98 Explorer Auto Trans Install Problem

[biker_baller20]

Hello everyone, I am new here, I found this forum while looking for answers to a problem I am having with the automatic transmission installation on my 1998 for explorer.
Everything went fine taking the old transmission out and putting the new one in until I went to torque the nuts on the torque converter studs and found that I could not turn the engine. The TC studs slid into the drive plate without any problems, I put the nuts on them, just finger tight, and fitted up the transmission and tightened in up. When I went back to tighten in the nuts I couldn't turn the engine. I am trying to turn it using the nut on the front of the crankshaft. As far as I can tell there's nothing that I could have done while tightening up the transmission to the engine that could have locked it up. Hopefully I am missing something simple, thanks for any advice.

 

[drdoom]

Did you have the converter in all the way, and the measurement checked out? If not it could be in a bind, and pump damage is likely.

 

[mmerlinn]

You did not seat the converter properly when the transmission was still on the floor.

 

[rickybobby]

I ran into that issue with my 97. unfortunatly i damaged the torque converter in the process.

 

[biker_baller20]

Thanks

Thanks for the help I am pulling the tranny back down tomorrow morning. I think the torque converter must have slid while I was mating up the trans after putting the nuts on the TC studs.

 

[PopRichie77]

The splines on the input shaft are different on the ends, short end goes in the trans, they look the same and if it was put in backwards it won't let the Torque Converter go in all the way. The pilot of the TC has to be about 7/16 to 9/16 of an inch inside the surface of the bell hsg. If you tightened the bell hsg. bolts there is probably damage.

 

[biker_baller20]

Well I dropped the tranny back down and after inspecting everything got the torque converter seated properly. It took some time to get it to sit back where it needed to be but once it was properly installed everything slid back together without a problem. Fortunately I didn't damage anything, I took it out for a thirty mile test run and everything is working great. My take home lesson from this one: don't try to force a transmission, if it won't slid in a mate up something is probably wrong.

 

[imp]

Well I dropped the tranny back down and after inspecting everything got the torque converter seated properly. It took some time to get it to sit back where it needed to be but once it was properly installed everything slid back together without a problem. Fortunately I didn't damage anything, I took it out for a thirty mile test run and everything is working great. My take home lesson from this one: don't try to force a transmission, if it won't slid in a mate up something is probably wrong.

The really lucky thing for you, is that the OIL SEAL was not damaged during the clamping of the converter which occurred due to misalignment! Still, keep an eye out for leakage, and your fingers crossed. imp