Well, after snow and breaking my toe, I finally got a nice clear day to install my converter. First, I found that I had the flexplate in backwards. There was too much space between the converter and the flexplate, so the bolts would not go in. we pulled the tranny again, and fixed the problem.

Now the problem I is, when installing the bolts, there is a 1/4" gap between the converter and the flexplate. When I installed the bolts anyway, the converter pulled back from the tranny a bit. I dont remember is you have to use washers, or if the converter is ok where it is now. The converter is sitting flush with the flex plate, but it is no longer all the way against the tranny. Is that normal? I dont want to fire up the car because I can not afford to fix a pump or replace my converter.

 

Normal. If the converter is flush with the flexplate. When you bolt the bell to the block, all mounts are solid. There is a small amount of space between the converter and the flexplate to ease the installation of the converter bolts while alinging the bolt holes.

 

i'm worried that the convertor's teeth will be out of contact with the input shaft, and or not having enough bite.

The converter has two nothces on the snout, i'm worried that they are not mating as they should be with the pump.

 

Didn't you say it only moved out of the tranny 1/4 in? If you unbolt a converter from the flexplate and pry it back towards the tranny they all move back in. If it was moving in and out (unbolted) 1/2in or more I would worry!