If the torque converter was misaligned would it not impair driveability of the car, but still make a whining noise in park and neutral most noticeably? I think my mechanic is full of ****.

The car dogs a little, but mainly whines in P and N...information I have read here and elsewhere leads me to believe that this is NOT the torque converter, but he keeps bringing it back to the TC...discarding everything else I say. Time for a new shop?

-Anthony Helton

 

From what I've read, the torque converter would get destroyed almost instantly after turning the key if it were misaligned.

 

Misaligned? The torque converter is bolted to the flexplate and splined to the transmission input shaft, and technically the impeller and turbine are connected only by transmission fluid. I doubt there is any way it could be misaligned. Maybe your torque converter lockup solenoid is stuck on, that would explain the bogging.

 

I think by "misaligned" he means not engaging both sets of splines... you can put it on there and bolt it up but if you haven't engaged both sets of splines by twisting the torque converter back and forth and pushing inward to make sure it's all the way in then that could be considered to be "misaligned".

 

The mechanic said there are 3 bolts which connect the torque converter to the flexplate. If the bolts are tightened down in such a way that one is completely tightened before the other two are even put on, that the TC will get "cocked" in such a way that the bushing between the pump and the TC will rub against its "wall", creating the whining noise. What do you think? I'm thinking he's shady.

 

hey i jus did a tranny/tc swap this weekend. the tc is bolted to the flywheel with 3 bolts. i don't see how you could get it misaligned because when you tighten it down, it pulls itself flush with the flywheel.

i would put the car on some ramps and get under there and look at it. just pull the flywheel cover off and you can see it right there.

good luck

 

So, the general vibe I'm getting is that he's full of ****. I'm going to call OTHER shops tomorrow morning. I'll keep y'all posted. At least someone else further along the line with the same problem can't be screwed if I figure it out.

-Anthony Helton

 

There is one form of "misalignment" that can happen, it's more common than you might think.

If the crank isn't exactly centered on the bell housing dowel pin pattern due to sloppy machining at the factory or align-boring or whatever, then the center of the crank won't be in line with the center of the pump bushing, and you'll have that problem. The cure is offset dowel pins.

You can check it fairly easily with a manual bell housing and a dial indicator mounted to the inside of the hole. If the center of the hole and the center of the crank don't line up, get dowel pins with the approximate correct offset to correct it, and install them in the direction that moves the BH to where it's as close to centered as possible.

 

RB83L69: Would that cause this whining noise I'm hearing in park and neutral?

 

yes, at least it could

 

Would the TC require replacement? That's what this mechanic is claiming, in addition to possibly the pump, etc., etc.

 

UPDATE:

Took it to a 2nd transmission shop for a diagnostic. He listened around with a stethoscope and told me that it wasn't coming from the transmission. He said he heard a noise in the alternator, so I told him I had the belts removed and the noise was still being made. He then went on to tell me that it was actually loudest in the exhaust system. I'm going to move this on over to engine and exhaust forums. I'm thinking some sort of exhaust backpressure? Who knows...

-Anthony Helton