This was discussed in another thread but so as not to hijack....

Does anyone know about this procedure?
I am not sure I understand what the instructions are trying to tell me...and I have never heard of shimming the TQ converter before.
Am I supposed to pull it forward....or?????






Thanks in advance....I'm a little confused

 

What are the instructions for?

 

Um....installing the torque converter

 

We had to do it on my son's truck. There was too much movement (close to 1/2"), so we added some ARP washers that I had in the shop until we got it at 1/4" total movement of the converter. Ran it like that for about 50K miles until we parted the truck out, never had an issue.

 

I've never seen instruction for installing a torque converter. Didn't know it was that difficult, but I've ran manual transmissions all my life.

 

What they are telling you is that with the converter installed and pushed all the way back towards the transmission, you should not have to slide it forward anymore then 3/16" to make contact with the flex plate..If it contacts the plate before the limit,fine..if not add some washers.. It's all about keeping the right amount of contact for the pump drive

 

Thanks.....that was kinda what I thought they were getting at....not to pull it towards the flex plate more than 3/16"....

It's odd, it doesn't have "threaded pads" on the new TQ like my old one does....gonna have to use nuts & bolts I guess.....

 

do you have the flex plate on facing the correct way?

 

Flex plate isn't on the engine yet...engine is still on the stand.
It's going in the day after tomorrow though.

 

You want to make sure that the pilot hub diameter on the converter is the proper size for the pilot bore in the flywheel/flexplate. Use a caliper to measure both; the converter hub should be a few thousandths of an inch smaller than the bore (.002-.004 or so).

The thickness of the new converter (thrust face on back side to bolt mounting faces on the front side) needs to be the same as that of the old converter, if you just want it to bolt up without any shims added. The method the sheet is using expects you to install the converter and then see how much forward-to-backward movement you have (clearance 'slop'). And the sheet wants that clearance to be between 1/8" and 3/16". If larger, you need to put some hardened flat washers on the converter bolt mounting faces when you install the bolts...to take up that extra slack. Even with 'shims', you still need at least 1/8" movement for proper running of the converter.

And, the mounting bolt pattern needs to be the same as was on your old converter.

It would be better to check the thickness of the converter BEFORE you install it. They might have sold you the WRONG converter, you know! How do you measure from the thrust face on the backside of the converter to the bolt mounting faces on the front? Well, it's not that hard, but I'll leave that for you to think out. (HINT: You don't really need an actual measurement; you just need to know that the new unit is the SAME thickness as the old one.)

 

Thank you! Awesome info there!
I guess I could start by laying them both on the ground side by side and comparing heights.....I do have measuring equipment as I was a machinist for 25 years

That's goon info that I WANT at least 1/8" movement at the pump...not tight up against it....

Fun stuff! Can't wait to get home and make a comparison!

 

I use a torque converter that was bult here in alaska with a csr flexplate. Neither manufacturer required shims and the fit and finish was awesome. I dont ever recall having an issue with this.

 

I have to say that's a new one to me- and I was working in GM dealers and building transmissions in the late 70's up thru the late 80's. If that's the kind of instructions they're including with new, (maybe rebuilt?) convertors, I'd suspect a quality control problem. I have seen a couple that the hub on the front of the convertor was too big for the crank as 7T1 pointed out, but never had any problem with the rear hub moving so far forward that the lugs getting out of the pump causing any type problem.
I see the next problem is going to be that someone will shim one too tight to the rear and destroy the front pump or the thrust bearing. Or both.
The next thing is that if the snout on the front of the convertor doesn't get into the back end of the crank, sooner or later the pump bushing is going to wear and the whole thing is going to be misaligned and cause vibration.
Just my $.02