Engine/Transmission alignment woes
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 14
From: Norfolk VA
Engine/Transmission alignment woes
Yesterday I removed my engine to replace the torque convertor and flexplate on the vette. When i attemped to reinstall the engine. I am having trouble pushing the dowels on the block into the bellhousing on the tranny. My vehicle is on four jackstands with the front stands
under the lower contol arms. The vehicle being exactly six inches from the ground. (measured fron the bottom of the rocker panel) When I attempted to jack up the transmission the tranny always tilts toward the right as you look at it from the front. I cannot manuver the jack
on the transmission because the legs of the hoist are in the way. Any ideas before I take a sledgehammer to this car? Listening for ANY ideas.
under the lower contol arms. The vehicle being exactly six inches from the ground. (measured fron the bottom of the rocker panel) When I attempted to jack up the transmission the tranny always tilts toward the right as you look at it from the front. I cannot manuver the jack
on the transmission because the legs of the hoist are in the way. Any ideas before I take a sledgehammer to this car? Listening for ANY ideas.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
I might be way off here.... but are you very sure that the torque converter is seated all the way? These things will fool you. When first installed on the trans they have another inch to go.
Spin it while pushing and jiggling to make sure that the TC is all the way in. When seated properly there should be a good about of open space between the TC and flywheel before it is bolted up.
PS...I am wondering if you dont have the back of the engine tilted enough. How are you supporting it? Can you drop it a little to line up with the trans
Spin it while pushing and jiggling to make sure that the TC is all the way in. When seated properly there should be a good about of open space between the TC and flywheel before it is bolted up.
PS...I am wondering if you dont have the back of the engine tilted enough. How are you supporting it? Can you drop it a little to line up with the trans
Last edited by Retro78; Jul 2, 2005 at 04:01 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 2
From: Dayton Oh
When I rebuilt my engine, I placed a jack stand just a little forward of mid center of the car and removed the driver side front tire and pushed the engine hoist under the car from there. I then jacked up the front of tranny as high as possible (board between jack & tranny to keep from bending the tranny cover). I initially used longer bolts for the bell housing and concentrated on getting one side started by 4 or 5 threads. After starting one side, I had a friend move the engine up & down & around until I got the other side started by a few threads. Then I kept pulling the engine towards the tranny by screwing one side then the other until the dowels lined up. Hope this helps and good luck. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
Put down the sledgehammer and back away from your precious vette. Grab a beer and be very thankful that this forum is here to help you avoid pain.
I'm a manual tranny guy and when I get the tranny part-way on then I move the jack out of the way and just use my muscles to move the tranny around; however, I know that the auto-tranny's are heavier so that may not be an option. It sounds though like your problem is in getting the tranny to stand up straight (a problem many of us older gen guys have). The fix for that is a tranny jack which has a large flat surface for the tranny to rest on...it's more stable and makes it much easier to shift the tranny into the right spot.
Also, I encountered the same problem with the hoist legs. My solution was to remove the driver side front tire, and slide the hoist legs around the tire...that way the legs aren't anywhere near the tranny.
I'm a manual tranny guy and when I get the tranny part-way on then I move the jack out of the way and just use my muscles to move the tranny around; however, I know that the auto-tranny's are heavier so that may not be an option. It sounds though like your problem is in getting the tranny to stand up straight (a problem many of us older gen guys have). The fix for that is a tranny jack which has a large flat surface for the tranny to rest on...it's more stable and makes it much easier to shift the tranny into the right spot.
Also, I encountered the same problem with the hoist legs. My solution was to remove the driver side front tire, and slide the hoist legs around the tire...that way the legs aren't anywhere near the tranny.
Last edited by Rockn-Roll; Jul 2, 2005 at 06:57 PM.
