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Seating Torque Convertor

colintrax

Elite Explorer
Joined
July 16, 2009
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City, State
Georgia
Year, Model & Trim Level
97 XLT
Trying to seat a TC, but I feel like it's not going in deep enough. Slight amount of axial play but otherwise feels fully seated. However I'm measuring 10.3mm from the front nose to the face of the bell housing. Specification is 10.23 to 14.43mm.
.07mm can easily be from the bar not being flat, or my measurement slightly off, or hell the temperature in the garage not right. Do I bolt this up or keep trying to seat this iron headache?
 



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Trying to seat a TC, but I feel like it's not going in deep enough. Slight amount of axial play but otherwise feels fully seated. However I'm measuring 10.3mm from the front nose to the face of the bell housing. Specification is 10.23 to 14.43mm.
.07mm can easily be from the bar not being flat, or my measurement slightly off, or hell the temperature in the garage not right. Do I bolt this up or keep trying to seat this iron headache?
@colintrax
If you look at the flats on the converter hub, which drive the pump, and are the source of "hang-up" upon inserting the converter, you'll see they are perhaps 3/4 inch long, axially. If it hangs up going in, it will be protruding far enough to cause breakage of the pump, if mounting bolts are tightened down.

Not sure what you are measuring with, but 0.3 mm = 0.012 inch, less than 1/64", not reasonable to resolve with a graduated scale. The spec. range is 0.165", almost 3/16 inch, reasonable to resolve with a scale. Fact that you read right at the low end of the range suggests no problem at all. If it were hanging up, it would be protruding beyond the bell housing machined front mounting surface by perhaps 3/16" at the minimum. So if yer BELOW the bell surface, I believe yer OK!

But, as you scoshie the transmission up and in, be very cautious that converter does not quietly slide forward out of the pump, for if it does, squeezing the trans in place is very likely to to fail to re-engage the converter into the pump.

Your understanding of the significance of the size of those numbers under 1mm is good!

imp
 






Ok thanks IMP!
I measured with a level and 1/64" side of a combination square. By no means precise but both are name brand, made in USA tools. So should be good enough.

Gonna head back out in the garage and bolt her up. I'll be sure to keep the transmission angled up so the torque converter doesnt fall forward.
Thanks again :dpchug:
 






I'm in the same boat. See my plan b thread. I was told it had to double seat. I tried bolting mine up and there was still a gap, and I didn't feel comfortable with the fit. I pulled the trans back out and I'm going to stand it up to try and seat it.
 






I also pay close attention to the drive nose (Protrusion) on the front of the converter and the inset of the crank where it fits.

Light smoothing out with a little sandpaper and a dab of grease.

Same applies for the dowel pins. Burrs on those will drive you nuts.

Make sure the converter drain, if you have one, lines up with the window in the flywheel. (Been there, done that. Had to pull mine out and re-clock it to match up)

As @imp said
But, as you scoshie the transmission up and in, be very cautious that converter does not quietly slide forward out of the pump, for if it does, squeezing the trans in place is very likely to to fail to re-engage the converter into the pump.

Once you get it up in there and a few mounting bolts snug you should be able to grab one of the converter studs and rock the converter back and forth freely.

You should end up with a small gap between the stud mounting pad and flywheel face if its locked in.
 






Ok thanks IMP!
I measured with a level and 1/64" side of a combination square. By no means precise but both are name brand, made in USA tools. So should be good enough.

Gonna head back out in the garage and bolt her up. I'll be sure to keep the transmission angled up so the torque converter doesnt fall forward.
Thanks again :dpchug:
@colintrax
It occurred to me after posting, that several, 3 I know of, different schemes are used on the hub to drive the pump. Yours may not have flats, but rather two notches machined in the end of the hub, or two tangs protruding outward like ears. Flats:
FD-90-60G.jpg


Notches:
3KcCOj8vty.jpg


Ears:
th

This last one was for the very first automatics Ford used in Mercurys. The converters were humongous, and air cooled, covered with fins.

Regardless of the type any one not aligned in the pump is a no-go! imp
 






I also pay close attention to the drive nose (Protrusion) on the front of the converter and the inset of the crank where it fits.

Light smoothing out with a little sandpaper and a dab of grease.

Same applies for the dowel pins. Burrs on those will drive you nuts.

Make sure the converter drain, if you have one, lines up with the window in the flywheel. (Been there, done that. Had to pull mine out and re-clock it to match up)


Once you get it up in there and a few mounting bolts snug you should be able to grab one of the converter studs and rock the converter back and forth freely.

You should end up with a small gap between the stud mounting pad and flywheel face if its locked in.
@shucker1
Very good advice! I'm too old to think of everything anymore! :dunno: The front pilot hub on the converter is soft, not hardened, while the crankshaft is quite hard, and gouging of the edge of the hub can indeed make it difficult to enter the crank, giving false impression the converter is binding in the pump. Then, there's rust and corrosion, sometimes. I always like to take the converter in hand, and "feel" the fit in the crank before assembling. Once assembled, you should be able to rotate the converter by hand within the clearance of the mounting holes to check freeness in the crank, nice to do, but important only if you need to rotate the converter to "find the holes". Usually, my experience has been the studs enter the flexplate before the hub starts in the crank.

FWIW, this is vastly different than a manual transmission input shaft pilot locating in the crankshaft, because the converter never "rotates" with respect to the crank; they are locked together. In the manual set-up, the crankshaft spins about the input shaft, which may be standing still with clutch released, in gear, at a stoplight. Everytime a shift is made, a certain amount of spinning occurs between the crank and input shaft, while the clutch is released. When engaged, the two spin together at the same speed. So, the input shaft is both supported, and provided with a bearing in the crank.

As a young guy, teens, deeply into messing with my Mercury (1955), I was driven to learn and understand how all these parts worked in relation to each other. Today, my wife knows that, and says it drove me nuts! imp
 






All good tips and guides. Before starting to remove a transmission, when the TC nuts are removed, right then measure the clearance of the TC. Push it rearward then and see how far it should move, for when the new assembly is put back against the flexplate.
 






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