TheSamba.com :: View topic - HELP! auto trans out, torque converter stuck on engine.

Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:36 am

HELP! Please,
I pulled the automatic trans out of 85 Vanagon and the torque converter is stuck to Zetec 2.0 engine. It won't come off. I did remove the 3 bolts to torque converter before I removed the tranny. Engine is still in car mounted.
I had turned the torque converter to get to the 3 bolts by the starter flywheel drive gear teeth with a big screwdriver. I think that was a no-no. Too late. I should have turn the crankshaft instead.
I'm in deep doo-doo. Please help me. I don't want to pry off tc from flex plate. Can tc be spun to unlock it some how. I'm lost.[vimeo][/vimeo]

Sat Apr 11, 2015 4:23 pm

Prying on the starter ring gear on the Torque Convertor hard enough to rotate the engine may have caused it and the flex plate to become cockeyed. As the fitment tolerances can be quite tight it the assembly may simply be wedged. I heard of folks using two TC seals on an Automatic Transaxle Bostig Conversion so that also be contributing to your sticky situation...

Perhaps a gentle but firm circular whacking with a rubber mallet would reseat everything and get thing back in alignment?

Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:03 pm

Get a trans jack under the trans and wiggle it loose.

It's hung up that's all.

Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:05 pm

TK,

The trans is off and on the shop floor....

Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:45 pm

Other than the three torque converter bolts, the only way the TC could be stuck to the Zetec is by the TC center nub being jammed on the flex plate due to improper freeplay or being cockeyed during uninstall.

There's a lot of easy ways to use paired levers between the TC and the flex plate (or the Zetec itself) to get the TC off.

You could also build a puller out of 2x4 wood and some long nuts/bolts if you want to go the safe route. The idea with the puller:

1. span the 2x4 across the TC and engine
2. bolt the TC to the 2x4
3. pass long bots through holes in the 2x4 and have them seat on the engine flange
4. use nuts on the long bolts to slowly press open the gap between the 2x4 and the flange

kourt

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:03 am

IdahoDoug wrote: TK,

The trans is off and on the shop floor....

If the trans is on the floor, and the engine is still in the van, how in the heck can the trans be stuck?
Stuck to what?

The flex plate is unbolted, and the converter is stuck to the engine?
--this can't be--

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:14 am

Terry Kay wrote: IdahoDoug wrote: TK,

The trans is off and on the shop floor....

If the trans is on the floor, and the engine is still in the van, how in the heck can the trans be stuck?
Stuck to what?

The flex plate is unbolted, and the converter is stuck to the engine?
--this can't be--

As I read his post........

He pulled the transmission clear of the engine sliding the input shaft out of the Torque Converter as he did so (hopefully didn't bend that long center shaft).

The engine remains in the Van with the TC unbolted from but firmly attached to the Flex Plate.

The question is.... What is holding the TC to the flex plate with all bolts removed?

Dave

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:18 am

Exactly Dave--

Not sure how the trans got to the floor with the trans stuck to the engine, with the flex plate bolts out--
The flex plate bolts free the trans from the engine Doug--what's stuck?

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:22 am

Terry Kay wrote: Exactly Dave--

Not sure how the trans got to the floor with the trans stuck to the engine, with the flex plate bolts out--
The flex plate bolts free the trans from the engine Doug--what's stuck?

TC Despite having the three bolts removed from it slipped off of input shafts..... Stayed on engine..... Is stuck there.

Transmission is unbolted from engine and removed.

Dave

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:36 am

There is no reason that converter should be stick to the flex plate with the bolts removed--

I for sure can't think of any reason--no shafts, no splines, no nothing--it should fall right off.

Get a pry bar behind if an pop it off..

Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:35 am

Hope you didn't screw up the pump shaft and tranny input shaft pulling the tranny without prying the TC converter loose from the engine first. Not sure what would be different between a stock engine and the Zetec, but maybe it is just a corrosion issue.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:11 am

Wildthings wrote: ...maybe it is just a corrosion issue.
Only thing I could think of was maybe it was rusted to the mounting tabs?

Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:13 am

borninabus wrote: Wildthings wrote: ...maybe it is just a corrosion issue.
Only thing I could think of was maybe it was rusted to the mounting tabs?

Unless I am mistaken there is a guide that centers the TC to the flex plate/crankshaft assembly. If installed dry then salt could have seized it in place easily enough.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:43 am

Listen up guys!

1. The three torque converter bolts have been removed.
2. The transmission has been removed.
3. I made damn sure the pump shaft on transmission NEVER touched the torque converter which is still STUCK to Zetec motor.

Reading some of the replys sounds logical. You other guys should go back and read my original post and this post to understand my situation.

I appreciate all comments though. Thank you.

Sounds to most logical to me to do this.

1. Spray blasters between engine and flex plate.
2. Somehow wiggle clockwise and counter clockwise the torque converter while keeping engine from turning.
3. Beat the torque converter with rubber mallet.
4. Pry. This is the easiest but freaks me out. Possible damage to flex plate.
5. Use the 2x4 pulley system.
6. Use impact vibrator air tool. Sock it to me. Shake, rattle, and roll.
7. Just go ape shit because I am so damn mad because nothing ever goes right.
8. Say some prayers, thank God, maybe it could have been worst.
9. Have some scotch.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:42 pm

Of my 2x4 puller idea listed above, I bet you once you get the TC bolted to the 2x4 you'll be able to lever the whole thing off without the complexity of pressing it off gently with the "puller" bolts.

Although the other posters are trying to be helpful, I have to say the reading comprehension of other contributors on this thread is awful. The original post was pretty clear. :roll:

I'm curious--is there a reason you used the starter to turn the engine? You seem to imply that turning this engine is bad. I have no qualms about using the crankshaft bolt to turn my engine for rotating the TC or other maintenance duties (and I have a Bostig Zetec).

kourt

Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:00 pm

My reading comprehension is OK, depends on how & what is written in the first place.

The converter is not; pinned, sleeved, sweat fitted,keyed or splines onto that flex plate.
Barring the engine over with the teeth on it wouldn't have done squat.
It's a flush mounted item to another flush item.
What the hell you got going on is totally beyond a bunch of folks here regardless of how you drew your scribbley picture.

You for some reason really F'ed up something if it won't drop off of that flexplate, that's for sure.

I have never, seen, heard, touched, or run into such a thing--ever.

A puller to get the converter off of a flex Plate-Oh Yea.

Take it to a mechanic before you really mess it up.

Cha-Ching

Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:20 pm

You can see the TC guide snout in this picture. About the only thing that can be holding the TC in place is the snout either being a tight fit/rusted into either the flex plate or crankshaft bore, whatever it mounts to on a Zetec.

A reasonable amount of force should pop it loose.

.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:36 pm

Catmando--did you install this Bostig? There are a lot of careful steps that must be taken to properly build endplay between the torque converter and flex plate. Some of those steps include removing material (by using sandpaper) from the flex plate lumen or from the torque converter nub, or both.

When the process is done correctly, the torque converter and the flex plate freewheel on each other when they are laid on a bench. It took me a few tries to get this right, and this endplay issue has been one part of the overall trouble with Bostig conversions and automatic transmissions.

If you did the conversion, I thought you might have a memory of doing that and would therefore have a better visualization of how easily the TC might come free of the flex plate--with gentle force.

kourt

Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:47 pm

That converter would have to had been really maggoty and have large crustations on it, would have been hell to mount if it was all that bad--would have been real obvious going on.
Nobody would have done that.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 3:01 pm

You've got something bad wrong here!

According to Bostig, the flex plate and TC don't even make contact except via the three bolts.

Dave