Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Hey folks, I'm hoping some of you east coasters might be up early on a Sunday. I'm swapping engines in my car and ran into a problem trying to install the new motor. It won't mate up to the transmission, and after some analysis we found this:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...14258245_n.jpg

Is that the nub of the old torque converter seized inside the crankshaft? My old engine doesn't have that, just a clean hole where that rusty chunk would be. I didn't drill the hole in it, I picked it up that way.

Right now I'm going to run out and get the nastiest drill bit I can find, as much as the thought of drilling into the crankshaft terrifies me.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

DO NOT DRILL IT OUT YET!!!!!
If you get even slightly off center you will have a vibration that will destroy your engine.
Can you trade this engine back in for another one?

Can you hand file two grooves into the nub so that you can remove a chunk of it to facilitate its removal?
Hand filing the problem sounds much safer to me.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Hey Tom,

Trading isn't an option, I got this engine from Nate and even that was a lot of work. The don't exactly grow on trees around here.

I drilled the center of it with a 5/16 and tapped it, so I'm hoping I can use a 3/8 bolt and appropriate sockets to pull it out. I'll let you know how that goes.

Have you ever encountered something like this before?

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Never.
I recently worked on a PA SVX that had been driven with a broken flexplate.:rolleyes:
The torque converter was borked but the crank was OK.
Hopefully you can pull out the plug.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

You might want to use the biggest tap/bolt that you can fit in there, and soaking it with PB Blaster could help.
DO NOT RUSH this job.
Note;
I just measured the nub on the front of a reman torque converter and I get 0.625"outside diameter.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

So 5/16 th If it is a plug and you cn get decent thread in it i would look for a slam hammer /slide hammer and try to pop it out

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

It has to be the front of the TQ.
For it to be stuck, broken off in there, someone must have run the engine with the flexplate broken for it to weld itself into the hole.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

BB Blaster how about some Heat. The crank should be hardened so I doubt you could drill into it. That plug looks soft . If u did in fact tap it then it is FUR sur.

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Give this man a cookie!

We got it out. A 3/8 bolt wasn't enough and snapped off. We drilled a bunch of 1/8 holes to weaken it and then managed to crack it with a few shots from a chisel.

Looking inside the hole it's clear Tom's right, there is a fair amount of galling to the crank and some nubs I'm going to have to smooth with my Dremel before I can install the engine, no way the T/C will fit as is. What a mess....

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

:banana: Good job

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Engine is in and fired up! It took a while to get the hole in the crank smoothed out, but once it was everything slid together. My T/C isn't jammed in the crank, the flex plate turns freely from it, everything bolted together fine... Filled it with cheap oil to start it, I'll change it for the regular variety tomorrow.

It fired instantly on all 6, nice and loud with the exhaust removed. I only ran it for a couple seconds, just to confirm it would start (no rad/coolant, etc). Almost everything is buttoned up, so tomorrow is for final fluids, start-up, test drive, etc. But for now.. Sleep!

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

That didn't take too long . good job, can't wait to see it on the road again .

Re: Engine swap trouble, urgent help needed.
 

Me neither... I've put 50km on the car in the past year. I miss it dearly.