What can happen if you don't gap the flex-plate to the torque converter mounting pads properly whether it be to little or to much. I believe the gap is suppose to be .090-.125.
Example: say the gap is .250 and you just bolt them up as is.

 

It wont fully engage the pump and could break it. (Im not a trans guy but Ive been told that).

 

Doesn't really matter.

The round thing about 1½" in dia on the front of the TC fits inside of a big ring feature on the back of the crank.



Look at that closely. If there's "too much" gap between the flex plate and the converter, the flex plate will pull the converter out as far as it can go, which is up until it hits the back of the crank. The road hits a dead end. And then, from there, the flex plate does something that I'm sure is related to the first word of its name, that allows the remainder of the "clearance" to be eliminated.

Put it together and don't worry about it, if everything else is right. If it really just SUPER bothers you, put a couple of big washers inside the crank pilot there, so it can't pull out quite as far.

 

The problem is it's been like that for about a year. It was not til I was reading through some threads trying to chase down another " Gremlin " that it made me question if I had just bolted it up without checking the clearance/gap. I did make sure that the flex-plate is correctly mounted too. Another thing that concerns me is tranny fluid around the front bottom of the trans itself which I thought was just the trans pan seal leaking. Thats also when I noticed very fine metal particles on the inside trans bell-housing right around the converter. I was also wondering if this is the cause as to why trans shutters in 4th gear between 47-52mph.

 

Is the flexplate on backwards? The converter bolts to the flexplate on raised areas around the holes in the flexplate. If the area is indented then the flexplate is on backwards and will give too much gap between the flexplate and the converter.

 

I checked the flex plate right away for correct orientation, but its fine.

 

I put in some spacer washers between the TC pads and the flexplate..usually 1 does the trick but have used 2 in the past. Takes up the clearance and works fine.

 

The clearance should be .080" - .125" for proper torque converter hub to rotor engagement.

 

Thanks for all the reply's guys!
I'm going to get 3 hardened washers from work with the same thickness to bring in the gap to a except-able range.
Also since I had ran it like this for about a year could I have caused any damage to the trans, and/or effect the performance?

 

What gap were you at to start with?

 

With feeler gages I got .258

 

You should remove .150" of it with a .150" machined washer. I like to shoot for .100" total clearance.