I blew it! Didnt fully engage torque converter in install!

[surratt]

Damn I was rushed doing a 5.0 conversion in my shop at work with the boss giving me 2 weeks to do it. I rushed it and didnt have the torque converter fully engaged. It was heart breaking to remove it and see the shaft is locked up and the torque converter damaged.

Someone make me feel better with an I blew it story!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

My FIL did the same. Fortunately all he had to replace was the TC.
I spent 4 months trying to find out why my race truck wouldn't start just to find a wiring plug wasn't connected properly.

 

[RonD]

Yup, "been there done that"

My first engine rebuild with an automatic, did the same thing, busted the front pump.

 

[CAD]

Yep! been there also, on an old 72 Buick that I swapped in a 350 chevy engine and trans. Tore the crap out of the front pump and had to tear down the trans again to make sure nothing else was damaged. But one thing is for sure, after tearing it all down and putting it back together you will never let that happen ever again. And will drive everyone crazy checking and rechecking it the next time.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

I made a customers 3.0L have an S shaped rod once. Boss bought a new engine. I still feel like a POS thinking about it.

 

[surratt]

ha it sucks terribly. Ill never make that mistake again. I could have sworn it was engaged properly. I may have jarred it loose as I was shaking the trans to get it into place. Oh well I guess Ill have to learn how to replace the front pump on this c4

 

[surratt]

Well I finally got to taking the front pump off and it looks like i can get by replacing the actual front pump gears and the torque converter I dont really see any more damage....Im hoping I can get away with that. About a 250 dollar ****up, not too terrible

 

[Elutheros]

I spent a night (till 3 am) helping a guy recover from that mistake on his old Volvo wagon. He cracked the bell housing trying to use the bolts to pull the trans up against the block. Had to take it all apart and replace the bell housing.

 

[sblake01]

My son once did an oil change one evening on a Nissan Altima he once owned. Not particularly an noteworthy event except but forgot to put in the new oil afterwards and set out for work the next morning. I needn't say more........

 

[swynx]

a buddy missed out on a year of wheeling, just because he couldnt get power to his fuel pump or any spark, spent a few hundred bucks trying to fix the problem, it was just fuses.

 

[adsm08]

At my shop, in the space of a month, we destroyed the pumps on two FRN5 transmissions by not having the converters seated correctly.

You can't really buy just parts for those.

 

[drsvox]

took me six weekends to rebuild my C5...had no idea what the hell I was doing and put a thrust washer back incorrectly...45 degrees wrong and the oil holes weren't lined up. took less than a week to fry my forward clutch (but only two days to rebuild it the second time).

oh and I still have no idea what the hell I'm doing...

 

[adsm08]

Dude, it's an auto, there is no "knowing what you're doing", it's all luck.

 

[surratt]

haha keep these stories coming its helping ease the dumb ass pains Im experiencing

 

[surratt]

took me six weekends to rebuild my C5...had no idea what the hell I was doing and put a thrust washer back incorrectly...45 degrees wrong and the oil holes weren't lined up. took less than a week to fry my forward clutch (but only two days to rebuild it the second time).

oh and I still have no idea what the hell I'm doing...

ha yeah im going to make an attempt to rebuild the pump...shouldnt be too bad. Something tells me i should just take it to aamco and give them 150 to do it for me and have a little piece of mind