Ok, bear with me, please. I swapped a 1986 351w HO engine into my 1978 f100 where a 302 used to be. I am using the stock c4 tranny. When I went to fire the truck up and drive it, the tranny worked ok(not perfect) I drove it up the alley a couple times, and the tranny started slipping more and more, until I barely got it back into my garage, and the fluid had a strong burnt smell. the fluid was full. This tranny worked great when the motor blew about 10 months ago. I thought the torque converter might not have been set all the way back when I installed the engine, but when I pulled the tranny this weekend, I couldn't get my fingers between the torque converter and bellhousing, and it wouldn't go back any more when i turned it and pushed it back at the same time. I am getting ready to get the tranny rebuilt, and I don't want to make the same mistake twice if the tranny fried because of something I did. now, after all, that here is the question/quandry i am in right now. Would the tranny have fried itself if I didn't have the spacer between the engine and tranny installed?(the 302 I took out didn't have one, and it worked fine) I have one now, and i will put it in when I put the new tranny in. Also, when I bought a flexplate, I bought one for the engine(1986 351w from a bronco 4x4 with a c6). I am thinking I should have bought one for a car 351w with a c4 tranny. If I did use the wrong flexplate, could that have something to do with the tranny destructing itself? what flexplate should I use? any advice and help here would be greatly appreciated...I don't want to tear up my new tranny.-X09 I hope my explained my problem clearly, if not, feel free to ask questions...thanks yet again, Ben

 

Have the people that rebuild the tranny install it. Tell them everything you did to the truck when you talk to them. Include the above info.

 

not using the block plate can cause front pump failure in a trans. the plate spaces the trans back a little and is crucial for proper engagement depth of the torque convertor. it may not be your problem but many tansmissions have been ruined by leaving it out. hawkrod

 

All,
I am assuming your talking about the sheet metal/plate that fits on the dowel pins, then you bolt the flex plate on the crank, then you spin in your torque converter, then you bolt up your tranny.
This plate also acts as a dust cover on some applications?
Why would you leave it off?
KingFisher

 

Kingfisher,

Yes, that is the plate I am talking about...it has the bellhousing bolt pattern and fits inbetween the tranny and engine. i did not take it out. When I took the 302 out, there wasn't one there from the previous owner, and I didn't realize there was supposed to be one when I put the 351w in. anybody have any idea about the flexplate?...thanks, Ben