Tranny question
 

My anxiety has finally built up to the point where I'll ask somebody about it.

When we were installing the new tranny onver the weekend, we found that we couldn't bolt it on. Something was binding, and we decided that we had to drop the tranny again and check that the torque converter was fit correctly. While examining the old tranny, I found that the input shaft (I think that's what it is - it's the innermost shaft) could slide out and get stuck so that the torque converter couldn't fit on correctly.

I found that I was able to fit the input shaft in all the way after a bit of fidgeting. It was sort of like picking a lock - it felt like multiple things had to be aligned inside before the shaft would fit in completely and allow the torque converter to seat completely.

Now what I'm paranoid about is shredding the tranny in the first few feet, once I roll it out of the garage. All kinds of situations play out in my mind, usually ending with the horrible noises that the kid in the GSX heard when his engine ate itself.

Nothings binding up - we were able to turn the engine over via the crank pulley again and again after the torque converter was bolted to the drive plate. Still, I'm worried. Is there anything I could have effed up? I don't want to drop and install the tranny for a third time (neither does my father-in-law, I'm sure), but between that and ripping up a good working tranny, I'll do it.

Thanks.

Don't ask me.

My tranny died a thousand miles after I installed the torque converter :(

Coincidence?

I'll let you know in a few weeks.

Doug

Like I told you, in private, the other night, I don't think you had anything to do with your tranny's failure. At least, not in the thousand miles before it died. My guess is that, if you had actually botched something that badly, it would have died in the first mile.

I'm guessing that everything's fine on my car, but I'm still nervous enough about the input shaft sliding out that I figured I'd ask.

There is a circlip that holds that shaft in place with the tranny. There is a trick to getting it aligned. Chris and I were fiddling with it when he bought my tranny. Drop him(CDG) a pm. I'm sure he knows more about it than me and it is probably still fresh in his mind.

Stephen

Thanks, Stephen. I'm pretty sure we got that right. Unless the TC is seated right, the tranny won't even bolt to the engine correctly anyway. I followed everybody's directions in that regard - 'turn it until it setes into place, then keep turning it and it'll settle some more.' That's exactly what happened when we got the input shaft in all the way.

Actually, I do have a question about the TC. Everybody talks about how hard it was to align the TC with the circlip, but we really didn't have a problem. The sleeve that the TC clips to slides out of the tranny with little effort.

Was it bad to remove that sleeve? I mean, we didn't hear any needle bearings fall into the tranny case or anything. :D

Anyway, my biggest fear is that, by having the input shaft slide out and reseating it myself, something's amiss and it'll shred itself immediately.

Am I paranoid? If it all fit together with no binding, is it all okay?

Probably I'm misunderstanding, but let me see.

The TC has a little circlip that holds on the shaft/extension to the TC. Then you insert the whole thing into the front of the assembly, rotate untl you feel the first indentation, press in some more, rotate a bit more and get the second shift inward.

There isn't anything to fall out inside. The circlip is just to hold the TC to the extension - which is used to couple the TC to the transmission since it sits so far away from the TC.

As long as the TC spins freely when the tranny is all the way against the engine you have no worries that I know of.

edit: The sleeve/shaft/extension (whatever the thing is called) is SUPPOSED to come out and get hooked to the TC so it can all be reinstalled properly on reassembly, so don't worry that.

Thanks, Lee. That's reassuring - now can you tell me the same about the input shaft - that there's nothing that'll fall apart inside the tranny if it gets pulled out some? :D

That's past my knowledge limits. Sorry :(