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Hello, I've been working on replacing the engine in my F150 and the problem I'm running into is when I torque the transmission bell housing bolts to the engine I can't turn the engine over by hand anymore. I tried loosening the bolts and the engine spins freely by hand and I can turn the torque converter but when tightened it just binds up again.
Was the original engine from a manual transmission truck? Is the manual transmission pilot-bearing still in the back of the crankshaft. It needs to be removed for the torque converter to fit.
The original engine was a 96 351w attached to a E4OD and the engine I'm putting in is a 92 351w that had an auto from a donor truck, I used the TC and the flex plate from the 96 truck and just bolted it to the back of the 92 engine. I believe the torque converter was fully seated, it clicked back into place and it spun freely
It wasn't clear how you put everything together but the correct procedure is to seat the TC in the transmission first, attach the trans to the engine and then bolt the TC to the flexplate.
The TC should move freely inside the bellhousing and even have some front-back play with the trans completely bolted to the engine, if you dont have that the TC wasn't fully seated and you may now have damaged the trans oil pump and maybe the TC too.
There are 3 distinct clicks or notches (splines) that need to be engaged when installing a lockup converter
I got a bad feeling you only achieved two clicks
Yeah the TC doest really have any front to back play so I think it wasn't seated all the way, when I have time today I'll pull it apart and try to seat it the rest of the way. Is there any good way to tell if I did break the transmission oil pump or the TC?
Yeah the TC doest really have any front to back play so I think it wasn't seated all the way, when I have time today I'll pull it apart and try to seat it the rest of the way. Is there any good way to tell if I did break the transmission oil pump or the TC?
As hard as it is to install the transmission, when you have it out to inspect the converter, take the front pump assembly out and check what damage you may have done.
I always check to see if the converter is not resting against the flex plate when mating an engine/transmission. There should always be some play.
I took the TC back out and the splines inside it don't seem to be damaged, when I try to reinstall it it seems to sit into the bell housing about the same as before. I'm not sure if I don't have it aligned or seated properly or if I damaged the shaft when I tried to bolt everything together. It does have some play up and down and left and right, not sure how much/if any its supposed to have? Any advice or help is appreciated
This is as far in as I have it at the moment, but I think it needs to go farther in
With a lot more wiggling and turning I got it to sit into the pump gear, it sits farther in than in the picture and I have more clearance from the front of the bell housing, it spins fine and I'm not feeling any spots where it binds up or feel like there's any damage
It's too easy to remove the transmission pump and make certain you are right. You're call, but nothing is more frustrating than wasting several hours and fluid only to start kicking yourself in the a$$ because you were too lazy to check. Been there/done that.
