Torque convertor failure?

TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
I was driving along today, having a nice day I might add, and then all of a sudden I had no trans, AGAIN :rant: Now for anyone who knows, Ive had this out three times in the last month. I had an input shaft crack. Then some VB issues :roll: This time I have no drive, no reverse, no nothing, except park. I pulled the trans this evening, new personal record by the way, and found absolutely nothing wrong inside. I have not opened up the pump yet but will tomorrow. Only thing I can think of is the TC. Can they just STOP working? Also, ever sine this whole cracked shaft thing started up, the trans had a fair vibration, atleast I think it was the trans, at the top of second and third gear.
 
sy#2921

sy#2921

BAMF
Re: Torque convertor failure?

All in favor that we all need to start a "mike needs a 80e now" fund say I. :tup:
 
turrrbo6

turrrbo6

Member
Re: Torque convertor failure?

TYTILIDIE said:
I was driving along today, having a nice day I might add, and then all of a sudden I had no trans, AGAIN :rant: Now for anyone who knows, Ive had this out three times in the last month. I had an input shaft crack. Then some VB issues :roll: This time I have no drive, no reverse, no nothing, except park. I pulled the trans this evening, new personal record by the way, and found absolutely nothing wrong inside. I have not opened up the pump yet but will tomorrow. Only thing I can think of is the TC. Can they just STOP working? Also, ever sine this whole cracked shaft thing started up, the trans had a fair vibration, atleast I think it was the trans, at the top of second and third gear.
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Don't know what your tranny problem is but what was the new record on removal. The last one I did with help from Waller was less than 50 minutes.
 
jwaller

jwaller

Evil Genius/SyTy Guru
Re: Torque convertor failure?

turrrbo6 said:
Don't know what your tranny problem is but what was the new record on removal. The last one I did with help from Waller was less than 50 minutes.
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thats 50 min to pull it and tear the trans down.
icon_lol.gif
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

1 hour flat, by myself, with draining fluid. So can a TC just stop working like that?
 
rodent

rodent

Member
Re: Torque convertor failure?

That sucks to hear.

If you makes you feel any better, look at what happened to my NEW Eclipse this past weekend after the timing belt broke. 2nd day of driving it.

Piston with a hole and 2 valves laying on the piston (one is in the hole)
http://home.comcast.net/~k5shawn/gsx/cyl3-sm.jpg

Head trashed with 3 missing valves.
http://home.comcast.net/~k5shawn/gsx/head2-sm.jpg

Chunks of metal I pulled from the turbo.
http://home.comcast.net/~k5shawn/gsx/turbometal-sm.jpg
 
rodent

rodent

Member
Re: Torque convertor failure?

BTW- There was a 97 4L80 at Pull N Save for $100. I should have called you.
 
fivetodrive

fivetodrive

CRISPY
Re: Torque convertor failure?

rodent said:
BTW- There was a 97 4L80 at Pull N Save for $100. I should have called you.
Click to expand...

What was that in? I guess I didnt look very close at what was coming in... You could always call me! I work 15min from there...
 
rodent

rodent

Member
Re: Torque convertor failure?

fivetodrive said:
What was that in? I guess I didnt look very close at what was coming in... You could always call me! I work 15min from there...
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97 white van, 1 ton. Comes with the RWD shaft but you can convert it. I got 2 from there so far.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

rodent said:
97 white van, 1 ton. Comes with the RWD shaft but you can convert it. I got 2 from there so far.
Click to expand...

Ill pay you 150 if you grab it for me :lol: Ill call you in the morning. Hell take me there and Ill get it myself .
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

So I found another problem, pump rotor was shattered. WTF!! this thing is seriously pissing me off. The shop I get my convertor done charges $50 to open it up, check it and clean it out. I dropped it off today and they never called me. I calleed them at 3:00 and htey said it was ready and when I asked them what was wrong, they told me it all looked great and nothing was wrong. I asked how much Iowe them and he put the phone down to talk to his partner. He gets back on and says nothing come get it. Ill bet there was something wrong but oh well. I am getting ready to go down now and inspect the pump long and hard to see if it is reusable. I think Ill just buy a new one tomorrow. F it.
 
Tooky

Tooky

Serious about performance
Re: Torque convertor failure?

All this talk about pulling a tranny in 50 minutes. :roll: I would like to hear some times for the average SyTy shadetree mechanic with nothing but hand tools, jackstands, and a floor jack, working solo. It takes me several nights for sure. Probably an hour just to drain/capture the fluid and swap tranny pans so I don't dent my Derale when the floor jack is supporting it.

Perhaps you guys have air tools, lifts, and a tranny jack to make things a hell of a lot easier.

Side note. There's a guy in Chicago who runs a one-man performance transmission shop. He basically made the Turbo Buick 2004R his life's work and works more than full time doing these trannys all week. Practically every Turbo Regal in the midwest is serviced by this guy.

