hey guys im right in the process of swapping my engine in and just got done bolting the bellhousing to the tranny. Then i was working from underneath the car to put the bolts through the flexplate to the convertor and hole is to small for bolt. I ordered a TCI convertor and they supplied me with these 3 bolts and the first one i put on it went through the flexplate and screwed in the conv. with no problems. Now i went to the next hole on the flexplate and the hole is to small!!! why is that? I marked the flexplate of the 3 holes of which i was going to used before i even put the engine in. If i get a smaller bolt to fit through the flexplate then it wont go screw into the conv. because its to small right?? I need your help guys so i can get this done and start putting my headers and everything else back to together, thanks

Sounds like you have a flex plate that was set up for an earlier model converter, but you have a later model conv.

It's the difference between SAE and metric bolt sizes. 3/8" vs 10mm IIRC. You just need to enlarge the hole slightly.

how would i be able to enlarge the bolt size? the engine is already dropped in and bolted to the tranny. I just dont want to take everything apart again because it took me awhile to get it together. Would i have enough room to drill or anything? I have that bottom "tranny cover?" off so im able to work with it from underneath. Any ideas would be helpful

Die grinder with a 90* head and a cone-shaped bit. It should only need a little bit of massaging. Just make sure you don't chew up the threads on the torque converter.

ok thanks geatJ, ill give it a shot and see if it works...

I had to do this also when I swapped my tranny a few days ago, the bolts were too large to fit through the hole on my flexplate, so I just took a dremel to them until they fit through.

I don't know man. He said that one fit and the next didn't. IMO Sounds like somthin aint right.

Did you possibly crank the first one tight and now the others are not lining up?

i tightened the first one down perfectly with no problems and now the hole for the flexplate is smaller then the bolt. The holes DO LINE UP FINE, its just that flexplate one is smaller. I havent yet been able to try it with the dremel because ive been busy with school. Ill either do it later 2day or some time 2morrow.

DONT DREMEL IT!! I have expirienced the same thing...loosen up that first bolt and get ALL THREE started BEFORE you torque them down. The holes in the flexplate are kinda slotted and when you tighten up the first bolt it can keep the others from lining up (even though you know that they do).

well its too late, i already took a dremel to it JUST A LITTLE though and the bolt went right through. It works fine now and have them torqued down. Thanks for the help guys

Guys, its not that the whole wasn't slotted far enough, its that his bolt was too big to even go through the flexplate. I ran into the same problem with my new converter, it required slightly larger diameter American bolts instead of the stock smaller Metric ones.

definitely dont want to crank just one of them tight all by itself, you want ot do it in steps spin around tighten up next one some more then move on to next and tighten up the same and go around about three times and end up cranking one by one tight when the other two are close to all way threaded up


metric ones most always thread into the converter with no loose nut,

older 70s stuff mainly all uses 3/8" short bolt and thin/narrow hex nut


i make the latter ones by cutting length of a bolt down and taking a normal 3/8" hex nut to the grinding wheel and grind flat against one side of the nut til its about 1/3" thinner than it was,

i use grade 8 though, heat weakens metal, the nut will get damn hot of course, may want to do it in several stages with watering in between

this is hopws i made hardware for the 168 tooth flexplate for the 82 trans am, its 76 model th350 and flexplate, all 3/8" standard `70's hardware


metric threads most always have blue or green thread locking compound on them

the 80s th400's use them i know
i have some around somewhere in my mess of parts in the building, and about anything else you can think of probably, cept for what last things i need for the t/a



good luck