Tips To Get Trans Lined Up With Motor??

[autodsm]

Dropped the trans on my FWD AUTO and putting in a new one...ran into an issue on trying to line the tranny up with the motor. I originally took out the cross member and rear mount to tilt the motor in order to slide the trans out. Now trying to get the new trans in and I cant get the bottom to line up and the dowel pins in. I can line the top up and get 2 bolts in the top to hold the tranny in, but other than that...no dice.

Any tips? I am working with a tranny jack and a low pro jack....motor is tilted down

 

[zachakagoat]

Another set of hands? Also a pry bar under the tranny on the trans jack helps change angles nicely. You could use a long 2x4 as well.

 

[autodsm]

Is it possible to line the trans up like this with the motor tilted? We took it out like this, so i would hope it will line up like this but its just not happening.

Youre right on an extra set of hands...my buddys not around to help at the moment so i am stuck

 

[-red97rum-]

Leave the motor how it supposed to be and use a cherry picker to install the trans, it's much easier that way. There's a little loop/hook point on the top of the trans and it balances almost perfectly when hanging from the cherry picker. Then when you get it close use two big screw drivers through the bell housing bolt holes to kind of guide the trans to the block.

Here's how I do it:

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Once you use the cherry picker to drop or install an auto trans you'll never try to do it another way because it's pretty damn easy. Good luck with it.

 

[autodsm]

Damn....if only I had a cherry picker, . Also, i have ABS and would have to take the pump out. But maybe because the motor is tilted, is causing the issues here. I may just drop the trans again and then put the rear mount back on, and then hoist the trans up with the trans jack. Unless i can line it up at the angle is at now, which isnt working for me right now

 

[jimbob_843]

I always try a jack under it for about and hour of lowering and manuvering. Then i get pissed and man handle it into place. Reach over the fender and grab that thing.

 

[autodsm]

Yea I was shaking it, kicking it, wrestling with it and still couldnt get the damn thing lined up. The top two bolts in the center, next to the starter line up but the lower half and dowel pins dont... and the entire lower half pretty much

 

[Bouche Dag]

I used a piece of wood and my jack and patience. Once you get a couple of bolts in, I spun the t-cast output shaft (which you don't have the luxury of having) to get the input shaft splines to mesh with the clutch disc.

 

[bryanwheat]

If you are having that much trouble with it than get some studs and thread into 2 of the bellhousing holes to use a guide to get the trans to the block. After you get it to the block install the other bolts, and remove the studs. From there bolt if the rest of the way in.

 

[92AWDHX40]

When i did mine i put two bolts in the bell housing i used jack and jack stands to get everything lined up, now i use my cherry picker to raise the tranny. Even with a front busted housing near slave i had to improvise and remove my cross member when i had a my fwd. I had all kinds of problems before i used different methods of getting it in.

 

[autodsm]

Yea this is the first auto I have owned...others were manual and this auto trans weighs 2 or 3 times more than the manual trans. Can pick up the manual with one hand...this I have to use both and its still heavy as hell.....WHICH makes it harder to manuever and manhandle to get it in.

As far as using bolts in the bellhousing, I have two threaded at the top, but I am not able to swing the lower half onto the dowel pins and line the lower end up. It seems like MAYBE the torque converter isnt in the flexplate hole and that may be the hangup. I looked through the bottom and the "stub" on the torque converter is in the middle of the flexplate for sure, but probably isnt seating in the inner smaller hole?

 

[92AWDHX40]

Sorry never had a auto so not sure about that.

 

[bryanwheat]

Yea this is the first auto I have owned...others were manual and this auto trans weighs 2 or 3 times more than the manual trans. Can pick up the manual with one hand...this I have to use both and its still heavy as hell.....WHICH makes it harder to manuever and manhandle to get it in.

As far as using bolts in the bellhousing, I have two threaded at the top, but I am not able to swing the lower half onto the dowel pins and line the lower end up. It seems like MAYBE the torque converter isnt in the flexplate hole and that may be the hangup. I looked through the bottom and the "stub" on the torque converter is in the middle of the flexplate for sure, but probably isnt seating in the inner smaller hole?

Did you get the converter seated into the transmission properly. It will need to be turned until it slides in 3 different depths

 

[autodsm]

When I look at the input shaft, there are 2 splined parts, one larger than the other. When I put the torque converter on, it went on and then I lifted it and spun it and it slid in further. Turned it again and it slipped on even further. as i sits now, the "flywheel" portion of the torque converter (the teeth) sits inside the bell housing just a little bit. It isnt FLUSH with the end of the bell housing, but a little bit inside...less than a quarter inch. Not sure how far in the converter is supposed to sit??

 

[bryanwheat]

When I look at the input shaft, there are 2 splined parts, one larger than the other. When I put the torque converter on, it went on and then I lifted it and spun it and it slid in further. Turned it again and it slipped on even further. as i sits now, the "flywheel" portion of the torque converter (the teeth) sits inside the bell housing just a little bit. It isnt FLUSH with the end of the bell housing, but a little bit inside...less than a quarter inch. Not sure how far in the converter is supposed to sit??

