Good morning,

I have the transmission installed and all the converter bolts lined up to the flywheel.
Well the two that I can see.

But when I try to rotate the engine manually I cannot budge it. Therefore I cannot install the remaining 3 nuts to the converter.

I have the selector in the neutral position.

Am I doing something wrong?

Can I install the starer to bump it around?

Please help.

 

Pull the trans out. The torque converter is not seated in the pump.

The front face of the torque converter must be inside the bellhousing. The best way to seat the converter is to tilt the trans upright so that the bellhousing is facing up. Now rotate the converter. It needs to drop four times to be properly seated. Hopefully you haven't damaged the pump or the converter.

 

Exactly what Mark said. When the converter seats you will know it because it makes a different sound. I say that it goes "thunk" when it finally seats. If the pilot isn't fully inside the bell then it isn't seated.

I always tell people that the transmission will flush up to the engine by hand when the converter is fully seated. I have them install a bolt on each side and only hand tighten them. If you meet resistance then it's wrong.

I've done it hundreds of times, so I know for a fact that the transmission can be fully seated against the block by hand without pulling it up with the bolts. In fact, it should be.

Hopefully you didn't torque the two together. If you did then you need to pull it all and inspect the converter hub. Make sure it's still round and doesn't have any new flats pressed into it. If you find any damage then you need to replace both the pump and the converter.

Hope all is well with it.

D

 

Thanks guys.

Here's what I did yesterday with my limited experience before reading your replies (I've ever done a transmission before):

I loosened all the bell housing bolts and removed the 1 flywheel nut i had installed and backed off the transmission about 1/2". Then I was able to rotate the engine crank shaft like normal. Then I tightened all the bell housing bolts again and was still able to rotate. I assumed all was good and put everything back together. I haven't driven it yet.

When I first put the converter on I heard what Darrin mentions as a "thunk".

Initially I couldn't get the transmission completely aligned to the engine block because the engine tilted slightly up when I removed the transmission, and I did what Darrin says I shouldn't have to do and used the bolts to pull the two together, then I did what I mentioned above...

 

Since I did't read in time the inspection I should have done realizing something was bound up, should I assume something is severely damaged now?

 

No, but you should probably take it apart again and check it.

 

Just not looking forward to spending another 20hrs under the truck...

 

GM,
I plan to remove the transmission tomorrow after work.
I want to ask:
Other than flats pressed onto the hub, what visual damage do I look for?
Do I need to disassemble the pump to inspect it?
any other things to look for?

thanks

 

I pulled the transmission out again today. The converter looks normal with no pressed flats. No metal debri anywhere. I put the converter back on, properly this time. And I was able to mount it again too.