Re: tools required for torque converter install
I'm sorry, did someone say my name :lol:?
Ah yes the good old "700-R4 pull", it is a milestone in syty ownership. However, you will only get partial credit from us "old timers" since the transmission hasn't been grenaded
.
First off, as already mentioned, you won't have to completely remove the transmission from the truck to swap out the converter. You won't even have to remove the transfer case... Being that you have a new transmission pan, I would not put it on until after you have installed the new converter. I have a cast aluminum TCI pan for my truck and install the stocker anytime I have to do a pull so that it doesn't get beat up during the pull.
Before you install the new transmission filter, be sure that you get the old seal out of the bore. I have never seen one come out with the old filter. The best tool that I have used to remove it is one of those "lid poppers" that you get for removing the lids off metal cans of paint. Hit any sharp edges on it with a file or grinding stone so that you don't scratch the bore if you get a little careless.
If your transmission has never been messed with since it left the factory's hands, there will be a single
TORX T40 button head cap screw holding the torque converter inspection plate in place. It will be on the same side as the propshaft. It is
NOT a hex wrench. I have lost count of how many trucks have had this single screw mutilated. Strip out that one screw and the cover isn't coming off...
Removing the three bolts that hold the flexplate to the torque converter can be a royal pain. The factory applies a thread locking compound to the bolts to keep them from backing out. You need to do the same when you reinstall the bolts later. You want to use Loctite 262 or 271 which is red in color. If you try to just wrench the bolts loose, you will usually just end up turning over the motor... instead, get a wrench on the head of the bolt and hit it with a decent sized hammer. A brass, copper or dead blow hammer works best. To access the other bolts, the easiest way is to turn to motor over from the front with a big breaker bar. This is when having an extra pair of hands is nice.
Those flex sockets are nice, I have a set myself, but they or any other "regular" socket for that matter aren't going to do you any good when you get to the top stud that holds the downpipe bracket in place... A regular socket won't reach and a deep well one will be too long because it will hit the seam in the sheet metal of the fire wall. As myclone mentioned you will need a
9/16 inch socket to remove the bellhousing bolts. I have a "modified" 14 MM deep well socket that I use for my pulls:
Before you cry foul and say "hey, you just said that the bolts are 9/16 inch!" 9/16 of an inch equals 14.2875 MM. I like using 14 MM since it gets a better bite on the bolts and they can be
VERY stubborn. As you can see, my "special" deep well socket is approximately 45 MM (1 3/4 inch) long whereas a standard deep well socket in this size is 63.5 MM (2 1/2 inch) long. I made this socket myself by cutting it down with a cut off wheel and facing it in the lathe at work so the face was true.
This pic represents the modification that I did to my truck to address the sheet metal problem:
"If you have ever pulled your own transmission before, you know what's up with this. Primed and painted afterwards..."
As far as the converter goes, be sure that the pilot on the converter is clean as outlined by my mentor, George Blake
here. Also fill the coverter with at least two quarts of ATF before you install it. Wipe some ATF of the "snout" of the converter that goes into the transmisssion too.
Now this is a
REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL. It will prevent you from
CRUSHING THE PUMP and having to
REMOVE the transmission because it will need to be
TORN APART TO BE CLEANED.:
With a straight edge across the front of the bellhousing, the distance to the mounting pads on the torque converter should be approximately 5/8 of an inch. Failure to do this properly will result in a
CRUSHED PUMP and your transmission will
HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND TORN APART TO BE CLEANED. Last year, there was a rash of folks who did this. So, it is not a difficult mistake to do by any means. Take your time when you install the new converter and tighten the three bolts down a little at a time as you go. It is time comsuming but it will prevent you from
CRUSHING THE PUMP and having to
REMOVE the transmission because it will need to be
TORN APART TO BE CLEANED. I can't stress how important this step is. Just to clarify if you don't seat the torque converter properly, you will
CRUSH THE PUMP and your transmission will
HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND TORN APART TO BE CLEANED.
![Quickstop [UK]](/community/data/avatars/m/5/5165.jpg?1570199786){kind=avatar}
