Hey guys,

Anybody know how much of a pain in the *** it is to lift in a 700R4 with a piece of wood and 1 hydraulic jack. Well its hell! (Had to lower it 2 times due to own stupidity) I am still trying to get my tranny to fit right!!!

Here's my problem I lifted the tranny in place, screwed in the flywheel to converter bolts but the tranny case is still about 1 inch back of its mounting spot. Did anybody have this problem during their swap (it was like this all 3 times). Is it supposed to be like that and should I just force the tranny int where its supposed to sit? Could I damage something like that.

I realize my problem is very hard to describe i words, but if womebody could help me or give me some advice I would really appreciate it.

-Max

 

Well, a few things come to mind. First, did you lock the converter 3 times? By that, I mean when you installed the converter on the input shaft did you spin, click, spin, click, spin click? There are three steps inorder to have the converter fully locked in. Also, the block has alignment dowel pins on it about an inch long. One on each side of the bellhousing. If you are not properly on both of these(angle/height) the tranny cannot lock all the way in. Best bet, try taking the TC/flexplate bolts off and starting the bellhousing bolts first. Hint for you on raising the tranny,. Depending on how high your car is, this helped me on the ground with front end on ramps and the back on stands. Go buy a cheap, walmart MVP 2 1/4 ton jack. Take out the center cup(the 4 prong thing that makes contact with whatever youre lifting) Its held in by a safety pin looking thing. Then, get your old tranny mount(you are putting a new one in right? at $9 you should) and bolt it to the tranny. Then, with the bolt at the bottom that would go through the crossmember, put that in the hole on the jack from where the cup was and thread the nut a few turns. This way, the tranny CANNOT slip off the back jack and you can manipulate the tail end by moving wheels instead of trying it by hand. Mike

------------------
"Experience life, Don't use it" Julie (petrick) Fink

 

BE VERY CAREFULL. The converter must be bolted up AFTER you have the tranny bolted up. Hopefully you did not damage the pump YET.

You should have pushed the converter in ALL of the way and help it there while you installed the trans. THEN you pull it forward and bolt it up.

One other tip as long as you are there. You will always see a fair amount of room between where the pad face is and the flywheel. I pull it forward @1/8" and then make up for the difference with flat washers (the same amount on ALL three pads. This helps keep the pump alive by fully engaging the converter ito the pump rotor.

 

Umm... I think I may have damaged the pump already. Anywasy when turning over the engine to unscrew the converter bolts I hear a whining coming from the bottom of the engine (sort of like the sound of air escaping). Is this the pump I damaged on its way out or what else could it be?

BTW What pump are we talking about, the oil pump?

-Max

 

I think I might have found my problem already. The reason the case won't bolt up is that I am using an 86 TC with an 88 Tranny (88 TC is attached to siezed engine). I think they changed the 700R4's in 87 so it would make sense that 86 and 88 are not compatible. Can anybody tell me if I'm right and soon cause I'm hoping to finsh it before off to work I go.

-Max

 

Yes, Im almost positive the 88 had a higher spline count. You still didnt dislodge that TC ehh? If the motor is seizied, and obivously the tranny is out, some carfelu hacksaw work should cut the flexplate around the bolts. Mike

 

I dislodged the TC and took the tranny out of the car totally. Now I have a chance to get my hands on an 88 TC from a GTA (I thought I remebered them changing the tranny for 88) This will fit for sure right?

Does anybody know anything about the noise I described two posts above? It's really bothering me especially since transfixleo told me I could have broken some pump doing what I did.

 

I also encountered this problem yesterday. I have a 92 TC bolted to a seized engine and the TC from the 87 (it may even be earlier as it's not the original tranny) would not fit the 92 tranny. I want to use the 92 transmission and TC but cant get the engine to turn....any suggestions?? I'm thinking about flipping the engine over and taking the rod and main bolts off and trying to get the crankshaft out with the flexplate and convertor attached but it's a one piece rear main seal. HELP

------------------
There is no substitution for cubic inches!

 

Transfixleo or anybody else, any ideas about the noise I described a couple of post up?

 

wow never thought of that. i would flip motor over and try just loosening main caps. depends on what seized.you could torch the crank in 2 right at the rear main. but i dont think you will be able to get to all the rod bolts in order to pull the crank out. you could try to take all spark plugs out and oil cylinders (may help some) and grap the front end of the crank with a large pipe wrench. (they are ideas assuming the engine if junk)
otherwise you may have to strip engine down to a shortblock and take the whole thing apart to get at it. i am stumped on that one.

but for tranny install. i have found it easier to do if you (whick i have removed and replace my tranny about 10 times)
put a small jack under the front of the engine/oil pan and lift up slightly (use a piece of wood and dont dent the pan) and that tilts the rear of the motoe down a bit which for me made it much easier to line up tranny.
damaged pump= tranny pump that pumps your tranny fluid through tranny/cooler. (i dont know tech aspect of it)
ALLWAYS...put converter completely into tranny, mount tranny to bellhousing.(can be bitchy sometimes) then slide converter towards flexplate. bolt it in using proper flexplate bolts and locktite. to turn flexplate (what i do) tighten bolt very tight and then spin with a wrench on head of bolt. take out spark plugs and it helps greatly. or use a 1/2" socket on crank bolt on front pulley. i would not crank engine to move bolts! does not seem like a good idea to me. just my $.02

------------------
87 z28 bowtie aluminum 420small block dry sump crower lt. wt. knife edged crank oliver lt wt rods brodix track 1's super ram intake slp 1 3/4 headers accel dfi art carr 700 r4 3.42 gears ssm sub frame/ladder bars.....other parts on the way ,soon to be finished!! couple more weeks!!!

http://people.ne.mediaone.net/gdm

 

i heard the air hissing noise when my engine would turn over while i was tightening my TC bolts too. i figured it was my oil pump or compressed air in the cylinders excaping.
the tranny and engine run strong so i dont think its gonna harm anything.



------------------
former 305 crossfire fuel injection
350 cubes
hooker headers
750 vac secondary
700r4 with shift kit
--------------------
"no man with a good car needs to be justified."

 

Thanks for the help everybody,

87TPI, why would turning the pulley bolt be any more harmful then turning it by teh flexplate?

Anyways, 1 last question. An 88 700 is going in, but all I have is an 86 TC. Is it supposed to fit right in (it currently doesn't) or do I have to get an 88+ TC. Simple question and I need a quick answer.

Thanks a lot,
-Max

 

An 88 and 86 should be compatible. The number of splines changed but that was in 84 so should not be an issue.

 

I finally got the convertor...I was able to get to 2 of the bolts down low...I then pulled the convertor from the bottom until the button in the middle came loose from the flexplate, bending the flexplate at the last bolt...I then twisted the convertor around until it was vertical..then bent it down at a 90 degeree angle to the flexplate,tearing the flexplate from the ring gear...then I drove a pry bar into the slot in the flexplate around the bolt head and peeled the flexplate back enough to get some air on the bolt. Sounds like alot of work but it only took about 10 mins after I got started.

I also found the other convertor I have was a 27 spline and wouldn't work with the 92 tranny...sure glad I got it off!!

NEVER try to turn a seized engine with the crank bolt...you will almost always strip the threads or break the bolt off.

Thanks everyone for all your help.



------------------
There is no substitution for cubic inches!