Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
Looking good Red! Can't wait til you get everything up and running again. Def waiting on some vids! 
Rocket Man's 02 Denali Build Thread AKA "THE BEAST"
- Thread starter Rocket Man
- Start date
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HiHoeSilver
Away!
You are over the top, Red!
OP
OP
Got the torque converter today so I have everything ready for the install tomorrow. When I decided to paint the trans crossmember I wanted to remove the mount and the bolts broke so I had to make a run to the auto parts store. The instructions for the converter say if I have more than .187 between the flexplate and the converter pads I need to use .060 flat washers between the converter and flexplate so off I went to Ace. I didn't realize how many damn washers (about 50) I'd have to measure with a dial caliper to find some that were close, 3 of them at .055. So no more excuses, this thing's going in tomorrow!
bottomline2000
Full Access Member
Same measurements as mine. There's a chance you may not need any washers. Make sure u got feeler gauges to check the spacing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk
Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
I don't envy you Red! You're gonna be one sore dude, especially doing it on the ground. Good luck!
OP
OP
Holy crap this is kicking my ass. I got the trans mounted by 10:30 this morning but ran into trouble bolting up the torque converter; FTI's instructions say if the gap between the flexplate and the converter pads is over 3/16" I need to install .060" washers as spacers. I tried for 2-3 hours but couldn't get them in. The flexplate is in the way; you're working through the starter hole and the hole in the flexplate is way back from the edge so I was trying to use grease to stick the washer to my finger and then hold it against the back side of the flexplate and slide it in and stick a bolt through because I can't hold it and put it back there. Every time I (thought I ) had one in and the bolt started, I had to slide out and go turn the crank over until I thought the next bole was close to the hole down there, then go down and use a screwdriver to line the next bolt hole up where I could get to it and the washer, and every time I thought I had one in, it would fall out when turning the crank. I did each bolt at least 4-5 times. I couldn't even see if they were in by using an inspection mirror. It's real hard just to get a bolt in, much less reach around behind and slide a washer between the flexplate and converter. My gap is maybe .030 over the .187 (3/16") they spec. I'm going to leave it. So then I started installing the transfer case but the trans was hanging too low so I tried leaving it jacked up and hanging with one end on the rear crossmember while I installed the front (trans) crossmember. I was using a second floor jack on the trans and needed to lower it a bit to line things up but lowered the wrong jack and the t case came down because I was watching the trans and it wasn't coming down! But then I figured I needed to install the exhaust first anyway so I started on that and it was fighting me so I just stopped for the day. I'm beat. This is hard with one person. I'll get it tomorrow though. I made a lot of progress today.
Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
I really do feel your pain Red! You don't have a buddy who can help you out? Just curious, what would a shop charge just for the install? Sometimes it's just not worth the aggravation of trying to do it yourself.
Couldnt use one of these to turn the flexplate?
HiHoeSilver
Away!
Wow. My only question, you did or did not ever get the washers in?
You are a beast, Red. Keep at it.
HiHoeSilver
Away!
Since everybody just has that laying around....
OP
OP
I had one of those but sent it back, there wasn't enough room to use it. And no I did not get the washers in. I might try again tomorrow but I want to see how others have done it. I can't find anything on YouTube or online yet, everybody just says to add the washers, nothing about how impossible it is. Maybe it's the TCI flexplate that's making it extra hard.
OP
OP
There's no shops around here that do work like this, just stock stuff or if there is one, they want a fortune and even then they wouldn't even check things like the gap, plus they'd have my truck for a week. My cam alone one shop wanted $1600 and pull the blower and heads, and that wasn't even doing the oil pump and timing set. Plus he said he wouldn't even know when he could get to it. I'd be waiting forever for this.
about20ninj45
Full Access Member
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If it steel, steel the magnet off of a magnet pin and attach it to the back of the wrench. It'll hold the washer and bolt in place while you gently turn it....
OP
OP
The washer has to go between the flexplate and converter. Then it has to magically stay (using grease) while I insert a bolt through from the front, through the flexplate , then through the washer, into the converter. All I can see is the face of the flexplate in the hole where the starter was. The washer has to go behind that and I and barely get a finger back there. The hole is about 1 1/2" from the edge of the flexplate also. And the gap between the two is less than 3/16" where I'm trying to slide the washer into, and it's on top of a pad on the flexplate so I can't just hold it flat and slide it over. I have to try to get it up on a pad and use the edge of my finger to slide it into position, at which point I lose touch of the edge of the washer completely. Then I use a screwdriver through the bolt hole to hopefully find the center of the washer but I can't see it or even feel it anymore and of course gravity is against me. I tried using an inspection mirror to double check but I can't tell if it's in the right place. It's total ********.
I do, but only because i bought it 20+ yrs ago when i was in high school and swapping motors after i blew them up ........and wasnt sure if red had enough room...
OP
OP
The access to the flexplate on these is ridiculous. There should be a removable part of the bellhousing. You have to have the flexplate in exactly the right position to be able to insert a bolt, there's barely enough room. Then to try and slide a washer behind you have to move the flexplate (which is attached to the crank of course) an inch or so then try to slide the washer behind and then put something in through the hole to hold the washer while you move the flexplate back to where you can put in the bolt. I never even got a single one in even though at one point I thought I had 2 in but then one fell out while I was working on the third so obviously it wasn't in, then since I wasn't sure which one fell out I was going to remove the other one but it also fell out so it wasn't in either. I mean, if 1 falls out you have to retrieve all 3 since you can't see which one is in and which one is not.
Work
about20ninj45
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Are you using the oval hole first?
OP
OP
What oval hole? I have no oval hole or rectangular hole in the converter like some instructions say. Or in the flexplate. As you can see, there's actually 3 holes on each pad of the converter for some reason, only one of each lines up with the flexplate holes.
OP
OP
I decided, after doing a lot of research, that the gap between the flexplate and converter is OK. It's about .02" over the .187" that FTI spec's (It's .207"). I read in several places that anything under 1/4" (.250") is acceptable and in fact Performabuilt's instructions call for 1/4". So, with that settled, I finished up everything this morning. The hardest part was probably the transfer case, both getting it in place as well as tightening the bolts. I followed the start-up instructions which call for starting it with the wheels off the ground and going through all the gears although I did so very briefly since my transfer case isn't supposed to be operated that way. At first the wheels didn't move and I was a bit worried but after a few seconds they started going. I just ran it through the gears once and then let it down. After adding a bit more fluid, I drove about a mile like instructed and came home and re-checked everything. No leaks. No issues. I took the trans jack back which was a few miles and traffic was horrible but I did hammer it once and it definitely accelerates better with the stall. And it does a full converter lockup at 40 MPH or so which is kind of cool and might help gas mileage when I don't hammer the throttle. I'm gonna take it out again in awhile after a bit of unwinding. The Beast is back!