It should be in the bellhousing further than that Around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I bet that the converter isn't seated into the pump.

 

[autodsm]

It should be in the bellhousing further than that Around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I bet that the converter isn't seated into the pump.

Yea the back of the converter sits almost flush with the bellhousing...its less than 1/4 inch of the way in. As it is now, the converter doesnt spin easily either...so im not sure why it doesnt seat into the pump or whatever. It spins easily two turns and where it is now, like 1/4 inch or so fully in, it doesnt spin as easily when I try pushing it in further.

 

[bryanwheat]

Yea the back of the converter sits almost flush with the bellhousing...its less than 1/4 inch of the way in. As it is now, the converter doesnt spin easily either...so im not sure why it doesnt seat into the pump or whatever. It spins easily two turns and where it is now, like 1/4 inch or so fully in, it doesnt spin as easily when I try pushing it in further.

You need to drop it back down and get it seated in the pump. Lift up on the center of the converter using the pilot stub on the front of it while turning it and pushing in. If you tighten the trans to the engine with the converter not seated it will destroy the pump.

 

[94allwheeldsm]

No doubt, I have had this happen. If you get the transmission bolted to the block and the torque converter spins freely then it is in correctly. If you cannot spin it by hand then it's not seated.
A good way I found to seat the converter is to put two of the bolts in it, lift slightly as you turn. Once it drops one click then keep spinning by one bolt. Sometimes spinning it back and forth with a little pressure helps.
Also, I always take some sand paper to the converter hub and the pilot bearing inside the crank to take off the rough edges.

 

[autodsm]

You need to drop it back down and get it seated in the pump. Lift up on the center of the converter using the pilot stub on the front of it while turning it and pushing in. If you tighten the trans to the engine with the converter not seated it will destroy the pump.

Shit...I had the top two bolts in but the trans wasnt fully seated against the block...hopefully I didnt fck the pump up. How can I tell if the pump is messed up? Can I look through where the input shaft is and tell or??

 

[94allwheeldsm]

Did you hear any bad sounds? As long as it wasn't ran and you heard nothing break(oil pump gear) you should be fine. Shine a flashlight in there and look

 

[bryanwheat]

Shit...I had the top two bolts in but the trans wasnt fully seated against the block...hopefully I didnt fck the pump up. How can I tell if the pump is messed up? Can I look through where the input shaft is and tell or??

IF you didn't crank it down to the engine than you should be fine.

 

[autodsm]

I didnt hear anything break or any weird sounds...

I didnt tighten the top two bellhousing to block bolts all the way, but tightened them a good amount. The thing was, I had been raising and lowering the trans, wrestling it around and whatnot trying to get it to seat properly, so I am not sure if something happened during that time...

How would I tell if something is broken? I will drop the tranny again tomorrow and take the torque converter out, but what should I look for to see if the pump is destroyed?

 

[-red97rum-]

Shit, I meant to mention that to you earlier too. The converter should be inside the trans about 3/4 of an inch, maybe a touch more. Whatever you do, don't use the bellhousing bolts to pull the trans up to the block.

 

[autodsm]

Shit, I meant to mention that to you earlier too. The converter should be inside the trans about 3/4 of an inch, maybe a touch more. Whatever you do, don't use the bellhousing bolts to pull the trans up to the block.

Well as i had mentioned, I put in the top two bolts and it did pull the bellhousing to the block, but not all the way. The tranny was slanted, the top met but the bottom didnt meet the block...to get a visual, it sat kind of like this -----> /| think of the straight line at the block and the slash as the tranny. I think it didnt sit flush because the stub on the torque converter didnt go though the middle of the crank bushing, but i dont know.

Edit: Took tranny down, took pump out and lo and behold:

Edit Again: I just got done putting the tranny all back together with the new pump and whatnot....i have the converter seated all the way in, but have a question on the depth.

I spun it and it seated, spun again and it seated....now this is where i am confused. It seated twice and is at the 3/4" mark...and it spun very easy and fast. I kept spinning and wiggling it and it seated the very last time, this time it is about 1 inch into the bell housing. Its fully in (this is where i fcked up last time and it wasnt seated all the way) but NOW its seated 3 times and all the way in....but its about an inch in. I can turn the torque converter but its not as easy to turn now...if i pull it back out to that 3/4 mark then it spins really fast.

Is it supposed to be harder to turn when its FULLY seated like I mentioned?? Here are some pics of the measurments...first two are when its at that 3/4 mark and spins fast and with ease and the second two are when its fully in 1 inch and it still turns but its harder to turn and doesnt spin under its own momentum...only turns as much as i turn it.

 

[autodsm]

Anyone know regarding the torque converter seating depth?