Well he did a friends Syclone 700R4 and I spoke with the builder on the phone. He says the 2004R he can get out in 20 minutes easily, taking a break. When I asked him how it went doing my friend's Syclone, he immediately released a string of obscenities. :lol: He said the R&R took him about 3 hours and he hated every minute of it, talked about what a nightmare it was doing the AWD drivetrain compared to the Turbo Regals.

If there's some "secret" to cut the tranny R&R down by 75% time, let's hear what it is.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

DaveP6999 said:
Because the torque converter wasn't indexed properly into the pump. Bet you had to "torque down" the converter to flex-plate bolts, or perhaps the case to engine bolts, hunh?

Anyone who knows how to properly install a trans, knows that the converter MUST turn by hand when the case is bolted to the engine block. If not, the converter isn't indexed correctly. I ALWAYS give the TC a 'spin' or two as I put the case up to the block to be sure it hasn't slipped.

Sorry, Dude.
No one to blame for this one except yourself.
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UUHHH, Actually, it was indexed properly, I too always give her a few spins. I did NOT have to torque it down, Converter buts right up to flex plate and I hand tighten all the bolts first as far as they go, which is to the flew plate, then tighten them all. One thing that bothers me about my converter is that you have to pull it back quite a ways to get it to the flex plate. I may really look in to shimming it. It slides back farther than any other converter I have ever had. Btw, housing to engine bolts all go in smoothly as well. I may not be a professional but I am not retarded. Ive done this trans/engine removal well over 50 times between the two, I would never make a mistake like that, those days are long gone :lol: Those are the kinds of thing you only do once.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

Tooky said:
All this talk about pulling a tranny in 50 minutes. :roll: I would like to hear some times for the average SyTy shadetree mechanic with nothing but hand tools, jackstands, and a floor jack, working solo. It takes me several nights for sure. Probably an hour just to drain/capture the fluid and swap tranny pans so I don't dent my Derale when the floor jack is supporting it.

Perhaps you guys have air tools, lifts, and a tranny jack to make things a hell of a lot easier.



If there's some "secret" to cut the tranny R&R down by 75% time, let's hear what it is.
Click to expand...

The secret is practice :lol: I have a really good system for doing this. One thing that helps is to have all or the majority of the tools you need right there with you. And as far as tools are concerned, I have learned that monkeying around trying to get that socket to fit in that hard to reach area just might be a waste of time, couldve had it off with a wrench by now. I do not have a lift or a trans jack. I use a floor jack. I do however, have air, makes life nice. I dont use as much as you would think though. So first thing first, drain fluid, and undo braided lines. Second, drive shaft comes off. then, I put the jack under the trans and put very little tension on. Next, I take out all the bolts to the cross member. remove it. Then I remove the front drive shaft, rear bolts are way more accessable this way. I then go an un plug all the electrical, shifter cable and unbolt the exhaust. this is important because it lets the trans hang down pretty good giving you real good access to the bell housing bolts. Then I go and remove TC bolts. Then I proceed to the t-case. I take the driver side two bolts out with a wrench, sockets are a PITA to get on there IMO. Others I do with air. Then drop it down and throw it to the side. Now i start tkaing out the housing bolts. Takes about 5 minutes if you can the trans as low as it can go. Then lower it down to the ground, disconnect your TV cable ofcourse, it sucks when you forget to, and you are done.

I guess the main is gaining good access to everything, it makes the job a hell of a lot easier. That and just not farting around when you are doing it.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

Always use a band to align. 50 times between the two means, Ive had several cars that I have built motors (had to pull them) and replaced trannies. All the same type set up. With the bell housing pattern that is. First time I installed an engine, I didnt line the pins up right and couldnt figure out why the bolt holes werent lineing up. But like I siad, that was a loooong time ago. I spent a few hours last night going over the broken parts, VB, input shaft and drum, really, just a broken rotor is what I end up with. Not sure what could have happened really but I know how to install a TC and I know I didnt do it wrong. I know another guy who has had this happen to him more than once and he too knows how to install a TC. I wonder if the pump halves had an imperfection that maybe caused a warp affect? Just thinking out loud. At any rate, got a new pump today so hopefully this issue will be over and done with and I can just drive and not worry about it.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Torque convertor failure?

Dave, you were right about hte spacers. I talked more in depth with a lcoal guy a little while ago and he seemed to think that would definately be the cause of hte vibration and the shattered rotor. FWIW, I never used those before and I dont know why I did this time. Another thing you screw up, once.
 
4C FED

4C FED

Absolutum Dominium
Re: Torque convertor failure?

I always double-check the clearance between the TC & flexplate. It's usually around 3/8".
To much clearance & the TC can disengage the pump. To little clearance and you saw first hand what can happen, broken pump.
 
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