My engine is done and ready to go back in the cradle. Since I haven't done an automatic for a long time, (I do mainly manuals) I am wondering about the sequence of reinstalling the torque converter. Should the torque converter be mounted to the engine or the transmission first? It seems that with all the splines that need to be lined up on the torque converter, it would be easier to put that on the transmission first and then put the engine in and bolt it up to the flex plate, maybe through the inspection cover on the bottom, but only if there is enough room to operate in. So, since I am sure many of you have been through this at least once, I would appreciate any advice on getting this back together. I have found the old saying of, "It comes apart more easily that it goes back together", has been applying to this rebuild. But overall, it has not been bad at all, once I got a decent engine builder..

Thanks in advance for any help. By the way, we are soo smoked in here in Northern CA, that it is helping to keep the temps down and makes working on this project a lot nicer

[This message has been edited by eti engineer (edited 08-07-2021).]

I've done quite a few automatics. To remove you go under ( safely please) take off the cover rotate the flexpate and remove the three bolts. Then you remove the transmission but you seem to know this.
When installing the torque converter you put the stator housing nose piece into the transmission while holding it solid, then push and turn the torque converter so that it seats in all the way . Then rotate by hand to insure that it is where it should be and that it rotates freely. When you assemble the transmission to the engine properly the torque converter should be able to be easily rotated by hand. Do not tighten the transmission bolts to get the assembly together. This will cause a broken converter. If you cannot align engine and transmission by hand then the torque converter is not properly seated in place.

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quote Originally posted by eti engineer: By the way, we are soo smoked in here in Northern CA, that it is helping to keep the temps down and makes working on this project a lot nicer.

Seems that the entire west coast of North America (BC, Washington, Oregon, California) is on fire. Fortunately, this year the prevailing winds are keeping the smoke away from my corner of the province, but two or three summers ago the forest fire smoke was really bad here. I much prefer higher temps with no smoke!

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: I've done quite a few automatics. To remove you go under ( safely please) take off the cover rotate the flexpate and remove the three bolts. Then you remove the transmission but you seem to know this. When installing the torque converter you put the stator housing nose piece into the transmission while holding it solid, then push and turn the torque converter so that it seats in all the way . Then rotate by hand to insure that it is where it should be and that it rotates freely. When you assemble the transmission to the engine properly the torque converter should be able to be easily rotated by hand. Do not tighten the transmission bolts to get the assembly together. This will cause a broken converter. If you cannot align engine and transmission by hand then the torque converter is not properly seated in place.

Thanks. I figured that this is the way it needed to be done, but was not sure. I have a new torque converter, but before I replace the front seal in the transmission today, I put the new torque converter in place as a trial fit. It seemed that there were two or three "steps" before it was fully seated. Then I pulled it out I used a seal removing tool to remove the old seal and have installed a new seal. I just wasn't sure if I should put the converter into the transmission and then use the inspection plate to install the bolts as required. I will double check to make sure that all three bolts are equally spaced. I assume they are for balancing reasons, if for no other reason. If they are not, I will put a mark on the odd one and then when I bolt the torque converter in, they will be in the correct sequence.

I appreciate the information. I know just enough about this kind of stuff to be dangerous. Now put me in charge of rebuilding an EMD, CAT, Cummins or White Superior diesel engine, and it's all in my head. This is different.
Here I am next to a 16-cylinder EMD for which I used to teach the teardown and rebuild. It was a 9072 cubic inch, 2- stroke diesel, rated at 2125 hp. I loved this engine.

quote Originally posted by eti engineer: Yeah, but the temps are a pain in the you-know-what, too. The next four days are supposed to be 100+ but there is no humidity and I have my own pool, so I am good.

I don't know if you heard of the freak heatwave we had up here at the end of June, but Lytton BC (a small town not far from me) set record temperatures for Canada of 121°F. It wasn't quite as bad right here on the coast, but man-oh-man, it was HOT.

‘Hard to comprehend’: Experts react to record 121 degrees in Canada

quote Lytton, located about 60 miles northeast of Vancouver, broke that previous all-time record of 113 on three straight days, soaring to 116 on Sunday, 118 on Monday and finally 121 on Tuesday. Before this siege, it had stood since 1937.

And then the town burned down!

Heat Wave Spread Fire That ‘Erased’ Canadian Town

I'm not digging thru all that above...

Install the converter in the trans then mount trans to engine then bolt converter to flex plate.

If trans moves before tighten a few bell bolts then stop and reinstall the converter.

If TC moves enough then can wreck the pump that uses TC shaft trying to push the bell to engine.

⚠️ Warning:
If AT hasn't been rebuilt... At Minimum Replace TC seal before installing.
Many are damage when TC is out of the trans. Old TC seals often leak anyway.

Coat metal part of seal w/ super 300 etc paint sealer before install to stop leaks for scratches in metal.

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quote Originally posted by theogre: I'm not digging thru all that above...

Your loss.

quote Originally posted by theogre: I'm not digging thru all that above... Install the converter in the trans then mount trans to engine then bolt converter to flex plate. If trans moves before tighten a few bell bolts then stop and reinstall the converter. If TC moves enough then can wreck the pump that uses TC shaft trying to push the bell to engine. ⚠️ Warning: If AT hasn't been rebuilt... At Minimum Replace TC seal before installing. Many are damage when TC is out of the trans. Old TC seals often leak anyway. Coat metal part of seal w/ super 300 etc paint sealer before install to stop leaks for scratches in metal.

Thanks, Ogre. I appreciate all the advice in here, but it's nice to have a summary. I'm a simple man... BTW, I did replace the TC seal. It would have been stupid not to...

[This message has been edited by eti engineer (edited 08-09-2021).]

quote Originally posted by theogre: I'm not digging thru all that above... Install the converter in the trans then mount trans to engine then bolt converter to flex plate. If trans moves before tighten a few bell bolts then stop and reinstall the converter. If TC moves enough then can wreck the pump that uses TC shaft trying to push the bell to engine. ⚠️ Warning: If AT hasn't been rebuilt... At Minimum Replace TC seal before installing. Many are damage when TC is out of the trans. Old TC seals often leak anyway. Coat metal part of seal w/ super 300 etc paint sealer before install to stop leaks for scratches in metal.

So, I bit the bullet today and put the engine back in the cradle. The torque converter went in just like you guys told me it would. When I bolted the transmission and the engine together, there was no binding and I could turn the converter though the inspection opening, so I can bolt the converter and flex plate as designed.

I did run into one problem. The front transmission mount is toast, so I am on hold until I get a new one. I also ordered a new rear mount too. Just well do them both. In hindsight, I probably should have ordered them to begin with.

Thanks to all of you who have helped me in this so far. You've made this job so far much easier than it could have beem.

Here's a shot of the whole power train on the cradle I built. I forget who it was who had the plans for this cradle, but THANKS a million times over. I don't know how I could have done this without it.