Stuck on a 4.o install, help HELP!!

[fireguy12117]

hi

ive been trying for 4 hours now to get a 4.0 back into my 93. ive triple checked and checked again that ive got the torque converter seated all the way into the bell housing. i checked this by removing it and seeing the grease had been pushed away off of the flat sides of the shaft that are supposed to mate to the pump unit...

ive got the torque converter lined up to the fly weel- all 4 studs are poking through the fly weel holes.

the fly weel is bottomed out on the torque converter and ive still got at least a half inch to go before the engine block studs make it into the bell housing.

all i can think of is:

ive got the fly weel backwards, but i just cant figure it out.
torque converter is still not seating all the way.
its a rebuilt long block, and someone put the wrong crank in. the fly weel seems like it sits pretty far from the block, but i have no reference to any other experience...

 

[kunar]

hi

ive been trying for 4 hours now to get a 4.0 back into my 93. ive triple checked and checked again that ive got the torque converter seated all the way into the bell housing. i checked this by removing it and seeing the grease had been pushed away off of the flat sides of the shaft that are supposed to mate to the pump unit...

ive got the torque converter lined up to the fly weel- all 4 studs are poking through the fly weel holes.

the fly weel is bottomed out on the torque converter and ive still got at least a half inch to go before the engine block studs make it into the bell housing.

all i can think of is:

ive got the fly weel backwards, but i just cant figure it out.
torque converter is still not seating all the way.
its a rebuilt long block, and someone put the wrong crank in. the fly weel seems like it sits pretty far from the block, but i have no reference to any other experience...

i know on the 2.9 there is a spacer that goes between the crank and the flywheel, but only on the auto's. maybe this helps?

 

[Jokertand]

So I would suggest that you look up the crank shaft length for the new crank and compare it to the length of the old one, as the flex plate(fly wheel) bolts directly to the torque converter, any deviation in lenth of the crank can cause it to purtrude from the engine a little. I also would mark the farthes point that you can get the tranny to the block and compare that with the difference in lengths if any to verify that it was the issue. Other wise I would say that you just are not quite getting the tranny in all the way due to fthe angle that you are raising the tranny up to the engine at. Try to just give it some muscle and bounce it up and down as you have someone else pushing it foward. If you are sure that the shaft is fully inserted into the torque converter then I would say that the only thing it could be is that Crank issue. Sorry to say that if that is the case you will probably need to install the rite crank. hope this helps. Keep us posted.

 

[fireguy12117]

i think i know what is holding me up, but dont know how to fix this.

i remember the center shaft pulling out on me during the course of pulling the motor last fall. there are two splined shafts sticking out that the T.C. slip on to and im pretty damned sure im bottoming out on that center shaft. i can rotate it, but cant get it to slide in further. it looks like there are spline wear marks exposed on that shaft which further tells me this is not in the right spot. i guess im going to try to get mid-evil on it, without getting mid-evil on it to try to get it back in that last little bit....

according to a chiltons, and ford service CD there is a dimension that supposed to reflect the front nubbin of the TC being "inside" of the bell housing. mine still sticks out. and it also said something about the TC may rub on the housing to trans bolts, but that it would be ok because your going to pull the TC forward when it bolts to the fly weel. my TC is far from scrapping on those bolts.

and the Fly weel- the wear marks make sense as to where the nut was and where the fly wheel sat on the TC

i cant verify the crank being wrong, but i cant image thats messed up...

 

[rangernotlifted]

i would take that shit out, and make sure ur TC, fits in with out the motor

 

[fireguy12117]

everything is out of the truck- that is exactly what i am doing. the TC wont go on all the way. that is the problem.

 

[rangernotlifted]

hmm lets see, well i had the same thing happen to me when i replaced my a4ld, but all i did was take the center shaft in the tranny and spin it and it popped in, u have fluid in ur torque converter right just have to make sure u do that before u put it in, umm if ur able to pull that center shaft out, then u could try pulling it out sticking it in the tc and then sticking the whole thing into the transmission and line it up that way,

 

[fireguy12117]

i wish i had that luck. i had to use vice grips and a hammer to get the shaft out. had it out, flipped it, slid it back in, not knowing at that time the long pline goes into the TC, and now i have the wrong end inside the tranny, and for the life of me cannot get the shaft out even with vice grips ands a hammer. ive ruined one set of vice grips so far.

i talked to a friend of a friend, blah blah....he said there is a washer that may have slipped out of place and thats why i cant get the shaft to seat all the way. in any case im screwed because i cant get the shaft out now, to flip it the correct way and try to wiggle it back it....

so anyhow, i know whats causing me not to get the damned engine to sit snug to the tranny....