.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Actually, the more i read Hauling's response and the Crankshaft coalition write up, i think i might be screwed as the engine and trans bellhousing did come together----although i can't remember if they came together naturally or if i maybe drew them together with the bellhousing bolts.   i don't recall there was much difficulty mating them up.  The real difficulty was getting the engine and trans lined up in the chassis together----i think this was largely due to the original trans tail mount being broken.

Well, i figure that if the pump is wrecked then it is wrecked and there's nothing i can do about that.  i don't have too much more work left to get it running so if i have to take the trans out after i get it all running then it is not much extra work at this point----since the trans would have to come out anyways---if broken now or later. 

So i think i will roll the dice on this one.   i have AAA free towing up to like 100 miles or something.

P.S. i did not have to remove the driveshaft.

[Irish_Alley]

if you didnt try to pull the trans forward then you shouldnt of did no damage to the pump

[Stewart G Griffin]

if you didnt try to pull the trans forward then you shouldnt of did no damage to the pump

That's what i'm hoping;  i really don't remember 100% if i did or not but i don't think i did.

[Irish_Alley]

if it still spins you should be ok