again with the 302 vibration

New question! Went over to pick and pull today and got another trans. When I pulled it out I noticed that there is a step in the pilot bearing area of the crankshaft. The crank that is in my 302 had an actual pilot bearing not a bushing, and it had a lip on it so that it would not go in too deep. This crank did not have that step in it. Were there two different cranks? (one for auto. and one for manual trans.) Does this step provide a small amount of pressure against the nose of the converter? I checked the original crank that was in the 289 and it has this step. Maybe this is allowing the converter to move back and forth and allowing the flex plate to flex and cause the vibration.
Thanks for all your help!
Mike

 

usually you just have to pull the bearing or bushing out of the crank for a torque converter to fit in my experience. no differences

 

I know, that's what I remember too. This crank is out of a 72 truck, if that makes any difference.

 

I'm happy to be wrong on this as it's been literally decades since I've fiddled with some of this...

From my recollections, Ford did not use a pilot bearing until the early-mid '80s - they used bushings. The cranks for bushings do not have a step. And all early cranks were the same (289 early 302) - later cranks had the step in them to accomodate the bearing.

If my memory is correct - and it is definitely suspect - your "72" had its crank changed & we may be right back to correct year / balance issues discussed ad nauseum in your other thread....

OR my memory has failed me (likely), but your torque converter was getting caught on the lip somehow & not seating properly causing your vibe?? Just a stab in the dark.

 

No, the crank had not been changed. It was a 72 PU that I bought in 76 so that is the latest year part that could have been in the engine.