Mating the 3.0L Engine and Transmission

[Sharky146]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and have a quick question.

I recently bought a 1999 Ranger XLT 3.0L 2WD. It needed a motor, so I picked up a used 3.0L from a wrecked 2007 Ranger. I pulled the original motor and tranny together and intend to reinstall them together as well. I put all the top end and accessories from my old motor onto the "new" motor so that my existing wiring harness and vacuum system would plug back up nicely.

It's almost ready to go back in the truck, but I'm having a problem with mating the motor with the transmission. When I try to get them together, I can only get them to within about half an inch of each other. I feel like maybe I'm not properly seating the torque converter into the transmission. Is there a trick to this? Should the stud (don't know what it's actually called) on the front of the torque converter be flush with the bell housing, or protruding slightly? The best I've been able to do is to get it so that the stud is prodtruding about an 1/8 inch outside the bell housing.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

- Sharky146

Here's a picture of the back of the motor and the "stud" on the torque converter. The pic is of just the torque converter outside of the transmission.

 

[don4331]

Yes, you have to correctly "seat" the torque converter into the transmission. I usually find there are 3 stages:

1. The initial install then turn a little clockwise/counter clockwise while lightly pushing in.​

2. The torque converter engages with, I believe it is the pump. some more clockwise/counter clockwise turning and​

3. The torque converter engage with the input shaft.​

​

If it isn't completely seated, don't try to force it - you will bust the pump.

When it is correctly installed the transmission will slide up nicely.

 

[Dirtman]

Yea like done said there should be two distinct "clunks" before it fully seats. It should NOT stick out past the bell housing when seated properly.

And yes you will 100 deatroy the transmission if you try to force it by bolting it on not fully seated. If its fully seated the bell housing will mate flush to the engine block with no effort required.

 

[adsm08]

There are three stages of the converter seating. The first is just getting the pump snout in the hole. The second is getting the outer splines lined up, the third is getting that little input shaft guy in it's hole. The amount of play you have in the converter reduced drastically with each one, and when it is in the whole way there should be almost no up/down or left/right play, just spinning.

 

[Sharky146]

Gents, thank you. That’s great info. I’ll give it a try and report back.

 

[bobbywalter]

There are three stages of the converter seating. The first is just getting the pump snout in the hole. The second is getting the outer splines lined up, the third is getting that little input shaft guy in it's hole. The amount of play you have in the converter reduced drastically with each one, and when it is in the whole way there should be almost no up/down or left/right play, just spinning.

Aligning the pump flats is 3rd.

And that's what gets Fawked up....the pump gear. You can have the converter in there right....but if the gear is backwards your janked.

Before you even stab it....you gawk in there and make sure the chamfers are gawking back at you.

sometimes the pump gear gets installed backwards.

 

[Sharky146]

Alright guys. Still having trouble. I did a little YouTube video.

Here’s the link to the video:

I still can’t get the torque converter to “clunk” the last time. The stud is still sticking out past the bell housing.

I suspect that this tranny might be messed up. Remember the vehicle was non-operational when I bought it. I’m going to go to back the junk yard with my torque converter and try to mate it to the tranny of the same truck my engine came out of. If it works, I’ll just buy that tranny and call it good.

Amy other tips? I feel like it should be Faily simple to install the torque converter to the transmission.

 

[adsm08]

Aligning the pump flats is 3rd.

Yeah, well getting the input shaft into the clutch should be the only step.

 

[Dirtman]

Did you try cursing at it?

 

[bobbywalter]

Yeah, well getting the input shaft into the clutch should be the only step.

Almost looks like the direct shaft is out too far.


One of the converters has a longer snout. The chamfers on the gear are facing you right?

 

[Snoranger]

Almost looks like the direct shaft is out too far.

Yup... it should only stick out about 1”.

 

[bobbywalter]

Turn it around

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Turn it around

Really? Could the solution be that simple?

 

[bobbywalter]

Possible....

 

[bobbywalter]

The way I mod the aod for lube you can ob