What is the maximum amount of distance there should be between a torque converter and a flexplate when you bolt up a tranny?

 

The minimum is .080", the maximum is .125". Use a feeler guage between the mounting pad and the bolt pad on the flex plate. Keep adding feeler guage thickness till you get a little drag, then add all of the numbers to see what you have. If you have too much clearance, let me know what clearance you have, and I will give you the solution.

 

It's just about .200"....


What's going on is I am doing an engine swap with my 2.8 6cyl; I am using an '88 block in place of my blown '84. I put the '84's flexplate on the new engine, and am still using the same torque converter and tranny as on the '84. I don't know why it seems like they're not mating up like they should....the 2.8 blocks are supposed to be identical except for the lack of a drilled out port for the mechanical pump (which the MPFI engine has a casting for, though it is not drilled out)....the cranks on both engines appear the same behind the flexplate as far as protrusion from the block goes...

 

You will need a machine shop to make 3 "identical in thickness" washers. If your clearance is .200" exactly, I would shoot for a .095" thickness washer, that way you will have about .105" clearance between flexplate & torque converter. If you have a good parts warehouse, bring in a set of calipers or micrometer and measure what you find till you get 3 indentical washers close to .075" - .095" in thickness. Remember that all 3 have to be the same in thickness.