My car is an 86 IROC with TPI 305 and rebuilt 700R4. So last week I had my new torque convertor replaced. I know the shop drove it for a few short trips, so test it out. When I got the car, when it was cold, it kept wanting to stall when the AC was on but drove normally when warm. I drove it home on Monday 60 miles. Yesterday, it began stalling even with the AC off when warm. It kept stalling at stop lights.
Today, it won't even idle. It just stalls after I start it up.


Could it be my torque convertor has failed already? When it begins to stall the car shudders and vibrates a lot. I hear a loud noise coming from the rear engine area too (you can kind of hear it in the video).

I ruled out all of the other common factors (IAC, TPS, MAF, Timing, etc). It's the only thing that makes sense.

 

Converter staying locked up or the converter failed. Get it up in the air, unbolt converter from flexplate, push converter back into trans and start car. That'll help figure out for sure if trans has to come out. Recently had clutch material fail on one of our cars and similar results.

 

You pretty sure it's the Torque Converter? Like really sure? The only reason I ask is because he's 60 miles away and it's kind of a PIA to get there. Good news is it's under warranty from the transmission shop. I'll likely just have the car towed to him tomorrow.

Here is a data log as well for anyone if that helps.

 

So, watching the video it appears it dies after starting, even when you haven't attempted to put it into either reverse or drive? As in, it's in park the whole time?

If the above is true, I can't see how the torque converter could be causing the stalling. If the TCC was somehow always engaged, that would show up as a stall whenever you attempted to shift it from park to either reverse or drive, but with it stalling in park (or neutral) what would a locked converter be able to engage into and load the engine down into a stall, a transmission that isn't in any gear ?

 

As OrangeBird said; when the Automatic Transmission is in Park or Neutral...
The Input-Shaft is not connected to the Output-Shaft.

So even if the Torque-Converter Clutch was stuck applied...
The Input-Shaft would just spin freely with the Torque-Converter and the Engine.
The Only way for the Engine to stall is if the Output-Shaft was connected to the Input-Shaft (in Drive or Reverse).

The way that the Stock Torque-Converter Clutch operates...
is with the Clutch being normally applied, and Fluid pressure from the Transmission pushing the Clutch off (un-applied) when lock-Up is not wanted.

 

No, I'm not 100% sure. I'd put it up in the air and pull the converter back off the flexplate and see if it's still an issue when you start it up. That'll let you know if you need to go back to trans shop or look elsewhere. (can also pull off the belt(s) to see if a accessory is locking up.
Not a big trans guy but I do know we have had one that would die when in park and trying to start it. Not sure why it did that but the converter was putting such a load on the engine it would die. Head scratcher, new converter and fluid change fixed it.

 

Vacuum leak?
Transmission had to come out to replace the torque converter, correct?
Did the shop take the steps to prevent the distributor cap from hitting the firewall?
Or did they plug all the connectors back in if they removed the distributor cap first?

 

According your video, your generator is not working. What happens with it?

Disconnect rubber belt and try to start again.

Note test results