Yep, torque converter won't go all the way in.

[NotRingoStar]

Hey guys, nice to meet everyone. Yep, just like the other threads, I pulled my son's engine out of his '98 3.0L and I can't, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, get the torque converter to go back in all the way. Now, I've read probably all the posts on here and the other Ranger forum, watched YouTube videos, googled, EVERYTHING. I've spun it slow, spun it fast, turned it clockwise, counterclockwise, pulled it out, put it back in, pulled the small shaft (input shaft, I believe it's called?) out, put it back in, made sure it was only sticking out when I reinstalled it, like, 3/4" to 7/8" of an inch. Is that correct? Because I couldn't get it to go farther in than that. Now I've worked on cars and trucks off and on for years, replacing just about anything you can imagine, including several torque converters, and NEVER had this much trouble. Heck, as you guys know, you usually just turn them and they sort of "click" in, each time going in a little farther with every click. Not this one. I never get that "click", it does go in, just not as much as it needs to. I even measured with a tape and from the face of the torque converter to the lip edge of the transmission bell housing is like, 1 and 3/8" of an inch. Not enough right? Doesn't it need to go more than that? I'm afraid I'm fixing to mess up the new front seal I just installed if I keep jacking this thing. LOL. Please help, I'm begging. Oh, I also put it in neutral and tried it, and back in park. Same thing.

 

[Shran]

Welcome to the forum. Sure you got the right seal? Lube up the lip of it a bit with vaseline?

Can you put a mirror behind it and see if it's sliding into the seal or getting hung up?

 

[NotRingoStar]

Oh thanks for your quick reply Shran. Yes, I put the new seal on top of the old one before I installed it and it was exactly like the old one. And I think it is sliding all the way into the new seal, because it does go back a pretty good ways. It just doesn't seem to be going as far as it needs to.

 

[Josh B]

I don't know much about it, but have you tried spinning it a bit, this way and then that, to see if it might clunk on in there?

 

[NotRingoStar]

Thanks for your reply Josh. Yes, I have spun it both ways, pulled it out, put it back in, everything. Nothing seems to work.

 

[Shran]

I will try and remember to take a pic of the spare automatic I have on the shelf this evening... I know the TC is all the way in on that one, you can use that to compare.

 

[Snoranger]

Did you by any chance have the input shaft out? Did you put it back in backwards? If you did, the converter won’t go all the way in. Both ends are the same diameter and spline count, but the spline length is different.

 

[NotRingoStar]

Ok thanks Shran.
Yes snoranger, I did take the input shaft out after messing with it for a while, but I just pulled it out and slid it right back in the same way just to see if that was holding off the torque converter. Also, it was very easy to slide out without using the vice grip trick like some other people have had to do. It also slid back in pretty easy until it was only sticking out like, 3/4" to 7/8" of an inch. But yeah, I didn't spin it around or anything. I wanted to make sure I put it right back the correct way.

 

[NotRingoStar]

Ok, GOT IT! I just wasn't being patient enough. This time I went back out there and turned it very slow until it would start clunking in, then it did it again, and now I know it's all the way in, because it's rubbing on the ribs on the front pump. I want to thank everyone's input for trying to help me. It's folks like you that realy help people in a time of need. Boy, what did we do before the internet and forums like this? LOL.

 

[19Walt93]

I'm late to the party but it works best if you wiggle the convertor up and down while turning it. Glad you got it back in.

 

[pjtoledo]

don't feel bad, I had a difficulty seating my 2000 last year. it still runs!

 

[NotRingoStar]

Oh 19Walt, I wiggled the HECK out of it. LOL. Turns out, I think, that I was just turning it too fast.
pjtoledo, yeah stuff like that drives me crazy. I like easy. Haha.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

From what I know, the face of the tc needs to be inset from the face of the trans about half inch or more.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

From what I know, the face of the tc needs to be inset from the face of the trans about half inch or more.

Oops, this post got delayed several hours.

 

[DustinP]

I'm having the same problem you had I think I don't know. I get the tc on the flywheel but it it's jot room for movement like side to side no matter how I spin it and place it on... is this normal and I just need to put it all together , I don't this in my first ranger but I can't imagine it should wiggle